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A shepherd's hut garden office, built by you
The room at the end of the garden you'll actually want to work in.
The short answer: the Herdwick (3.6m) or the Swaledale (4.2m) makes a garden office with a proper curved roof, a stove if you want one, and the feeling of leaving the house when you walk down the garden. A kit from £6,250 against a mid-range garden office from a supplier at two to three times that, and when you move house the hut can go with you.
Why a hut and not a box
Most garden offices are a flat-roofed cube. A shepherd's hut has a curved roof you can see from the kitchen, a stable door you can lean on with a coffee, and wheels that make it a caravan rather than a building in planning law (see our planning guide). It's the room in the garden you'll actually want to be in at 5pm on a Tuesday in February.
Which kit
- The Herdwick (3.6m) (3.5m x 2.07m inside): a desk across the far end, a chair, shelves down one side. The kit most people pick for a one-person office.
- The Swaledale (4.2m) (4.1m x 2.07m): a desk and a two-seat sofa, or two desks. The one to choose if the office doubles as a reading room.
Put the double casement window where your desk goes and the portrait window beside the door. The stable door gives light and air without the full French doors, and costs the same.
Warm all year
The frame takes 50mm PIR board in the floor, walls and roof, and the kit's V-groove lining goes over it. A small electric panel heater is enough for most mornings; the wood burner pack is for people who like the ritual. An electrician runs an armoured cable from the house and certifies the work to the caravan section of the wiring regulations.1
Broadband at the bottom of the garden
A mesh extender in the hut is enough within about 30m of the house; beyond that, run an outdoor ethernet cable alongside the power cable while the trench is open. Our sister site has a guide to garden offices covering broadband, heating and desks in more detail.
What it costs all in
Kit, fixings, insulation, electrics and paint for a 3.6m office usually lands between £9,000 and £11,000 if you do the build yourself, before any chassis. See cost to finish for the line by line.
Questions people ask
How big is the Herdwick (3.6m) inside?
About 3.5m by 2.07m, with 2.28m of standing height in the middle. A desk, a chair and shelving with room to spare.
Can I work in it in winter?
Yes, with 50mm PIR insulation in the floor, walls and roof and a small heater. The wood burner pack is optional.
Related guides
Shepherd's hut kitsSizes, prices and what's in the box.
Cost to finishThe honest total.
How the build goesEleven stages.
Sources
- Wiring Regulations, BS 7671 Section 708 and Section 721.