Setting up a garden based treatment room

[AMY B]

I need some help from any therapists who have done this. I would like to create a treatment room by putting a summerhouse in the garden as I don't have the room inside the house. I live in a rented house and the landlord has agreed to this. I'd like to practice reflexologyfrom home rather than payingout the overheads on room rental. I will be ready togive fulltreatments as a student from August (I would like to have this room ready for my case study and other clients)and as a full practitioner from next Feb. I will also be using this space for my own relaxation/meditation and to give tarot readings and stress coaching.

I know I will need a summerhouse style building, electricity for light and heating and I've already spoken to my house insurance company. I can wash my hands in the house and use antibacterial handrub, as I won't be piping water to the summerhouse. Will I need any of the following:
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insulation - where and how would I get this done?
licences - what kind of licence would I need to play music to clients?
decoration - how? what? where?
noise - I live in a neighbourhood with young children who play outside in the holidays and after school. They are not quiet. Also there will be noise from neighbours doing DIY & gardening and neighbours having bbq's etc -any ways round this which don't include the cost of double glazing (I'm on a very limited budget)?
public liability insurance - do the AOR do this or do they only do professional indemnity?
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I've had a look at previous threads here (quite old ones from 2004) on garden rooms and treatment rooms and whilst they were helpful, they didn't answer all my questions. I'd rather use the summer house/garden room option as I really don't want to lose my spare bedroom.

Thanks in advance for any advice and help.

 

[Connor (soul man)]

Have a look at [link=http://www.iobuild.co.uk]www.iobuild.co.uk[/link] - they specialise in "garden rooms" and if you can't afford what they offer, it will give you an idea of what you could incorporate in your design.

I was treated in a "garden room" when I lived in Belgium. It wasa little odd (but then, so was the therapist!) and there was no heating. It was a simple chalet style wooden hut(double glass doors at the front) with rice matting. When I was lying face down for part of the treatment, my eyes were drawn to the floor at the back of the hut - the rice matting had sprouted, and was growing! (There was evidence of condensation on the walls). There was a basic light in the centre of the ceiling, and lace curtains at the windows. It was, as I say, a little odd. I think if you tried to build something similar in this country, that you would be required to have a water supply for handwashing, and possibly a loo with adequate drainage. Have a chat with the Planning Dept at the local council office - your landlord may need planning permission to erect a garden shed, and this would be a way of finding out what would be involved.

 

[Conway Twitty]

I have spoken with the local council. I intend to use the room for my private use except when doing reflexology treatments which will probably be 2-3 days per week. I don't need running water as it is close to the house and I can wash my hands in there and use a hand rub in the room. I have a downstairs cloakroom which would be a very short walk from the garden, should the client need to use the toilet. As I mentioned, the Landlord has already given me permission.

I am most interested in hearing from people who use their summer house or converted shed or converted oubuilding as a treatment room - do you have any problems with noise?

 

[Sugar Pie]

I had a treatment recently and the therapist had converted half the garage into a treatment room. It was accessible from the kitchen and she had a downstairs loo. It was done very nicely, plasmassageplanetoard was put around the garage and a stud wall built. She then draped voile material from the walls, it had a carpet and electric heater, table lamps and was very cosy and warm.