Garden rooms on a budget: what €10k to €30k buys

What your budget buys

Builder-built rooms cost two to three times as much per m² as catalogue rooms, so the same budget buys about half the size. Use the cost estimator for your own figures.

Ways to spend less

• Choose a standard size. Catalogue sizes are far cheaper than custom ones.
• Go a little smaller. A well-planned 9 to 12 m² room does most jobs. See small garden room ideas.
• Simplify the glazing. Sliding doors usually cost less than bifolds, and fewer, larger panes cost less than many small ones.
• Keep it near the house to shorten the cable run.
• Skip the plumbing. A toilet adds several thousand euro. See garden room with toilet.
• Do the finishing yourself, such as painting or oiling, or consider a shell build.
• Order out of season. Some companies offer better prices or shorter waits in autumn and winter.

Ex-display rooms

Companies with showrooms replace their display models from time to time and may sell them at a discount. Ask the showrooms near you directly; offers are rarely advertised widely.

• Check whether the price includes taking it down, delivery, a new base and installation.
• Ask about the guarantee. Some don't apply in full to ex-display rooms.
• Make sure the size fits your garden and the planning rules.

Second-hand rooms

Second-hand garden rooms and log cabins appear on classified sites. They can be good value, but:

• Only panel, modular and log rooms move well. A room built on site usually can't be taken apart without damage.
• Moving it costs money: dismantling, transport, a new base and rebuilding.
• The electrics must be redone and certified by a registered electrician at your house.
• Check for rot, damp and roof damage, and ask how old the roof membrane is.

False economies

• No proper base: a room on uneven ground warps, and doors stop closing.
• Unregistered electrics: unsafe, and a problem when you sell.
• A cheap roof membrane: the roof is where most garden rooms fail.