FAQs

In most cases planning permission is not required for your Horto Garden Room as it falls under Permitted Development, unless you live in a conservation area or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). In the latter cases Permitted Development would have to be applied for under a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC). Listed buildings and apartments will require a formal planning application as they do not have Permitted Development rights.

At Horto we would always recommend that a Lawful Development Certificate is put in place for your garden room investment as it certifies that your building is immune from any potential future enforcement action. Generally, this only becomes an issue when you come to sell your property, as the buyer’s solicitor will request formal confirmation that the work carried out did not require planning permission, even if it was carried out under Permitted Development rights.

Ultimately it is the homeowner or landowner’s responsibility to ensure that the correct planning permission is in place.

All Horto Garden Rooms up to 15M2 come as standard with a Building Regulations Completion Certificate.

This certificate will prove that your garden room has been designed and constructed using the correct materials and craftsmanship and that it complies with current Building Regulations. This is an important document to have in your home information pack when you come to sell your property.

The cost does depend on your specification, however to give you an idea of costs a 3m x 3m garden room is from £18,850. This price includes VAT and built to our standard but comprehensive specification. Further details on the standard specification can be found here

We would advise that a gap of 500mm be available for ease of construction and maintenance of your Horto Garden Room.

The foundation detail is dependent upon the existing ground conditions where your Horto Garden Room is to be constructed. Our most widely used system is a concrete mini pile with customised steel anchors – engineer designed to not only support the imposed weight, but to also ensure lateral restraint.

If the existing ground is soft or ‘made-up’, we would use a concrete raft foundation with brick plinth, also engineer designed.

Whichever foundation is required, Horto will undertake all the work, and this is included within the price.

Our surveyor will visit your property and carry out a survey, which will include your preferred location of the garden room, and of your existing electrical system. They will also discuss your requirements for your garden room, the design and answer any questions you may have. Once the survey is completed, we will provide you with a written quotation detailing the cost of your Horto Garden Room.

Your Horto Garden Room is insulated to Approved Document Part L1a Building Regulation using high spec foil-faced insulation in the walls and floor and pre-fabricated insulated Trapezoidal roof panels. Doors and windows come standard with Pilkington K double glazing and air-tight seals to keep out drafts.

We commissioned Award Energy Consultants to test the U-values on one of our 4 metre x 3 metre garden rooms and the results are:

External walls 0.24 W/m2k

Roof 0.20 W/m2k

Ground floor 0.24 W/m2k

Windows 1.60 W/m2k

Doors 1.70 W/m2k

Your Horto Garden Room will be heated by a variable temperature wall-mounted panel heater with a 24hr timer for efficient heating.

You can also upgrade to a thermostatically controlled underfloor heating system and if WiFi is present, this can also be controlled via an app on your smartphone.

Yes. We work closely with a certified electrician who will be more than happy to provide you with a quotation for this work.

Alternatively, you may wish to appoint your own electrician for this procedure.

Your Horto Garden Room is inclusive of an engineer designed pile foundation system, structural timber framed walls, clad with Thermowood or Western Red Cedar, Trapezoidal polyester coated metal roof system, half-round gutter and fall pipe connected into a water butt with tap. PVC-u double glazed French door set and 2 x fixed glazed side panels, all finished in dark grey externally and white internally. Your Horto Garden Room is fully insulated with 100mm rigid foil-faced insulation boards, giving excellent u-values which achieve a higher rating than current housing standards.

Your Horto Garden Room has a plasterboard and traditional plaster skim finish, primed MDF window and door reveals with moulded architrave and skirting boards. The floor surface is finished with an oak effect laminate floor. The electrics package includes 1 x consumer unit, 4 x double sockets, one of which has a 3.1a 2G USB charging facility, 2 x wall lights, 5 x LED canopy lights, (only applicable to garden rooms with a canopy), 2 x external wall lights, 1 x 3-way light switch and 1 x variable temperature wall-mounted panel heater with a 24hr timer for efficient heating. Sockets, switches and light fittings are finished in satin chrome.

All Horto Garden Rooms with an internal floor area over 15M2 come standard with additional wall lights and wall mounted heaters.

All Horto Garden Rooms up to 15M2 come as standard with a Building Regulations Completion Certificate.

The cost is inclusive of delivery and full on-site construction. All that remains for you to do is the final electric cable and connection back to your property and finished internal decorations.

Yes. Your Horto Garden Room is insulated to meet Building Regulation Approved Document Part L1a which is the current requirement for newly built houses. It also comes standard with a wall mounted variable temperature panel heater with a 24hr timer for efficient heating.

Your Horto Garden Room is designed to last wheter it is built with Themowood or Cedar cladding. The cedar cladding will need treatment and may need replacement after many years. Cedar cladding typically lasts at least 30 years, but can last for 50 years or more.

Yes. All Horto Garden Rooms come with a 10 year insurance backed structural warranty. We are also a member of the Consumer Protection Association (CPA) which guarantees the deposit you pay to secure an installation date for your garden room.

Your Horto Garden Room is easy to maintain.

Cladding;

Cedar is a durable soft wood that has a natural resistance to rot, fungal and insect damage. No maintenance is required, unless you want to retain the original reddish brown colour. If so, we would recommend a product called TEXTROL HES which is a one coat penetrating oil developed to penetrate deep into the wood. TEXTROL HES has a high solids content that protects the wood against the vagaries of the weather and UV rays. Having a matt-sheen finish, this product enhances the grain and natural beauty of the cedar.

The first coat should be applied one week after construction, then every 2 years thereafter.

If left untreated, the cedar will start to change colour to a silver grey over a period of a few years.

Roof;

Simply brush off any debris and wash with soapy water every 5 years – more frequently if in close proximity to trees.

Windows & Doors;

Aside from routine glass cleaning, wash the frames down every 12 months with soapy water.

Guttering;

Clear out guttering every 12 months.

Water Butt;

The water butt does have a built-in overflow system, but it is good practice to empty it every 3 months.

Around the base;

It is good practice to keep the base of your garden room clear of leaves and long grass.

Decking;

Regular sweeping of the deck helps reduce the build-up of dirt, on and between the decking boards. Hose down or low-pressure jet wash the deck every 12 months.

Yes. Subject to a survey and your personal requirements.

Yes. We can build you a bespoke garden room to a particular design of your choosing and are happy to introduce you to an architect who will work with you to create your vision for a fee.

Unfortunately not as your garden room is a permanent structure. However, studies have shown that a good quality garden room can add value to the sale price of your property of between 5% – 10%.

Once you have decided to have a garden room, we will provide you with an installation date. If you are in agreement with this date, we will invoice you for a 25% materials deposit of the total value. This is guaranteed by the CPA. One week before the start date, we will then invoice you for 50% of the total value. On completion of your garden room the 25% balance will then be due.