A calm, clear journey from first idea to handover.

Most studios are built on site from components carried into the garden, so we don't usually need vehicle access to the back. We'll look at the route, any steps or slopes and where materials can be stored during your site assessment. Tight or difficult access is often fine, but it can affect cost and programme, and we'll tell you how in your proposal.

We choose the base after surveying your ground. Options include ground screws, concrete pads or a concrete slab. The right choice depends on soil, slope, tree roots, drainage and the weight of what will go inside, such as gym equipment or a sauna.

Yes, that's what they're designed for. Floors, walls and roofs are insulated and the glazing is chosen with comfort in mind. We'll recommend heating, and cooling if you want it, based on the size of the room, how much glazing it has and how you'll use it.

A new supply is usually run from your home's consumer unit to the studio through a buried armoured cable. The work is carried out and certified by a qualified electrician, and you receive the certificate at handover. Saunas, air conditioning and hot tubs can need a higher-capacity supply, which we check at survey.

It depends on the size of the studio, groundworks, access, the specification you choose and lead times for glazing and specialist items. Approvals, where needed, add time before work can start. We'll give you a realistic programme in your written proposal, so you know the timeline before you commit, and we'll keep you updated if anything changes.

Often not, but it depends on your property and the design. In England, many garden rooms can be built under permitted development rights for outbuildings, without a planning application, as long as they meet a set of conditions. The main ones are:

• Single storey, and not in front of the principal elevation of the house.
• No more than 2.5 m high overall if it sits within 2 m of a boundary. Further from the boundary, up to 4 m with a dual-pitched roof or 3 m with other roofs, and eaves no higher than 2.5 m.
• Outbuildings and extensions together cover no more than half the land around the original house.
• Used for purposes incidental to the house, such as an office, gym or studio, not as separate living or sleeping accommodation.
• Any raised decking or platform no more than 30 cm above the ground.

Different rules apply to listed buildings, flats and maisonettes, and to homes in national parks (including Dartmoor and Exmoor), National Landscapes (formerly AONBs), conservation areas and World Heritage Sites. Some homes also have permitted development rights removed by an earlier planning condition or an Article 4 direction.

We check this at your site assessment. If you'd like formal certainty, you can apply to your council for a Lawful Development Certificate, or make a planning application where one is needed. We can help you with either. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Many don't, but some do. As a general guide for detached outbuildings in England with no sleeping accommodation:

• Under 15 m² internal floor area: usually exempt.
• Between 15 m² and 30 m²: usually exempt if the building is at least 1 m from any boundary, or is built substantially of non-combustible materials.
• Over 30 m²: building regulations approval is normally needed.

Separately, electrical work must always meet the building regulations, and new circuits are normally notifiable, so the electrics are installed and certified by a qualified, registered electrician. Adding a shower room, WC or sleeping space can also bring a project into building control. We confirm what applies to your design before you commit.