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Building a Garden Office
Remote working was on the rise before 2020. However, the global pandemic and the changes it brought to our way of life certainly sped up the transition. Many of us, who were used to travelling to an office or other place of work every day, loved the freedom and flexibility working from home offered. Whilst others struggled to motivate themselves and structure their days. Regardless, as we move forward, a large number of us want to carry on working from home.
The downside of working from home may be that you don’t have the right environment to support your day. However, if you have the space to consider it, a garden office might just be the solution you are looking for. Providing many of the pros, but few of the cons of working from home. Definite pluses of a garden office include:
- Saving all that commute time to spend with family or self-improvement
- Saving money on commuting and lunches
- Being around for important events, like dinner and bath-time with your kids
- Focussing on your work 100% – no more distracting office chatter and politics
At the same time, a garden office shields you from some of the downsides of working from home, such as;
- Being distracted by the dishes that need washing or the washing that needs to be put on
- Hunching over your laptop on the edge of your bed, or squeezed onto the end of the kitchen table
- Finding all your important files shredded by the dog, or accidentally ‘recycled’
We’re definitely convinced, but how much does it cost to build a decent garden office that will realistically make a proper workplace? And what are the other implications for you or your business?
Building a Garden Office Through Your Business
A garden office could cost up to £30,000 depending on the quality. That’s a substantial amount of money. However, you can pay for your garden office through your limited company, and while you won’t be able to claim for the build itself, some relief is available:
- Capital Allowance – This covers furniture, equipment and ongoing costs and repairs which you can claim as expenses. You should also be able to claim on things such as; insulation, plumbing and wiring.
- VAT – You can claim VAT on the purchase of your garden office, both the building and any contents, as well as running costs. You must be registered for VAT to claim it.
Things to Watch Out For
Of course, there are things you will need to look out for and calculate the costs of, to really understand whether a garden office is your best choice. Remember to factor these in;
- If you use your garden office for anything other than work, it counts as a ‘benefit in kind’ and you must then declare it on your tax return
- When you sell your home, you don’t normally have to pay Capital Gains Tax, however, any part you use and claim for work, can be considered for this tax.
There’s a lot to consider when deciding if a garden office is the right step for you, but if you the thought of swapping your pre-Covid commute for a stroll down to the end of your garden is appealing, it’s worth considering. If you need any advice or would like to run the numbers to see how they would affect your business, just get in touch with us here at Accurox, we’re always happy to help.
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