Farm Office ideas

[PI Stsker]

Question as above, what’s your set up?

currently have an office in the house which isn’t horrendous but does mean there’s a mess all the time and it’s not really big enough. Plus I’d like to turn it back in to a dining room!

first thought was a site office type thing but would like it not to be an eye soar. I do tend to spend quite allot of time in the office doing not only the farm bits and pieces but I run another Buisness too which is 90% office based so wants to be big enough and comfy enough I want to be in there.

I then stumbled over timber framed garage type things with over head room. Kills several birds with one stone, it’s ascetically pleasing, gives us a garage type arrangement to put the cars and some logs etc under dry storage and has an over head office.

Anyone use similar, or have a better idea? I’m aware the garage idea isn’t going to be as cheap or quick as a container type arrangement but I’d rather spend the money on something nice that will last and not look like something off a building site.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Don't forget that through having your farm office in the house you can put a portion of otherwise domestic expenses through the business, such as heating, electricity etc.

 

[PI Stsker]

Don't forget that through having your farm office in the house you can put a portion of otherwise domestic expenses through the business, such as heating, electricity etc.

External office I can ‘plug it in’ to the farm and not pay the electric at all… I don’t think I’ll be worse off one way or another, the house isn’t really big enough to allow for an internal office of the size I would need and I’ve outgrown the box room it is in. Would like the room back as a dining room.

Other option is extension on the house for the office but I quite like the idea of having work/home separate, budget allowing anyway.

 

[steveR]

Google:

garden office

Some nice bits of kit about. The Parish Clerk when I was Chair of the PC had one. Really well built, comfy and warm.

 

[PI Stsker]

Google:

garden office

Some nice bits of kit about. The Parish Clerk when I was Chair of the PC had one. Really well built, comfy and warm.

That’s awesome, I’ve just googled it and there’s plenty to choose from. I would definitely want the thickest wood possible and heating/insulation. Online they look simple enough too, little more than a flat pack beefed up fancy garden shed.

 

[HatsOff]

Similar situation here as I've got a Ltd and the farm which are currently all run from the house.

Tax wise it's not straightforward to get the Ltd to pay for it - overall it looks better for the farm to pay for an office and the Ltd to kit it out.

 

[PI Stsker]

Similar situation here as I've got a Ltd and the farm which are currently all run from the house.

Tax wise it's not straightforward to get the Ltd to pay for it - overall it looks better for the farm to pay for an office and the Ltd to kit it out.

Two Ltd companies here running under one roof, the farm is one.
The other option ofcorse is for me to purchase the office personally and let the Ltd company’s rent it and kit it out.

 

[upnortheast]

Got a used portacabin from Teesside docks for £1700 + £200 haulage about 15 years ago
ideal for our needs. 2 rooms Heaters, water heater, sink, lights, sockets .
Got it when we had a family swap round of houses, Initially in the yard but when we put the robots in it went in the shed
They seem to be much dearer now unfortunaltly

 

[curlietailz]

I believe it’s important to keep the “main” office in the house. Perfectly acceptible to have a satellite office/bait room in the yard as well.

 

[Clive]

Don't forget that through having your farm office in the house you can put a portion of otherwise domestic expenses through the business, such as heating, electricity etc.

and risks IHT bills on the house

my office is at home but we have a satellite office above the farm workshop / spray store

 

[PI Stsker]

I believe it’s important to keep the “main” office in the house. Perfectly acceptible to have a satellite office/bait room in the yard as well.

and risks IHT bills on the house

my office is at home but we have a satellite office above the farm workshop / spray store

Is there any definition of what the ‘main’ office is? Would it be acceptable to leave an old laptop on the old Bordeaux in the would be dining room and have a ‘satellite’ office elsewhere? Would that tick the right boxes?

as I’ve said before the box room I currently have as an office is well out grown and not fit for purpose, having a knock on effect down the chain.

 

[ollie989898]

Security and size would surely be two key considerations. I don't know what businesses you run or are involved with but it may pay to have a larger office space than first thought in case you forsee a need to employ additional people who also require an office space. I know of one farm, just as an example, where the foreman had his own office cubicle, with computer and IP phone/answer phone etc so he could liaise with grain merchants for corn collections, fert deliveries and the agronomist. The farmer had near zero involvement with any of this himself.

I do like the look of that combined office and car garage thing. It doesn't need to be oak framed or actually fancy- two oak legs at the front could hold up an otherwise conventional office building made of beams, brick or blocks with insulation and composite or oak or whatever boarding over the top. Roof of tiles to suit/match with surrounding buildings.

You'll never have too much natural light in an office space so floor to ceiling windows or skylights may be desirable. If it's insulated, window'ed and door'ed properly attaching an air con unit to the side/rear won't be daft expensive to run.

Kitchen, bait room and loo +/- shower or wet room may be desirable for those with dogs/livestock.

Laying a conduit to the new building before it its built to carry fibre/RJ45, leccy, phone extension from the house, etc may be useful.

I dare say following the cancellation of HS2 there will be a fair few portacabins or welfare units looking for homes in the near future.

 

[Clive]

Is there any definition of what the ‘main’ office is? Would it be acceptable to leave an old laptop on the old Bordeaux in the would be dining room and have a ‘satellite’ office elsewhere? Would that tick the right boxes?

as I’ve said before the box room I currently have as an office is well out grown and not fit for purpose, having a knock on effect down the chain.

invoice / billing address and some evidence you did work from there if the tax man ever called around i guess,

i think using your laptop on the sofa or kitchen table might pushing it if you did have another office elsewhere

 

[PI Stsker]

Security and size would surely be two key considerations. I don't know what businesses you run or are involved with but it may pay to have a larger office space than first thought in case you forsee a need to employ additional people who also require an office space. I know of one farm, just as an example, where the foreman had his own office cubicle, with computer and IP phone/answer phone etc so he could liaise with grain merchants for corn collections, fert deliveries and the agronomist. The farmer had near zero involvement with any of this himself.

I do like the look of that combined office and car garage thing. It doesn't need to be oak framed or actually fancy- two oak legs at the front could hold up an otherwise conventional office building made of beams, brick or blocks with insulation and composite or oak or whatever boarding over the top. Roof of tiles to suit/match with surrounding buildings.

You'll never have too much natural light in an office space so floor to ceiling windows or skylights may be desirable. If it's insulated, window'ed and door'ed properly attaching an air con unit to the side/rear won't be daft expensive to run.

Kitchen, bait room and loo +/- shower or wet room may be desirable for those with dogs/livestock.

Laying a conduit to the new building before it its built to carry fibre/RJ45, leccy, phone extension from the house, etc may be useful.

I dare say following the cancellation of HS2 there will be a fair few portacabins or welfare units looking for homes in the near future.

I have a haulage company which is very tiresome with the amount of paperwork needed to keep lorry’s on the road. If I pulled the trigger on something it would defiantly be 2maybe 3 times the size I think I want, hence the first photo. Not quite at the size of needing anyone in the office full time yet but very close to it which again is why I would want something much larger than my current box room. Also need space to have meetings with people preferably not around the kitchen table

 

[ollie989898]

I have a haulage company which is very tiresome with the amount of paperwork needed to keep lorry’s on the road. If I pulled the trigger on something it would defiantly be 2maybe 3 times the size I think I want, hence the first photo. Not quite at the size of needing anyone in the office full time yet but very close to it which again is why I would want something much larger than my current box room. Also need space to have meetings with people preferably not around the kitchen table

The second anyone was working part or full time in an office space I would want it separate from the house as well so they can come and go without involving me whatsoever. I get your thinking. By the sounds of it a standalone building with possible easy extension in future would be warranted.

 

[Jerry]

18 mth ago I built this inside what was a garage, and before that a hay barn.

it’s an office plus “utility“ room With a fridge, sink, washing machine and drier.

it’s also where the medicine cabinet hides.

stud frame with 750mm celllotex all around inc floor.

small electric radiator to keep it warm if required.

plenty of room for meetings with 2 or 3 people. Any more and I use the main house.

nice and simple and works for me. Not that expensive.

 

[PI Stsker]

The second anyone was working part or full time in an office space I would want it separate from the house as well so they can come and go without involving me whatsoever. I get your thinking. By the sounds of it a standalone building with possible easy extension in future would be warranted.

Exactly my thinking, I don’t want them to feel awkward coming to work and being in the house if we’re away on holiday etc. as I’ve said before that isn’t an option anyhow just due to size available with out putting up an extension.
Part of me wonders if it’s just as cheap to put up a small steel framed shed and clad it and insulate the hell out of it. I see some of those oak garage jobs for sale on eBay for about 18/20 grand which would sort out a hell of a steel frame shed and easily extendable in future if needed

 

[ollie989898]

Exactly my thinking, I don’t want them to feel awkward coming to work and being in the house if we’re away on holiday etc. as I’ve said before that isn’t an option anyhow just due to size available with out putting up an extension.
Part of me wonders if it’s just as cheap to put up a small steel framed shed and clad it and insulate the hell out of it. I see some of those oak garage jobs for sale on eBay for about 18/20 grand which would sort out a hell of a steel frame shed and easily extendable in future if needed

The only thing making you think oak in that picture is the cladding on the side and the two front pillars. You could have a conventional building of block and beams and then slap two oak pillars in, put the cladding on the sides and you would never really know apart from any exposed woodwork internally which you don't really want because you'll want to insulate it all properly anyway.

If it was my office I'd have a wood burner in there as well with a chimney going out the roof but for a commercial business that would be daft and air con would make more sense.

 

[PI Stsker]

The only thing making you think oak in that picture is the cladding on the side and the two front pillars. You could have a conventional building of block and beams and then slap two oak pillars in, put the cladding on the sides and you would never really know apart from any exposed woodwork internally which you don't really want because you'll want to insulate it all properly anyway.

If it was my office I'd have a wood burner in there as well with a chimney going out the roof but for a commercial business that would be daft and air con would make more sense.

I already run VOIP phone line so I can answer the land line via the app on my phone, I would probably want a small kitchenette over there and a toilet, other than that just a big open plan office.
im undecided on wood cladding, obviously more expensive but much more pleasing on the eye.

 

[ollie989898]

I already run VOIP phone line so I can answer the land line via the app on my phone, I would probably want a small kitchenette over there and a toilet, other than that just a big open plan office.
im undecided on wood cladding, obviously more expensive but much more pleasing on the eye.

There are a few houses about now that have that composite timber lookalike cladding I presume because the developers have used external insulation and need something to hide it behind. It doesn't rot or need painting so may be worth a look. Could be matched to UPVC or aluminium windows etc. I guess brick or stone or even painted render etc would fit with it if it was all done carefully. An architect might be able to design something for not stupid money.