3 thrifty tips for setting up a great garden office

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If you’re tired of the daily commute and office politics leave you frazzled and frustrated, working from home might be the solution.

And if you’ve convinced your boss about the benefits of abandoning your desk, you’re in good company — a recent Gallup survey revealed that 43 per cent of Americans spent time working remotely.

But rather than squeezing your workstation into a spare bedroom, a self-contained office in your own green space will put a spring in your step each morning.

And it doesn’t have to cost the earth — here are three thrifty tips for setting up a great garden office.

1.DIY

There are some wonderful plug and play home office pods that can be delivered straight to your door and positioned in place.

But they tend to be expensive — so unless you’ve had a windfall, they may be out of reach.

However, building a garden office with your own hands is perfectly achievable — provided you’ve got the right materials and reliable carpentry tools.

Many DIY stores sell shed kits with accompanying instructions that make them easy for novices to construct with a little assistance.

But remember that you may need expert advice on insulating your office and connecting it to the electricity supply — but otherwise, this is genuinely a job you can do yourself.

2.Interior

Although you’ll have the ambient advantage of working to a soundtrack of birdsong, your garden office fundamentally serves the same purpose as your previous workspace.

So, you’ll still need a comfortable chair, an appropriately sized desk and a reliable pc or laptop.

But rather than paying for these items yourself, your company will probably allow you to transfer your old equipment or even offer to pay for upgrades — after all, they’ll be saving on overheads with one less person in the building.

You can get creative with the rest of your decor — if you always wanted a beanbag or cot bed that allows you to recharge with a power-nap, this is the perfect opportunity.

And you should invest in a decent radio or sound-system — arguments over background music are now a thing of the past.

3.Exterior

It’s worth remembering that your new office will now contain items that are considerably more valuable than garden tools and bags of compost.

So installing window shutters will ensure that no uninvited nocturnal visitors will be tempted to burglarise your shed, while a tough padlock will seal the security deal.

But messy friends and family members might also trail dirt into your inner sanctum — invest in tough outdoor mats so they can wipe their feet before stepping inside.

Finally, weatherproofing your new corporate chambers with wood stain and a felt roof will prevent leaks and preserve the timber.

Follow these three thrifty tips for setting up a great garden office and you’ll soon be working in a much more pleasant environment.

Do you work from home? Share your advice in the comments section.