Start with the room you need.
A useful budget starts with how the room will be used. An office for one person, a strength gym and a sauna room put different demands on the same footprint. Write down the non-negotiables first: usable space, equipment, storage and whether you need plumbing.
Cedar’s published starting guide is £1,250 per square metre. Our design studio uses that as a base building guide, rounded up to the nearest £100. It is a starting conversation, not an installed quotation. Cedar Spaces is VAT registered. Ask Brian for a written total showing the VAT breakdown and full project scope.
Separate the building from the complete project.
A low headline figure is difficult to compare without knowing what is included. Ask for a written specification that identifies each part of the job and how any extra work will be agreed.
- Building: external dimensions, insulation, glazing, cladding, internal finishes and lighting.
- Site: foundations, ground preparation, access, removal of existing structures and making good.
- Services: connection to the house, electrical work, data and any water or drainage.
- Specialist items: sauna equipment, gym equipment, simulator, screens and other fit-out.
- Commercial details: VAT, payment stages, programme, warranty and exclusions.
Measure usable space, not just the outside.
External footprint is not the same as clear internal area. Walls, insulation, partitions and storage all take space. A slightly wider room can make a large difference to a two-desk office or exercise layout, while an oversized room can take more garden than you need.
Mark your furniture or equipment on a simple plan and allow for doors and movement. The online studio can help explore a concept; the team needs to confirm the final dimensions and specification.
Bring the site into the conversation early.
Photographs of the garden and its access route help identify questions before the design becomes too detailed. Include steps, narrow passages, slopes, trees, existing buildings and the intended service route from the house.
A toilet, shower or kitchenette is best raised at the beginning. Drainage and water connections can affect both the design and the cost. The same applies to a sauna heater or specialist gym equipment with particular power or structural requirements.
Compare quotations against the same brief.
Give each proposal the same room size, use and finish expectations. Ask which items are fixed, which are allowances and which require a site assessment. That makes changes easier to evaluate and helps avoid comparing a basic shell with a finished room.
To start a Cedar quotation, share your postcode, intended use, approximate dimensions and a few garden photographs. You do not need every choice resolved before the first conversation.
