Unsure whether a garden room or a conservatory would be abetter addition to your home? Whether you’re concerned about the cost of a conservatory or want to learn more about the various garden room benefits, you’ve come to the right place.

Here at Vivid Pods, we’re experts when it comes to designing and constructing garden rooms. To help you determine whether a garden room or conservatory is right for you, we compare some of the key benefits of a conservatory against the many advantages of opting for a garden room.

Benefits of choosing a garden room

Trying to weight up garden room benefits against the benefits of a conservatory? From planning permission and versatility, to affordability and space, we explore each one in more detail below.

Less likely to require planning permission

Typically, garden rooms (and other structures like sheds and summerhouses) won’t need planning permission, so long as they adhere to the relevant building regulations and permitted development rules in the area.

If the structure is considered a permitted development, then you won’t need to seek planning permission. At Vivid Pods, many of our garden rooms don’t require you to go through the time-consuming process of seeking planning permission, so you can get straight to erecting your new garden room.

While conservatories also tend not to need planning permission, they will be required to meet certain conditions. Creating a design that meets these conditions can take longer and you may even need to reach out to a planning consultant.

Versatility

It’s no secret that conservatories don’t typically make fantastic workout spaces or home offices, especially, if they’ve not been built with this purpose in mind. Instead, conservatories tend to be reserved for more relaxing activities and are often used as a dining room, extra living space, playroom, or a dedicated area to grow plants.

Garden rooms, on the other hand, are incredibly versatile. As they can be designed to bespoke requirements, they make fantastic music studios, workout spaces, home offices, hair and beauty salons, and much more.

To find out more about the various types of garden rooms available at Vivid Pods, please feel free to get in touch with our team today.

Separate to the property

Keen to create a relaxing space for yoga retreats or a quiet area that ensures you can focus on your work despite having a busy family home? Unlike conservatories that are simply an extension of your home, one of the key garden room benefits is the fact that it’s a completely separate to your house.

Instead of spending thousands of pounds on conservatory insulation, a garden room is typically positioned at the bottom of a property’s garden to help prevent any household noises (from pets, children, or even neighbours) from disrupting your activities.

Ideal for both privacy and concentration, it’s no wonder that garden rooms are becoming increasingly popular for individuals that work from home, pet-owners, and parents.

Cost-effective

Concerned about the purchase and build cost of a conservatory? When compared to the average garden room cost, conservatories do tend to be the more expensive option, both in terms of construction and energy-efficiency.

According to Checkatrade, the average cost of a lean-to conservatory is £9,000 to £14,250, while the average cost of building a mini garden office (delivered for self-assembly) is just £5,250.

Plus, if you’re not keen on self-assembly, Checkatrade adds that the additional average cost of assembly labour for two people is £1,250, bringing the grand average total of constructing a garden room to just £6,400 - roughly half the price of a conservatory.

Utilise more wall space

Conservatories are well-known for being surrounded by windows, which can be fantastic for natural light and promoting the growth of plants. However, this does mean that you lose a lot of wall space that could be otherwise used for shelving, mounting a television, or displaying pictures and other kinds of artwork.

With a garden room, you can retain this natural light with some floor-to-ceiling windows and doors, while keeping this sought-after wall space to use as desired.

Energy efficiency

Conservatories can often suffer from high heat-loss and alack of insulation, making them unusable during particularly cold or hot months of the year. Garden rooms, on the other hand, can be built fully insulated and weatherproofed to help prevent heat loss and improve energy efficiency.

Ultimately, if you opt for an energy-efficient garden room instead of a conservatory, this could save you a significant amount of money on heating and cooling in the long run.

Is a garden room better than a conservatory?

While it’s true that both conservatories and garden rooms have their own unique benefits, garden rooms are becoming an increasingly popular choice. Energy-efficient, affordable, quiet, and incredibly versatile, there’s a long list of garden room benefits which often outweighs the various benefits of a conservatory.

Design your bespoke garden room in Bristol

If you’re keen to take advantage of the many garden room benefits we’ve explore above, please don’t hesitate to contact the expert team at Vivid Pods. Based in the vibrant and historical city of Bristol in the UK, we’ve helped customers across the country to create their very own garden room.

While we do provide a variety of off-the-shelf garden rooms that can be professionally installed by our experienced team, we also offer a selection of DIY garden room kits. These DIY kits are ideal for those looking to save money on labour costs, give themselves a DIY challenge, or add their own personal touch.

Regardless of whether you’re keen to find out more about our Starter DIY Kit or our Complete DIY Kit, please feel free to get in touch today to learn more about these reliable and contemporary garden room kits.

Suitable for transforming into a home office, workout space, or creative design studio, you’re only limited by your imagination. To discuss your specific garden room requirements, you can also contact our helpful team by sending your enquiry via email to enquiries@vividpods.co.uk or submitting your query using our convenient online contact form! We look forward to hearing from you soon.