A young couple house hunting faced a familiar problem – they found a home they liked but they would have liked more space.
The solution they came up with resulted in a business with customers in many different worlds. The first buyer was a music producer, working with top English music stars.
Nick Smith, 36, who lives in Wokingham with his wife Verity and their new baby Tiggy, explained the start of his business:
“It would have cost up to £50,000 to extend the house we wanted so we looked at alternatives. I discovered building a separate garden room would be a good option.
“I started looking into what companies selling them had done. It was during the pandemic lockdowns so I had time to research products and materials. I’ve got a construction background and I felt it was something I could build myself.
“We hadn’t gone ahead with the house we’d seen. But I was thinking about a starting a company to build the cabins. I wanted to simplify things from the 30 different designs I’d seen.”
He then worked at designing four different sized cabins.
Nick, who was brought up in Woodley and went to what is now Waingels College there, went on to found his company, Backyard Cabins, with his business partner Matthew Kift, an entrepreneur who works in Ibiza.
Nick designs the cabins, prepares cutting lists for the Oxford factory supplying the walls, roof and flooring and deals with other suppliers. Nick also builds the cabins, employing others to help.
Matthew deals with budgeting, quotations and customer contact. He has flown back from Ibiza occasionally to help construction work.
The first cabin went to the music producer who wanted a music studio. A photographer who travels the world for wedding photoshoots uses his as a studio. One is a physiotherapist’s clinic room and another is a children’s playroom and a cinema room.
The cabins are of course in demand for people wanting to work from home now.
“Home workers often haven’t a spare room or space at the kitchen table,” said Nick. “The cabins can help keep work and home separate. They just close the door – and have a 30-second commute home.”
Nick says that generally the cabins don’t need planning permission as they are under 2.5 metres high. They also mustn’t take up more than half of the garden. Customers have to check if planning permission is needed. Backyard has arranged that for each cabin built the National Trust will plant ten trees.
Nick receives the pre-cut cabin panels, with insulation already built-in.
“It’s a very quick process to get a watertight structure. Bricks and mortar are much more time consuming,” he said.
The cabin cost includes bi-folding doors, insulated walls, floor and ceiling, and Siberian larch cladding outside which can be painted matt black.
Power sockets and lights are fitted. Optional extras include electric heaters, luxury vinyl tiles, blinds within the door panels and raised decking.
The cabins range from £15,250+VAT for a cabin three by three metres to £23,150+VAT for one six by four metres. Bespoke sizes can also be built. They all have a 10-year warranty.
Details are at www.backyardcabins.co.uk
