From underused garage to boutique rental: a Custom Garden Rooms annexe
A tired garage in Shrewsbury replaced by a 7m x 3m annexe with its own courtyard, designed from the start as a short-term let — and letting well.
Some of the best annexes start life as the part of a property nobody quite uses. In Shrewsbury, a tired garage has become exactly that kind of transformation – a stylish, self-contained annexe designed from the outset with a clear vision in mind: a comfortable space that could serve as a short-term rental, taking advantage of the town’s steady stream of visitors drawn to its historic centre.
It is a route a lot of homeowners are now considering. A well-designed garden annexe can pay for itself through holiday lets and short stays, while staying flexible enough to house family or guests whenever it is needed. The key is getting the design, the planning and the finish right from the start – and that is where working with a specialist makes the difference. This annexe is a Custom Garden Rooms project, and it is a good illustration of how the right partner brings the whole thing together.
At a glance
- Size: 7m x 3m, with a 3m x 3m decked courtyard alongside — living and kitchen at one end, a double bedroom at the other, a shower room between.
- Built for: short-term rental in Shrewsbury’s visitor market, flexible enough for family or guests when needed.
- Planning: full planning approval, handled by specialist annexe planners working with Custom Garden Rooms; built to Building Regulations so it is signed off for people to live and stay.
- Outside and in: white fibre cement weatherboard with dark grey eaves, trims and joinery, a recessed porch; plastered and decorated inside with vinyl click flooring and a central skylight.
- Running costs: a plug-in solar setup — two 400W panels, around 35kWh a month, about £500 to fit.
The planning route
Building accommodation in the garden that you let out is a different proposition from buying a garden room, and it is worth being clear about that early. This kind of project requires planning approval. Custom Garden Rooms work alongside specialist annexe planners who handle the full planning application on the homeowner’s behalf, advising on the right route for the site and managing the liaison with the local authority. Their annexes are also built to comply with Building Regulations – the standard any habitable, lettable space has to meet – so the finished annexe is properly signed off as somewhere people can live and stay.
A compact footprint, cleverly divided
The annexe measures 7m x 3m, with a 3m x 3m decked courtyard added alongside to push the living space out into the garden. Within that compact footprint, the layout has been carefully divided so nothing feels cramped: an open main room combining the living area and kitchen at one end, a double bedroom at the other, and a shower room worked neatly in between. The private courtyard becomes an outdoor room in its own right – a sheltered spot for guests to sit out – and helps the whole building feel considerably larger than its dimensions suggest.
Contemporary style, softened
The exterior takes a contemporary approach, with a subtle eaves detail picked out in dark grey that contrasts neatly with the white fibre cement weatherboard. It is a quiet bit of detailing that gives the building a crisp, modern edge without overstating it. The dark grey carries through to the doors, windows and trims, tying the elevations together. Just as importantly, the exterior finishes are all low maintenance for the long term – they hold their appearance year after year, which matters as much for a rental as it does for the look, since there is little upkeep to eat into the returns. A stylish porch detail has been created by recessing the doors back from the front wall, forming a sheltered entrance that adds depth to the elevation and a welcoming sense of arrival.
Light, comfortable and ready to let
Inside, the main room creates a comfortable sitting and living area with a well-appointed kitchen, the kind of space guests can genuinely relax in. A skylight set into the centre of the building ensures the middle of a long footprint is as light as the ends – an important detail in a building of this shape, where the centre can otherwise feel dim, set back from the windows at either end. The double bedroom is finished with French doors leading straight out onto the courtyard, blurring the line between inside and out, and the shower room completes the accommodation.
The whole interior is plastered and decorated, with robust vinyl click flooring throughout, giving a clean, durable, hotel-ready finish. It is an ideal setup for short-term lets – easy to maintain between guests, and finished to a standard that photographs well and reviews even better. In practice, the vision has held up: the annexe has let successfully and generates a strong, consistent return, proof of how much a relatively small footprint can deliver when it is designed with purpose.
Keeping the running costs down
A short-term let only really works when the running costs are kept in check, and a simple, low-cost addition has helped do exactly that here: a plug-in solar setup. Two 400W panels connect via a standard three-pin socket and currently generate around 35kWh of electricity a month. Because the property’s electrical installation was already suitable, the system was straightforward to fit and an affordable investment at around £500 – a small, sensible step that quietly improves the margins on the let and lowers the annexe’s running costs over time.
Several styles of annexe
This annexe is one example of what is possible. Custom Garden Rooms offer several styles of annexe, each of which acts as a starting point for a customised design tailored to your own requirements – your plot, your layout, and how you intend to use the space. There is a clear price guide to work from, and a completed annexe on display at their show sites so you can experience the quality and the proportions in person before you commit.
Visitors who book a viewing at the Shropshire or Hertfordshire show site receive £500 off with code VISIT26.
You can also download their brochure to explore the full range of annexes.
Whether you are looking to create rental income, provide space for family, or simply make better use of an underused part of your property, a professionally designed and properly approved annexe can be one of the smartest additions you make to a home.
Learn more about Custom Garden Rooms
To find out more about Custom Garden Rooms and their annexe range, visit customgardenrooms.com, email info@customgardenrooms.com, or call the team on 0333 577 1212.
