Need That Extra Room? Think About A Wooden Garden Office: The Cheaper, Stress-free Route

Gemma Thompson's 'nightmare' began at first light, one morning in March. As soon as they started unloading their scaffolding poles, she began to have doubts about the wisdom of having their loft converted. Before the week was out she was at the end of her tether, and before the month was out she and the kids had packed up and decamped to her mother's.

The conversion lasted over three months and cost nearly £30,000. Was she displeased with the work? No, save for a couple of small plumbing issues, the work was acceptable standard. It was all the 'chaos and disruption' that 'never seemed to end' that drove her to distraction. 'I have said to my husband: never, ever again.'

When Gemma's psychotherapist friend Liz Malloy needed a therapy room however, she got her wish within two short weeks at a tiny fraction of the cost of the Thompson's loft. Malloy's clever alternative: a garden office.

Thompson admits she felt 'more than a twinge' of envy when she saw Malloy's garden office building, set between fruit frees to the rear of the latter's Victorian terraced house. Fully insulated and double-glazed, with shower-room and all utilities, the room also doubles up as a guest bedroom. 'Couples mention the romance aspect,' says Malloy, 'while their kids like the fact they aren't being scrutinised!' She goes on to point out the psychological advantages to working away from the day-to-day chaos of the home: the peace and quiet, the natural surroundings.

A growing number of people seeking extra living space are exploiting that neglected corner of the garden, instead of embarking on expensive building work in their roofs. The contemporary wooden garden building is light years away of the mouldy old sheds of yesteryear, and estate agents say they can add up to £20,000 the value of your house. Whether you need a conventional office space, a gym, games room home cinema or playroom for the kids, specialist installation companies will have an 'off-the-peg' or bespoke design to suit your needs. You can pay as little as £3,000 for a basic model, or up to £60,000 for the more palatial versions.

Crucially too, if you're Gemma Thompson, any mess is outside.