Sheds: How to add a room – without adding to your debt

*With finances being squeezed across the land, the shed is becoming an increasingly appealing option for those seeking extra space. After all, why pay stamp duty on a new home to get an extra bedroom when you can liberate extra space by moving the office to the end of the garden?

*A small self-build summerhouse from B&Q (www.diy.com) costs just over £400. But for a proper year-round garden office, there are a number of companies offering dedicated outbuildings, with wall and ceiling insulation to keep you warm during the winter. Henley Offices (www.henleyoffices.com) has a range that starts from just under £5,000.

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*Most garden offices don't require planning permission, although this may change if your house is listed, you live in a conservation area, your shed is within five metres of the house or it takes up more than half of your garden. See the Government's planning website (www.planningportal.gov.uk) for more information.

*Since most sheds and garden offices don't have foundations, when you move they can be taken apart and reinstalled in your new home. With a bespoke outbuilding there are a number of extras you can add to make it as plush as an extension. Plumbing, electricity, heating – all can be installed, if you have the money.

*During the housing boom, a fully fitted-out home office may have added as much as 5 per cent to the value of your house. A gain as large as this may be optimistic in the current climate, but it would still ensure that your home stands apart from the competition.

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