FAQs

Do I need a concrete base?	Is there a Waiting List?
What about Electrics?	How are Smart Garden Offices made?
Do I need Planning Permission?	How do I place an order?
​Is My Smart Garden Office Movable?	What's the difference between a shed and a garden office?

Do I need a concrete base?

The Smart Garden Office range is designed for simplicity.

We therefore supply every Smart Office with it's own base - the black band around the base. This is constructed from heavy duty, pressure treated timber and can be located in the wettest of locations.

With the Micro and Solo ranges, in many locations, you don't require a concrete base as long as the area is solid, level and well drained.

With the Duo, Trio or Quarto ranges we can prepare a concrete base (or ring beam) prior to the installation of your office if you wish.

Call us on 01473 833997 or 0800 242 5559 to chat through your own chosen location - and we'll happily visit you to survey your garden.

We offer the full end-to-end service, from ground works to installation to electrical connection and commissioning. ​

What about Electrics?

All Smart Offices are fully equipped with integral electric sockets, lighting and consumer unit (fusebox).

We'll also arrange our electricians to connect your Smart Garden Office to your household consumer unit (fusebox) by way of an armoured cable. Armoured cable does not normally need to be buried and, often, the electrician will complete the task in around a half a day. Alternatively you can use your own electrician to perform the connection.

Included:

• Micro: 3 double sockets, spotlights, dimmer switch, fusebox
• Solo: 4 double sockets, spotlights, dimmer switch, fuse box
• Duo: 5 double sockets, spotlights, dimmer switches
• Trio: 6 double sockets, spotlights, dimmer switches
• Quarto: 8 double sockets, spotlights, dimmer switches

All our buildings are internally cabled and are ready for connection and certification by an electrician.​

Just call us 0800 242 5559 to discuss your own location - we offer you the complete service - and are always happy to offer friendly advice. 

Do I need Planning Permission?

Generally you do NOT need planning permission for a Smart Garden Office.

Despite a 25-year design life, Smart offices are not considered to be permanent fixtures (ie they do not have their own foundations).

Being sectional and below 2.5m in height, the Smart range is within the new planning guidelines (October 2008).

However, you may need planning consent if

you live in a conservation area or;

• The building will occupy more than 50% of your garden
• The building will be located between the home and the highway​

Call us 0800 242 5559 to discuss your own circumstances and we'll provide you with all the advice you need.

​Is My Smart Garden Office Movable?

Yes!

With a Smart Garden Office you enjoy the flexibility of a truly movable building.

This has been “designed-in” and is a key facet of our own proprietary ISIS system.

Our Move & Remove Service

We regularly undertake our move and remove service – we simply require one month notice and we can come and disassemble your office, load it back onto our lorry and will redeliver and reassemble at another address the following day.

This gives you the ability to trade-up, sell-on ( there’s ready demand for second hand models) or to simply move on.

Is there a Waiting List?

Prompt Delivery & Professional Installation

Installation normally is completed in just 1-2 days by our own fully trained and experienced fitters.

Lead times:

• Micro range: 3-4 weeks
• Solo range: 3-4 weeks
• Duo range: 4-6 weeks
• Trio range: 4-6 weeks
• Quarto range: 4-6 weeks​

How are Smart Garden Offices made?

Construction:
High spec construction grade timbers and high spec construction grade panel materials are manufactured in our factory and then assembled using our “ISIS” independent solid socket system. The interlocking nature of this construction means each component adds significantly to the torsion rigidity and structural integrity of the building giving a solid and chunky feel to our buildings. ​

​Craftsmanship
We manufacture in our own factory, in Suffolk, and use the very latest equipment combined with traditional skills and craftsmanship.

Our manufacturing team consists of experienced and qualified joiners and cabinet makers to ensure quality and attention to detail throughout the process.

All materials are of house-build grade and are environmentally certified. All panel manufacturing is completed in-house, with many ancillary items being hand made. We take special care with every aspect of the construction of your garden office.

This means we offer a solid 5-year warranty with all our products. ​

How do I place an order?

Once you’ve established your preferred size requirement you can place your order with us by phone, email or face-to-face.

We email a full itemised Order Confirmation which you’ll need to check and then submit your 25% deposit payment.

Deposit by can be paid by cheque, bank transfer or credit card (although the latter is subject to a 3% handling fee).

We confirm the installation date by return.

During the manufacturing period we’ll keep you up to date on progress – and will send you a reminder the week prior to installation.

There are no “progress payments” required – the balance is simply required on completion of the installation. ​

What's the difference between a shed and a garden office?

The fundamental difference between a shed and garden office is the nature of the construction. A shed is designed to store garden implements and therefore does not require a consistent temperature. As a cheap means of garden storage the shed is just perfect.

However the requirements of a garden office space are very different. These can be identified as comfort, security, running costs, presentation and structural integrity.

Simply insulating a shed does not make it a garden office - as this does not address the fundamental security, comfort or running cost issues.   

A garden office must offer a comfortable (suitably spacious, not too hot, not too cold) space all year round and provide suitable security. Windows and doors must be of the same quality as your house otherwise your valuable items will be very exposed to an easy break in.

Similarly, unless you are planning on undertaking regular maintenance, a purpose built garden office - such as a Smart Garden Office- will reduce the need for expensive and intrusive maintenance.

When insulation and double glazing are used in harmony with each other (and are designed-in) then the running costs of your garden office are much reduced in comparison to working in a shed.  

We applaud the term "shedworking" and have hundreds of customers who modestly refer to their Smart Garden office as their "shed". We all know that the difference between the two is massive.