Well-Specified 8m x 5m One-Bedroom Living Annexe
First Published: 1 April 2023
Refreshed: 27 September 2024
Reading Time: 2 minutes 50 seconds
Creating a self-contained home at the end of your garden for a relative is becoming a reality for many families. It offers a cost-effective way to provide a tailored home that can help an older relative avoid care home fees or allow a younger relative to save on rent for the future.
A garden annexe offers the support of living close to family while maintaining a level of separation and independence.
Swift Unlimited is a well-established name in the design and construction of self-contained garden annexes. They offer a bespoke design service, working closely with clients to create a new home tailored to specific needs and the available garden space. Swift Unlimited also takes future needs into account during the design process, discreetly incorporating features to accommodate potential care requirements. Their well-specified buildings can significantly enhance a property's value when it comes to selling.
This modern one-bedroom annexe is an excellent example of their work. Swift Unlimited worked with a family to create a home for an older relative with mobility issues.
Unlike some companies, Swift Unlimited offers a turnkey service, managing the entire project from the design stage through the planning application and on-site build. They handle everything, including groundworks for mains service connections, leaving you with a fully decorated, move-in-ready home.
8m x 5m Garden Annexe
An 8m x 5m garden annexe was chosen for this project. It stands taller than many annexes, at 2.75m, which increases the ceiling height inside. A 750mm deep deck wraps around the annexe, and the roof overhangs the walls by 300mm, allowing for exterior-grade downlighting to be incorporated into the soffit.
The layout includes a large multifunctional living space, featuring powder-coated aluminium bi-fold doors in a corner configuration that opens the space up to the garden. When privacy is needed, the owner can lower the fitted blinds.
The annexe also includes a spacious, well-equipped kitchen with room for separate dining and seating areas. The combination of plastered and decorated walls with the large expanses of glazing creates a bright and welcoming living environment.
Leading off the main living area is a double bedroom with dual-aspect glazing. The bedroom connects to a modern shower room, and both rooms feature pocket doors, a clever space-saving solution. Pocket doors slide neatly into the wall when opened, maximising usable space.
The shower room is equipped with an electric shower, a bi-fold shower door, a vanity unit, a WC, and an extractor fan.
Swift Unlimited provides a high-spec electrical setup, which includes brushed chrome sockets with USB ports and recessed, dimmable Collingwood internal and external downlights that come with an extended warranty.
Curious about the cost of this level of specification? The total project was priced at £95,650 and was completed in just four weeks on-site. This price was correct at the time of first publishing in April 2023.
A Permanent Home Built to Last
When exploring your annexe options, you’ll find that some companies design their buildings to comply with the Caravan Act, while others apply for Planning Permission and have the work signed off by Building Control. Swift Unlimited takes the latter approach, as their annexes are designed as permanent, non-transportable structures.
Swift Unlimited guides clients through the planning approval process and ensures that all work is signed off by Building Control. This gives their clients peace of mind, knowing that Planning Permission has been granted and the annexe meets all current Building Regulations.
Each Swift Unlimited annexe is constructed using high-quality materials. A ground screw foundation is calculated for each project, and highly insulated SIPs panels form the core of the multi-layered structure. The result is an annexe that is comfortable to live in year-round and cost-effective to run.
Learn More
To learn more about creating a living annexe in your garden, contact the Swift Unlimited team on 01625 875 588 or email them at support@swiftorg.co.uk. You can also visit their dedicated living annexe website.
