Now that working from home or on a hybrid basis is a go-to for 44% of workers in the UK, refining your office space has never been more important. The fact that the average commute to and from work can rack up more than £5,000 a year in train travel or £4,800 by car will only push more workers to stay at home where feasible.

One way to adapt, especially if your home is lacking in space, is to set up a garden office. It opens up the opportunity to enrich your working from home experience and is a project that doesn’t have to break the bank.

Creating a garden office doesn’t have to be extravagant or costly. Here’s how to can set up your very own budget-friendly adaptation.

Pick your garden studio design

Make sure you consider upfront and hidden costs when choosing a garden studio design. Will you need to install the help of local carpenters, which in turn can offer competitive rates with less delivery costs, for example? Consider whether the design is damp proof and well-insulated too.

You may even be able to integrate an upcycling element, whether that’s an old storage container or a caravan. Remember that while design is important, so is practicality and keeping things budget friendly.

Your interior

You’ll spend a lot of time in your garden office, so make sure you align the interior to your tastes. Consider the aesthetic element, from furniture to the colour scheme, as well as getting the electrics set-up to a sufficient standard. Practical considerations like whether the flooring supports a moving office chair should also be considered.

Don’t scrimp on your electrics

Of course, you’ll need a qualified electrician to current Building Regulation standards to get your electric set up in your home office, as well as good quality power cords and cables to get everything linked up. Make sure you set a realistic budget for the electrical wiring element, as this may be the costliest part of the project.

Take control of your lighting

Ensure you capitalise on natural light when positioning the structure so you won’t have to fork out more on lighting or heating bills. LED lighting is a more energy-efficient option that can be installed to help keep costs low.

Reuse existing furniture

Avoid buying new furniture by repurposing existing pieces in your home. You can always spruce them up with upcycling projects. Alternatively, enquire about whether your employer can provide items such as office chairs or monitors. Remember to add soft furnishings to make the space feel cosy.

Use existing designs as inspiration

Whether you use interior magazines or Pinterest for inspiration, getting an insight into what others are doing will help to get those creative juices flowing. Compile a mood board to help you extract common themes you want to execute.