Planning permission is being sought on a number of our clients projects.  Even though many home extensions and garden rooms can be completed under permitted development rights we always discuss the pro’s and con’s of this approach.  We may be Swift in the installation process, but if it better suits our clients to delay things for a few weeks to enable their new room to be absolutely right, then we are here to help. We have a 100% success record with our planning applications and while the application is being processed we can use the time to good effect, refining the details of the project and the installation timing.

A good example where planning permission is an advantage is when you are tall and could do with more headroom in your new garden gym.  If you are over 6 feet tall and enjoy working out on a Nordic trainer, you need a taller building or a crash helmet!

Also on the planning subject, the government is fighting to keep their latest proposals intact.  Ministers announced last year that they were considering a three-year relaxation
of the permitted development maximum depth of single-storey extensions from four
metres to eight metres for detached houses and from three metres to six metres
for other houses. Since then the House of Lords inserted an amendment to allow local authorities to opt out of this scheme, but the government are determined to see these changes go through.

What will this mean for you?  Well, it will speed up the process of extending many peoples homes where they are seeking a substantial increase in space.  Conditions will still apply concerning the appearance and height of the structure, and where it is in relation to the original home (rear, side, etc.).

With the advantages of our superb construction systems, where much of the building work is already completed in factory conditions, you could literally have initial discussions about your extension in April and be using the finished room in June!  If this sounds appealing, just contact us and we will be happy to have a chat about your ideas and dreams.

Professor Ruth Ashford, Dean of Manchester Metropolitan University presented Martin with his graduation certificate at a celebration event on Wednesday 6th March.  The dinner was held at the magnificent new Manchester Business School building.  Interestingly this building was the successful entrant in last years Excellence in Building Awards where Swift were also nominated in the Educational Development category.

“The Business Programme has been a powerful, demanding and rewarding experience that will help Swift for expand their business in the design and supply of high quality, tailor-made garden rooms and home extensions.

Martin Lawson, Swifts Director, was extremely proud to have been selected as a participant on the10,000 Small Businesses programme in the North West.

10,000 Small Businesses is designed to unlock the economic and job creation potential of small businesses and social enterprises operating in the United Kingdom. The programme is targeted at small businesses and social enterprises with clear ambitions to expand. The goal of the programme is to provide participants with tools and resources to help them lay the foundation for long-term sustainable growth and job creation in their communities.

10,000 Small Businesses is funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation and is delivered in the North West in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University Business School.

www.10ksbnw.co.uk

So many of our buildings have a powerful connection with the outside world.  The views and the sunlight bring a depth and beauty to the new environment that you have created. Coloured and patterned glass will transform the atmosphere of the room and create a whole new ambiance that changes throughout the day and through the seasons.

Swift’s Garden Rooms and Extensions often have large windows and glazed doors.  Our intention behind our collaboration with Adam is to provide a striking, individual and treasured piece of art within your new room.  This can be in such a wide variety of forms from simple tinted glazed panels, to intricate designs.  Your personal pictures and designs can be etched or printed onto glass or you could enjoy modern back-lit effects with the inclusion of LED lighting of varying colours.

You will be able to have this element of your new building seamlessly included within the installation process as Swift design your bespoke new space.

Swift will soon have a part of their website dedicated to the ways that you can personalise and enhance your investment by this beautiful medium.  In the meantime, just click here to get in touch and we will discuss your ideas. 

If you would like to see more of Adam’s work right now, please click here to see his website.

Our team at Swift is dedicated to creating unique and elegant bespoke garden rooms, offices and extensions. We are confident that you will find your garden office pod to be both a serene and a creative environment to get the creative juices flowing. You only need to glance through our gallery to see some of the creative environments we have created for our previous clients. Whether you’re looking for a brick garden room, a summer garden room or an insulated garden office, we can cater for your individual needs.

It’s our job to design and construct beautiful and distinctive contemporary garden offices, so if you’re looking to build somewhere you can escape to and get creative, please download our free guide and brochure to start getting some ideas of how you could transform your space.

However, here at Swift, we’re looking on the bright side. Though January can be a bad time of the year for all of the above reasons, it can also be a very tranquil and beautiful time of the year, which is why much of the first month of 2013 will be spent in our bespoke garden rooms. When the ground is too hard to do any gardening and the air is too cold to stays out, we are the making the most of January’s aesthetics from behind the glass doors of our fully insulated and heated bespoke garden office. There is simply no better way to make the most of what’s left of winter than sitting reading a book while watching this glorious month pass by.

Gone are the days of disused summer houses at the bottom of the garden. Here at Swift we are dedicated to creating modern, stylish, innovative and (most importantly) useable luxury garden rooms across the UK.

W – Worthwhile
According to the Daily Mail, adding extra living space to your property is one of the best ways to increase the value of your property. If you’re looking to add value to your property, we are sure that one of our bespoke garden rooms would be a worthwhile investment. However, as well as this, our garden rooms are an investment that will stand the test of time and act as a wonderful place to spend time alone or with your friends and family.

I – Interesting
If you want to impress your friends and make your home a more interesting place, then bespoke garden offices or office pods are a great way to do this. You could turn your garden room into a gym, recording studio or an outhouse for guests or family members. Because our garden offices are insulated and fully powered, the possibilities are truly endless.

F – Fast
We build quickly and efficiently. We have a history of happy customers who we have built garden rooms for across the UK from London, Kent, Surrey and Hampshire to Yorkshire and Shropshire.

T – Tidy
Because a large proportion of your luxury garden room will be made offsite in our dedicated factory, your home will be relatively mess and waste-free! We also believe that constructing most of the structure offsite reduces disturbance and makes for a much smoother build.

According to The Independent adding decking, paving and water features won’t push the price of your house up. On the other hand, adding extra square footage to your living space that can be used as a bedroom, gym or office is one of the most profitable improvements you can make to your home.

Here at Swift, we are pleased to be able to offer both garden room extensions and standalone bespoke garden offices. While we have seen first hand the value our garden studios can add to a property, we also understand that for some buyers, ample garden space is an equally attractive factor.

This is where Swift sets itself aside from the competition

Instead of dropping a prefabricated, mass-produced structure in the middle of your lawn, we can design and create a beautiful and bespoke structure the way you want it, where you want it. Just take a look through our gallery to see the range of designs we can offer. If you’re looking for a contemporary garden office that will act as a statement piece in your garden or an inconspicuous garden office pod that blends in with nature, we’re certain that we can provide a structure that adds value to your property.

We have three builds in operation right now and planning applications are being submitted for exciting new studios and extensions over the coming weeks. We have new designs and landscape projects in the wings and continue to covr the whole country with our excellent service.

Why is this such a great start to the New Year?  There are many answers coming back in reply to this question…  and they all focus upon the satisfaction of customers demands.  Speed of build, flexibility of approach and a truly Taylor-Made product make the whole process of creating more space so exciting.  Also, our successful projects over previous years and the accreditation of our services and buildings gives added reassurance to clients. 

Garden rooms continue to provide the increasingly popular and amazingly trouble-free method of creating a new office, studio, family room or gymnasium.  Though it is home extensions that have witnessed the most dramatic increase in enquiries. People are realizing that an extension does not have to mean months of turmoil and upheaval.  When so much of the work can be carried out in the controlled and accurate environment of our factory, the time on site is cut to a minimum … and the whole process becomes much less invasive.

Whatever your aspirations are for 2013, please let us help you reach your aims for more space .. with less hassle!   Please contact us for more information.

Happy New Year from all the team at Swift.

Now is the time to send our heartfelt thanks and good wishes to all the people and companies who we have had the pleasure of dealing with over the year.  We have had an amazing time creating new space and design concepts and look forward to much more in 2013.

The office phones and emails will be monitored over the Christmas period though the main office will be closed until Thursday 3rd January while the Swift team enjoy time with the people thay love the most…. having fun and relaxing.  We hope that you can do the same and we look forwared to an exciting and aspirational New Year.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Martin and the Swift team.

The first one involves a connection to the main drains in order to have a shower room installed together with a WC and a washbasin.  This will dramatically improve the enjoyment and versatility of the garden room.  All has gone well with the routing of the new drainage pipe, even finding an old buried clay pipe running across the garden… which almost forced the replanning of the whole system.  Fortunately we were able to maintain the required fall to the newly constructed inspection chamber and all will be well!

The second project is a large home extension that demands a full concrete slab to be installed.  This will ensure the perfect continuation of floor levels between the old and the new sections of the house.  And, once again, the discovery of an unexpected surprise has been overcome.. an old soakaway that we will now replace with a larger, brand new installation that will serve the main house as well as the new extension.

As always, our expertise and experience has made short work of these issues and work will start on the construction stage over the coming days.