Making Modular Garden Rooms - Big Opportunities Exist

A garden room

Rather than curbing market growth, the pandemic has led to an increase in demand for garden buildings and structures with manufacturers and installers stepping up to grasp the opportunity.

The just published AMA Research Residential Garden Buildings and Structures Market Report says what many installers already knew - garden rooms and other extensions are the in demand home improvement products (with garden doors being the item most installers want to see at the FIT Show May 2022).

Additionally, overseas travel has been restricted says the report, leaving households with more disposable income to spend on big ticket projects.

The report also says consumers are quality conscious - with a demand for premium materials and insulation in their detached buildings and demand they can be used all year round.

 

Shelters

Demand for garden shelters has also increased to provide shading, screening, decoration and to delineate separate zones. This sector includes more traditional gazebos, pergolas, arches and arbours as well as structures to provide practical cover for outdoor kitchens, hot tubs/spas and garden bars. A key feature of this market has been the trend towards higher value products and a more differentiated structure says AMA.

 

 “There are estimated 22 million gardens in Great Britain and over 90 per cent of these are attached to houses, with regional and generational differences in garden sizes and homeownership. This provides a large consumer base for garden products, buildings and structures.”

– Ozge Celik Russell 

Research manager, AMA Research

 

Balancing act

The 7th edition of the Residential Garden Buildings and Structures Market report is extended to include glazed extensions attached to the main building and covers the changes the sub-sectors have undergone during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"While 2020 was a difficult year for many sectors, the residential garden buildings and structures market value remained stable," continues Russell (who is the editor of the Residential Garden Buildings and Structures Market Report). "The increased demand for detached garden buildings and structures balanced the decreased demand for attached glazed extensions. A key trend to watch is consumer demand for insulated garden buildings to use all year round.

"Manufacturers have already started to respond through new product development and upgrade options. This trend will drive growth in traded value in garden buildings for all year round use and also impact how the product mix for detached garden buildings will evolve in the short-to-medium term as insulation options are added to log cabins and summerhouses.”

 

The Covid factor

According to Russell, the most significant contemporary social influence on the garden buildings and structures market is the homeworking trend following the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic, he says, has led to an increased number of people working from home, given the enforced lockdown restrictions. Despite the easing of these measures, it is expected that employers will continue to allow some employees to work remotely and flexibly, for part of their working hours. Demand for home offices is forecast to continue as workers adopt a more blended approach to working in the office or remotely. This is expected to positively influence sustained growth in the garden pods sector as well.

 

The garden buildings and structures market has remained comparatively robust, despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, with a relatively strong order book. Throughput of sales has however been impacted by lockdown restrictions, disruption to supply chains and in some cases labour shortages due to furloughing or self-isolation of staff with symptoms of the virus.

Picture: The UK garden buildings market increased in demand despite Covid-19 pandemic.

Picture with thanks to Power Sheds.

www.powersheds.com

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
25th November 2021

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