Once the garden house is in place, moving it is a very time-consuming and sometimes no longer feasible undertaking. That's why it's important to think about where the house should be and which side the doors and windows should face before you start building it.
How should a garden house be aligned?
When aligning a garden house, the use, distance to neighbors, soil conditions, proximity to water, sunny or shady location and official requirements should be taken into account. The doors and windows should be oriented according to need and privacy.
Where should the garden house be located?
There are many points to consider when answering this question?
- How should the house be used?
- What distance from neighbors must be maintained?
- What is the condition of the soil?
- Is there a body of water nearby?
- Should the planned location be in the sun or in the shade?
- Which official requirements or requirements decided by the owners' meeting must be met?
The function
This point is the most important one, because depending on whether you only need the house as a storage space for garden tools and furniture or want to use the arbor as an additional outdoor space and second living room, there is a place in a secluded corner of the garden or near the Residential building in question. Would you perhaps like to integrate a sauna into the garden house? Then you should also align the entrance so that you are protected from prying eyes.
Where are the property lines?
It would be a shame if the friendly relationship with the neighbors were affected by the shadows cast by the garden house. Therefore, make sure that you maintain at least the legal distance from the property line. It is also advisable to inform the residents about the planned construction and to coordinate the orientation of the house with them.
Soil conditions or proximity to water
Damp ground, a high groundwater table or proximity to bodies of water require special substructures, for example placing the arbor on stilts to prevent static problems. This also applies to stony ground, which sometimes makes it almost impossible to excavate the required depth for the foundation.
Sun or shade
If the arbor is in the sun, it can get stuffy and very warm there in summer. Wooden houses need air to breathe and should therefore not be located in a corner that is heavily planted. If the house is overgrown by plants such as ivy or wild vine, the material can lose its stability through rot and decomposition.
If the arbor has a terrace, you also need to consider where you will orient it. Do you prefer a southerly location with midday sun, would you like to enjoy the sunrise at breakfast or the sunset?
Tip
Sometimes it is difficult to imagine the size and orientation of the garden house in the planned location. If you stretch a simple crosshair (€13.00 on Amazon) and temporarily mark the door and windows with boards, this makes planning much easier.