When buying a garden office we suggest you check that your building supplier’s quoted price includes the installation of internal wiring, double sockets and switches, low energy light fittings, light switches and a consumer unit.
Are electric convector heaters or underfloor heating included or will you have to supply the heating yourself? Most suppliers make an additional charge for bringing electricity from the house to your garden office, so be prepared to budget for this.
Sockets and lights
Do you want to vary the number of sockets and lights? Even the smallest building will benefit from having a garden office electrical menu of eight or ten double sockets, two or three low energy wall lights and an external security light. In a larger office you will may need twelve to sixteen double sockets and four or five low energy wall lights. If this seems a lot, count up the number of electrical items you use in your office. Then add all the phones, cameras, tablets, torches etc that you regularly charge. You will be surprised.
You will also need spare sockets for task lighting. Wall lights provide general lighting but angle poises and table lamps are vital for providing enough light in your work space.
Adding photo voltaic panels
If you office building is large enough you could generate a percentage of your own electricity with photo voltaic panels. This is not a cheap option, but it may be a viable long term investment if your building faces the right way and you intend to live in your current house for a long time.
Underfloor Heating
Some garden office companies offer electrical underfloor heating in their buildings. This is OK for you if you are going to use your building regularly and for long periods of time. However, it does take a long time to warm up, and is hard to maintain at a steady heat in a timber building. You may find that a simple convector heater is more efficient and much cheaper to run.
Further office construction information here.