Most people would love ‘a bit more space’, but for some it’s a real necessity. Standalone garden rooms are great for thousands of uses, from a home cinema to a gym, but having an Annexe Space added to your home is the perfect solution when a more permanent living space is required.
There are many reasons to choose an annexe as a completely standalone and independent living space. The most common is the ‘Granny Annexe’, which many assume is the correct name for these buildings! It’s the ideal way to allow elderly relatives to live near the family and yet keep some distance and independence. Many older people love the idea of living close to the kids, but couldn’t face the daily hustle and bustle of school runs, sports clubs and rushed meal times! Living with the family doesn’t have to mean overcrowding the family home.
Young people could also benefit, as it can be prohibitively expensive to save a first home deposit. Annexe Spaces bridge the gap between a teenage bedroom and living in the real world, learning to run a household on a small scale whilst being able to save that deposit without being crushed under full market rents.
Annexe Spaces are also a convenient option for assisting disabled or more dependent family members to live on their own terms. Disabilities can mean significant modifications and retrofitting the family home with aids and appliances can still make it feel awkward to use. An annexe, designed with any particular needs in mind, can be very helpful in giving a real sense of freedom and independence while allowing frequent support as needed.
There are hundreds of other potential reasons why home annexes could be needed; au pairs and live-in nannies, on-site nurses for long-term medical conditions or even just a space for frequent guest accommodation! There’s also the rise of the ‘sharing economy’, so your annexe could be put to use earning money when it’s otherwise vacant!
The difference between Annexe Spaces and other kinds of occasional accommodation is annexes offer a permanent, robust solution to the problem. They can be designed around specific needs, including full bathrooms, proper bedrooms and kitchens that can cope with everything from microwave meals to cordon bleu! They’re fully insulated, energy efficient and can have a full range of heating and cooling. They can even have their own wi-fi, letting them become a smart living space in just about every sense.
Best of all, because Annexe Spaces is part of the Garden Spaces family, you get the benefit of years of expertise in creating living spaces for how they’re needed. Annexe Spaces can help look after planning permission and building regulations, which many homeowners dread having to deal with and can be a genuine obstacle to getting the extra space that’s needed.
An annexe to your home doesn’t have to be a pipe dream or an unrealised wish, it is possible to get the perfect additional living space you need, designed around what you want. Whether it’s for a granny, a graduate, household help or even just to give guests somewhere to sleep at various points throughout the year, you may wonder how you lived without it!
