Stupid idea. Caravan office

[TheBrick]

Context. I work from home from one of the bed rooms.
Our house is a small three bed and we have two growing kids, they need their own bedroom really, tensions are rising.

We have plenty of outside space. I don't have the time or money for a fancy garden shed office, so I was thinking about a old caravan that can be had for cheap and converting that into an office as a quickish cheapish solution. Is this stupid? As I strip it out to build as it going to fall apart and be a waste of time? I think in an Ideal world I would grab a old BT van body (or similar) and site on some blocks as they seem sturdy but hard to find and seem to be surprisingly expensive (£700 for a some near me which seems expensive considering I got a 20' lorry body delivered for £450). How stupid an idea is this.

 

[Blobber]

Context. I work from home from one of the bed rooms.
Our house is a small three bed and we have two growing kids, they need their own bedroom really, tensions are rising.

We have plenty of outside space. I don't have the time or money for a fancy garden shed office, so I was thinking about a old caravan that can be had for cheap and converting that into an office as a quickish cheapish solution. Is this stupid? As I strip it out to build as it going to fall apart and be a waste of time? I think in an Ideal world I would grab a old BT van body (or similar) and site on some blocks as they seem sturdy but hard to find and seem to be surprisingly expensive (£700 for a some near me which seems expensive considering I got a 20' lorry body delivered for £450). How stupid an idea is this.

Not stupid at all, they arent very well insulated for the winter months though so damp/cold
Have you room for a static caravan? we get loads up this way for very little money and much better space wise

 

[Erie Fred]

Have seen some pretty nice backyard offices made from 20' cargo containers.

 

[Kayos]

I built a cheap, non fancy shed office, but I have decided the best option is to rent a proper office

Currently pay £200 per month for a decent sized space, town centre location, big enough for 2 people and no utilities etc on top, plus I get 100% rate relief

It's also part of a business hub so has a communal area, coffee machines etc

Yes it's cheap because it is part of a social enterprise, had I known about it I wouldn't have even built the garden office

 

[DanZac]

A caravan will be fine, although as @Blobber says they're not very well insulated so tend to be cold if unused and will need heating.

However, be aware of why they're cheap, as they have a tendancy to leak as they get older and the sealant drys out and cracks.

If you catch it early, its easy enough to lift wherever the waters getting in and reseal, but if its been leaking for a while the wood frames, insulation and internals soon turn to mush.

Everything's lightweight, so stripping out the internals to make space for a desk etc wouldn't be a problem and a Chinese diesel heater would keep you toasty through the winter.

 

[BrokenBiker]

not even close to stupid...its surprising how many people do similar things.

since the start of this year i have lifted 14 caravans (mixture of tourers and statics) in total either over walls into gardens or off wagons onto driveways and only 3 of them were for living space...2 were to accomodate a relative coming to stay, 1 was accomodation during renovations, the others were all either office/man cave/games room type deals.

 

[Jackimus]

Have seen some pretty nice backyard offices made from 20' cargo containers.

I was also going to suggest a shipping container office!

We had one at an old outdoors warehouse-ish job. Three shipping containers in a yard full of stock and the fourth was our office, with an electric/maybe infrared heater, a couple of racking shelves, a computer in the corner and a couple of perspex windows. It was brilliant.

Highly recommend if there is the room!

 

[gaz1]

Context. I work from home from one of the bed rooms.
Our house is a small three bed and we have two growing kids, they need their own bedroom really, tensions are rising.

We have plenty of outside space. I don't have the time or money for a fancy garden shed office, so I was thinking about a old caravan that can be had for cheap and converting that into an office as a quickish cheapish solution. Is this stupid? As I strip it out to build as it going to fall apart and be a waste of time? I think in an Ideal world I would grab a old BT van body (or similar) and site on some blocks as they seem sturdy but hard to find and seem to be surprisingly expensive (£700 for a some near me which seems expensive considering I got a 20' lorry body delivered for £450). How stupid an idea is this.

becareful

as long as you leave the caravan as a movable vehicle your fine
if you add things to it like insulation and a new roof to keep the water out it can become permanent and that is where the issue stands

you wont like me for these comments

as your working from home then your property should change to a business reference or have 2 costs associated with it
right to a peaceful life dosnt exist as your using the property as a business (so if someone is using power tools and its interfering with your business you have no rights to use the term as its not a dwelling neighbours forget that one )

if your running a business from an outbuilding then of coarse that part of the property is classed as a business therefore privy to business rates

 

[Kayos]

becareful

as long as you leave the caravan as a movable vehicle your fine
if you add things to it like insulation and a new roof to keep the water out it can become permanent and that is where the issue stands

you wont like me for these comments

as your working from home then your property should change to a business reference or have 2 costs associated with it
right to a peaceful life dosnt exist as your using the property as a business (so if someone is using power tools and its interfering with your business you have no rights to use the term as its not a dwelling neighbours forget that one )

if your running a business from an outbuilding then of coarse that part of the property is classed as a business therefore privy to business rates

Except it will qualify for 100% business rate relief, unless you have another premises

Business rates do not apply if you are working from home and employed by a company that isn't yours, even in a dedicated building

 

[Erie Fred]

I was also going to suggest a shipping container office!

We had one at an old outdoors warehouse-ish job. Three shipping containers in a yard full of stock and the fourth was our office, with an electric/maybe infrared heater, a couple of racking shelves, a computer in the corner and a couple of perspex windows. It was brilliant.

Highly recommend if there is the room!

Don't rule out stacking them.....Buy some twistlocks and think of them as giant Lego's....

 

[Agroshield]

...I would grab a old BT van body (or similar)

Is there any point in looking for a refridgerated van body if you do go that route? Insulation would be better.

 

[MetalMonkey]

I built a cheap, non fancy shed office, but I have decided the best option is to rent a proper office

Currently pay £200 per month for a decent sized space, town centre location, big enough for 2 people and no utilities etc on top, plus I get 100% rate relief

It's also part of a business hub so has a communal area, coffee machines etc

Yes it's cheap because it is part of a social enterprise, had I known about it I wouldn't have even built the garden office

£200p/m seems rather a lot to pay for a coffee machine and a commute. Perhaps that's just me.

Personally I’d use that to build a shed and just use the kettle in the kitchen, then at the end of a year you’d still be out the same cash, but you’d also have a shed...

 

[Kayos]

£200p/m seems rather a lot to pay for a coffee machine and a commute. Perhaps that's just me.

Personally I’d use that to build a shed and just use the kettle in the kitchen, then at the end of a year you’d still be out the same cash, but you’d also have a shed...

It's been a long road but the limitations of the garden office are now apparent. I can't invite clients round and that has been an issue this year

 

[Blobber]

£200p/m seems rather a lot to pay for a coffee machine and a commute. Perhaps that's just me.

Personally I’d use that to build a shed and just use the kettle in the kitchen, then at the end of a year you’d still be out the same cash, but you’d also have a shed...

I guess it depends on requirements and image, I doubt you could heat/light and boil a kettle in your shed for £200 a month

 

[Screwdriver]

It's a great idea. The biggest benefit being that it will have a positive effect on your frame of mind simply by being a dedicated place of work removed from your home environment.

 

[winchman]

I think its great bit nippy in the winter but better use of space, they can be had very cheaply too.

 

[500e]

We used a 20ft portacabin at home for years.
Had a aircon unit heat in winter cool in summer, it was lined and insulated, still using as site office

 

[MetalMonkey]

It's been a long road but the limitations of the garden office are now apparent. I can't invite clients round and that has been an issue this year

Its a fair point if you need to have a premises for meeting clients, or you need the storage space, or if you trying to create a certain impression by having a dedicated business address.
For remote working, working from home or running a small business it seems an unnecessary luxury to me, and removes much of the convenience of working from home in the first place.
Usually just a bit of dedicated space to do some admin and make some calls suffices.

I guess it depends on requirements and image, I doubt you could heat/light and boil a kettle in your shed for £200 a month

All I can say is you must have one hell of a kettle or a severe caffeine addiction if it puts your leccy bills up by £200 a month...

 

[Kayos]

Its a fair point if you need to have a premises for meeting clients, or you need the storage space, or if you trying to create a certain impression by having a dedicated business address.
For remote working, working from home or running a small business it seems an unnecessary luxury to me, and removes much of the convenience of working from home in the first place.
Usually just a bit of dedicated space to do some admin and make some calls suffices.



All I can say is you must have one hell of a kettle or a severe caffeine addiction if it puts your leccy bills up by £200 a month...

I 100% agree, have been in a shed/garden office since 2020 and it was always enough but with the changes last year it stopped being a viable office

Compared to most office spaces, what I pay is nothing, I tend to calculate my working month of days until profit, so how long to cover all costs

September has been a good month so far, in profit since yesterday

 

[bricol]

Would security be an issue?
Client documentation?
The one night you leave the laptop in there, you hear some funny noises at 2am . . .