Garden Office Pt 5 — Reflections

This is the fifth, and final, post in a series about the design and construction of my garden office. You can read the full series here: part one, part two, part three & part four.

Looking back

The first photo for the project in my Google Photos library was taken 15th April 2022, exactly 7 months ago.

As I sit here in the office writing this final post, rain pattering on the roof, it's hard to believe that it's all over… but it's been a long 7 months of learning and hard work. The final result is almost exactly how I had imagined it back when I was researching, designing and planning earlier in the year.

Before/after:

Day one, dismantling the old shedProject complete, front viewA few days in, the project had begun!Project complete, side view

Some numbers

We estimated the project would take around 6-8 months and would cost around £10,000.

Whilst we didn't track our time super accurately, I suspect the total man-hours spent was ~850.

A quick Google search told me that a typical builder charges around £250 per day. Quick maths tells me that if we charged ourselves for labour, the total labour cost would have been £26,500, bringing the project total to ~£40,000.

Interestingly, when I was deciding whether to build or buy, the quotes I got were not far off £40,000!

Front corner close upFront light close upFront door close upSide viewFront corner close upPeering inside

Comfort

One of my original concerns was whether the office would be warm and comfortable. Would I want to work there on the coldest days? Or would I end up taking my laptop into the house? I invested heavily in insulation with the hope that it would pay off, and it did. In fact, it worked out far better than I hoped.

I have a Delonghi Dragon 4 oil radiator, in the morning it turns on and quickly warms the room to 21 degrees celsius. Assuming I don't leave the door open, the room effortlessly stays at around 21/22 all day, usually without the radiator clicking on again – I'm especially impressed given that the temperature outside is already in the single digits.

Books and keyboardsSliders are everyday footwear for going between the house and the office, even in the rainComplex corner where the door met the windowComplex corner where the door met the windowDesk with panellingBook shelf with guitarsFull interior shot

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Reflections

When I started this project, I had no idea how to build a building. But day by day I learned, tried, failed, learned more, succeeded, and kept going until it was finished. The power of small steps and iteration can't be understated.

For a long time my dad and I have discussed working on a project together, although I never imagined we would start with something of this scale. Spending all this quality time with him over the last 7 months has been truly awesome and unforgettable, especially after a couple of years of COVID-19 restrictions.

I’m not really one for life quotes, but it really has been about the journey, not the destination – although, the destination is pretty damn awesome too.