Renovating in 2022? Sarah Beeny says this is the best project to invest in

If you don't have one already a garden room is a must for 2022

Do you have grand plans for your home in 2022? If this is the year you're ready to make big changes – and providing you have the space – Sarah Beeny says it could be worth considering a garden building...

We spoke to renovating expert and TV host Sarah Beeny as part of her work on the Renovate Don't Relocate on HGTV. Sarah thinks a garden room is a 'fabulous thing to do' and she left us thinking up dreamy garden room design ideas for the perfect WFH space.

garden room with sliding door and plants in garden

(Image credit: Green Retreats)

The renovation to do in 2022

When we spoke to Sarah, she said she thinks a garden room is a perfect place to go and work. 'If you can just get that sense that you leave the house, even if it's four steps, it's really good for your mind to separate your work and your home,' Sarah Beeny tells us.

The former Property Ladder host also points out that in the UK we don't always get the most out of our outdoor spaces. She says we don't spend much time enjoying the view from indoors, and that you can't use the garden apart from on a really sunny day.

'We don't have that many sunny days in this country, so there's a whole load of square footage that you have paid for, but you never ever use. So you need to enjoy looking at it or use it in some way.

garden room with navy blue wooden wall grey sofa with cushions white lamp lights and wooden flooring

(Image credit: Thorndown Paints)

'A garden room is a really good way of doing that,' she explains. Of course, you'd need to weigh up the considerable garden room costs involved, and running costs like electricity and any repairs.

Plus, you would need to check that you don't need planning permission, depending on how high the building is, how close the neighbours are and the size of your garden. Sarah says you do need to be careful and make sure the project complies with building regulations and so on.

If you mainly want to use the space in the summer months, you could cut costs and make a nice garden room with your existing garden shed ideas. It just might be a little cold in the winter.

garden shed with chair and designed cushions and plant

(Image credit: Thorndown Paints)

A garden room can add value to your home (around 1.5x the cost of building it), as well as offering a quiet retreat for studying, working, or even doing yoga. It could also be a great games room away from the house for teenagers to play music and invite friends over.

With working from home here to stay, it seems like a wise renovation for 2022, if you can afford it.

Millie Hurst
Senior Content Editor

Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.