We expect a lot of questions about your Smart Garden Office. It’s an important project and a large investment, we never underestimate this or take this for granted. Below are some finer details about our garden rooms and garden studios including insulation and options
Can I recover VAT on my garden office purchase?
Yes, if you are purchasing your garden office as a fully registered VAT entity then you will be able to recover all the VAT associated with the purchase of your Smart Garden Office. If you are a flat rate VAT registered business then you will be able to recover the appropriate proportion.
Remember to speak to your accountant about your own circumstances, just to be sure. If you are not VAT registered, then VAT is not recoverable. (Sorry, we hate it too).
Can garden offices be installed through a house or basement flat?
YES! Smart buildings which use the TuSC system are assembled in your garden from components that are small enough to fit through any size of house or flat. It is not a problem if you do not have a side passage or gateway – as our professional fitters will carefully transport your Smart garden office through your house/ flat if necessary. The build process typically takes 1-2 days. For reassurance, this is why we always survey a property, to ensure we have the right information and equipment on site to complete the job quickly and efficiently.
How do you heat a garden office?
There are several heating options for your garden office. Smart Garden Offices are typically heated with a small, discrete electric radiator which is thermostatically controlled. This ensures your garden office is at a comfortable, ambient temperature throughout the year. Underfloor heating is sometimes offered with some garden offices although this is not normally the optimum heating method. Open fires and wood burners are not recommended.
How much does it cost to heat a garden office?
We’ve heard horror stories of people who have purchased a single-skinned building (often these are log cabins purporting to be home offices) where the individuals electricity bill has soared by over £650 a year!. Summer houses, log cabins and sheds simply are not suitable as proper home offices due to their inadequate insulation, poor security and awful windows and doors – hence such massive heating costs.
Owners of Smart Garden Offices report that heating costs typically increase by between £50 – £80 per year. This very small increment is due the high levels of insulation and high quality windows and doors used within the construction of these buildings.
How often do you need to maintain a garden office?
There is minimal maintenance with a Smart Garden Office. Especially constructed from high grade timbers and coated with a specialist long-life coating, the Smart range ensures the absence of maintenance of between 8-15 years.
Are garden offices guaranteed?
Smart Garden Offices are supplied with an industry-leading 5 year warranty. This covers almost every element of your building and, in the unlikely event of a problem, our own engineers will visit you promptly to ensure the matter is rectified asap.
Do garden offices have electrics?
All Smart Garden Offices are supplied with a complete set of integral electrics. All cabling is hidden within the wall cavity and there’s plenty of electrical sockets, positioned where you want them. Flush mounted face plates mean theres no ugly wall mounted boxes. 240v halogen spotlight fittings are ceiling mounted. Each Smart building is supplied with it’s own consumer unit too. We offer the full connection service as a small optional extra – and our fully trained and experienced electrician will connect your garden office on the same day as we install your building.
What is the interior of a garden office like?
Take a look at the interiors of the Smart Garden Office range – our unique TuSC construction allows us to create beautiful and attractive interiors that blend the advantages of a bright, light interior with all the warm facets of timber framing.
For sure, some of competitors will use plaster to line their interiors (it always cracks with any kind of temperature change and also makes the building impractical to move) whilst other suppliers cling to the “personal sauna” finish of planks. Smarts are finished with an attractive white silk finish to the walls with occasional timber features including matching rafters, window frames, studs and skirting boards. This provides the perfect balance between the two materials and creates a gorgeous interior ambiance making every Smart ideal for use as home office, studio, leisure den, gym or teen retreat.
PLEASE NOTE: ALL ADVICE GIVEN IN THIS SECTION IS OFFERED IN GOOD FAITH. SMART OFFICES LIMITED CAN OFFER NO GUARANTEE AS TO THE ACCURACY OF THIS INFORMATION. EACH INDIVIDUALS CIRCUMSTANCES VARY, YOU MUST TAKE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE FROM YOUR ACCOUNTANT OR LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE. REFERENCES TO GARDEN OFFICES ARE APPROPRIATE TO SMART GARDEN OFFICE BUILDINGS ONLY AND BEAR NO RELATION TO ANY OTHER BUILDINGS FROM OTHER MANUFACTURERS THAT ARE UNLIKELY TO HAVE THE SAME STATUS.