Rocketing garden annexe sales signals increase in stay-at-home kids

Cabin Master, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and installers of high-quality, bespoke garden rooms, has seen its sales of annexes more than double in the first eight months of 2024 compared with the same period last year.

The timber building specialist puts the spike down to a combination of the rising cost-of-living, the difficulties young people face accessing the property ladder and the potential for annexes to add value to your home.

“We should no longer think of an annexe as simply a granny flat,” said Victoria Parkinson, head of marketing at Cabin Master. “Our experience at Cabin Master is that they are fast becoming the domain of teens looking for some independence and young adults who cannot yet afford to leave home.

“And customers are apparently flocking to us because we can install a fully insulated living annexe complete with additions such as kitchens and bathrooms far quicker and at a more cost-effective rate than your average brick-built extension.”

More young adults today live with their parents than in the past due to the widely reported barriers to home ownership for first-time buyers. Data from the Office for National Statistics revealed that around 22.4 per cent of families have an adult child living with them – up from 13.6 per cent in 2011.

Additionally, according to research by Mojo Mortgages, the average age of a first-time buyer is 33 years, eight months.

The good news for home owners is that, according to Checkatrade, an annexe can add an average of 20-30 per cent to the value of a home. And, as recent research carried out by estate agent Purple Bricks discovered, more home buyers are now looking to purchase homes with an annexe, either to use for independent living quarters or to supplement income by renting it out as Airbnb accommodation.

Victoria said: “It’s now very clear that, with more young people living at home for longer, the demand for extra bedrooms and separate living spaces has gone through the roof.”

Cabin Master, which has a show site in Toton Lane, Stapleford, just off Bardills island, works directly with its customers to design and install tailor-made, insulated garden rooms to suit all individual needs. Its wide variety of installations can range from garden offices, bars, gyms, studios and barbecue cabins to additional school rooms, Arctic-style lodges and, of course, annexes.

“It’s a modern solution to the very real problems of today like the cost-of-living crisis, but it comes with a lot of benefits.

“You can create a luxury space, such as a cinema room, in your garden for a fraction of the price of a house extension, and it will certainly add value to your home.”

The firm offers a free site survey, design drawings to your own specifications, finance options if required and each building comes with a 10-year guarantee as standard.