My Retreat Garden Rooms · Surrey, Berkshire & Buckinghamshire

Garden Room Gym | Bespoke Home Gym Buildings in Surrey

A fully insulated, purpose-built home gym at the bottom of your garden. No commute, no membership fees, no waiting for equipment. Yours, all year round.

My Retreat Garden Rooms  ·  020 3818 5911  ·  Surrey & Home Counties

A garden room gym is one of the smartest home investments a homeowner can make. Step outside, close the door, and you are in a dedicated space built entirely around how you train. We design and build bespoke garden room gyms across Surrey, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, fully insulated, fully fitted, and built to the same standard as your home.

Quick answer
A garden room gym typically starts from around £20,000 fully fitted, depending on size and specification. This includes foundations, full insulation, electrics, double glazing and flooring. Most customers choose a 3m × 4m or 4m × 5m footprint depending on their equipment list. See our full cost guide for a detailed breakdown.
Modern garden room gym in a tranquil Surrey garden setting built by My Retreat Garden Rooms
A My Retreat garden room gym — fully insulated and ready to use every day of the year.

Why a Garden Room Gym Works

The biggest barrier to regular training is friction. The commute to the gym, the wet kit bag, the waiting for machines. A garden room gym removes all of it. The space is there, it is yours, and it takes 30 seconds to walk to.

Beyond the convenience, a purpose-built gym space outperforms a converted spare room in almost every way. The ceiling height, the rubber flooring, the dedicated electrics. These are things you cannot retrofit easily, and they make a real difference to how the space feels and performs.

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Built for Serious Training

Every My Retreat gym build is designed around the specific demands of training, not just adapted from a standard garden room spec.

Flooring built for gym use

Standard builds include a laminate floor. For heavier equipment, we increase the thickness of the floor structure. Rubber matting can be added on top as an optional upgrade, either fitted by us or supplied for you to lay yourself, which keeps the room flexible if the use ever changes.

Height for overhead training

If you are standing and lifting weights overhead, a standard 2.5m external height (approximately 2.2m internal) can feel tight. Upgrading to a 3m external height (2.7m internal) gives you the clearance you need and makes the space feel considerably more open.

Air conditioning upgrade

All rooms come with opening windows and doors for airflow. If you train hard and want more control over the temperature, air conditioning is available as an upgrade and is a popular choice on gym builds.

Year-round insulation

Standard builds use foam EPS insulation in the walls, floor and roof, which offers the same thermal performance as Rockwool. PIR insulation is available as an upgrade for builds that need to meet building regulations.

Recessed spotlights

Standard recessed LED spotlights throughout. Large glazed doors and windows bring in natural light during the day, so the space feels open and bright even before the lights are on.

One point of contact

Rated 5 stars on Google. Every My Retreat build is managed by a single dedicated person from first conversation to final handover. No subcontractors passed around.

Bespoke garden room gym build in Surrey by My Retreat Garden Rooms
A completed My Retreat gym build in Surrey — extended height, full glazing and rubber flooring throughout.

What to Think About Before You Build

A garden room gym is a straightforward project. Getting a few decisions right at the planning stage makes a significant difference to the finished space. We talk through all of this with every customer before a single measurement is taken.

What size do I need?

For a basic free weights and cardio setup, 3m x 4m works well. If you want a full rack, cable machine and floor space for stretching or HIIT work, 4m x 5m gives you genuine room to move. We design around your specific equipment list, not a standard template.

Flooring and floor reinforcement

Standard builds include a laminate floor. For heavier equipment, we increase the thickness of the floor structure to handle the load. If you want rubber matting on top, that is available as an optional upgrade, either fitted by us or supplied for you to lay yourself. Keeping it separate from the floor itself means the room can easily change use in the future. For very heavy setups with a full rack and substantial plates, a reinforced concrete slab is the most robust option and gives you a completely solid base to train from.

Power requirements

Most gym setups run comfortably on a standard 32 amp supply. If you have several machines running at the same time, or larger equipment that draws more current, let us know at the design stage and we will size the supply accordingly. If you are adding a hot tub alongside your gym, for example, we factor that in from the start rather than retrofitting later.

Ventilation and temperature

All rooms come with opening windows and doors as standard. For most customers this is sufficient, particularly in a well-insulated space. If you train at high intensity and want more control, air conditioning is available as an upgrade. It is the most popular optional extra on gym builds.

Ceiling height

Our standard build is 2.5m external height, giving you approximately 2.2m internally. This is comfortable for most gym uses. If you want more space overhead, for pull-up bars, overhead pressing or simply a more generous feel, you can upgrade to a 3m external height (approximately 2.7m internal). One thing to be aware of: a room over 2.5m in height must sit at least 2m from any boundary. If yours cannot, you would need to apply for planning permission before going ahead with the taller option.

Planning permission

Most garden room gyms fall within permitted development rights and do not require planning permission. Whether that applies to your property depends on a number of factors specific to your home, including whether your permitted development rights are intact, whether you are in a conservation area, and how much of your garden has already been built on. We are not in a position to confirm your planning position as part of a standard build, but we do have an architect available as an additional service who can check this for you if needed. Read our planning guide for more detail, or contact your local planning authority directly.

Interior of a My Retreat garden room gym showing extended ceiling height and natural light
Inside a My Retreat gym build — extended ceiling height, full natural light and rubber flooring.

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Home gym garden room with rubber flooring and equipment built in Surrey by My Retreat
A home gym garden room with full equipment layout — designed around the customer’s specific training routine.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a garden room gym cost?
A garden room gym typically starts from around £20,000 fully fitted, depending on size and specification. This includes foundations, full insulation, electrics, rubber flooring and installation. Larger builds with air conditioning, mirrors and bespoke storage will sit higher. See our full cost guide for a detailed breakdown by size.
What size garden room do I need for a gym?
For a compact cardio and free weights setup, 3m x 3m is a workable minimum. Most customers choose 3m x 4m or 4m x 5m to allow for a full rack, a cardio machine and floor space for stretching or HIIT work. We design around your specific equipment list rather than a standard footprint.
Do I need planning permission for a garden room gym in Surrey?
Most garden room gyms fall within permitted development rights and do not require planning permission. Whether this applies to your property depends on factors specific to your home, such as whether your permitted development rights are intact, whether you are in a conservation area, and how much of your garden is already built on. It is the responsibility of the customer to confirm their planning position before proceeding. If you need help with this, we have an architect available as an additional service who can check on your behalf. Read our planning guide here.
Can I put a treadmill in a garden room?
Yes, along with a rowing machine, cross-trainer, bike, or any other powered cardio equipment. The key is ensuring the electrical supply is sized correctly for the load. We include a dedicated consumer unit as standard on all gym builds, so you are not limited to what a standard ring main can handle.
Is a garden room gym usable in winter?
Yes. Every My Retreat garden room is fully insulated in the walls, floor and roof using foam EPS insulation, which has the same thermal performance as Rockwool. Combined with a heater or the optional air conditioning upgrade, your gym will be comfortable throughout the year. This is not a seasonal space.
How long does it take to build a garden room gym?
The build itself typically takes 3 to 5 days on site. Lead time from order to installation is usually 8 to 12 weeks depending on our current schedule and the complexity of your build. We give you a confirmed installation date when you place your order.
Does a garden room gym add value to my home?
A well-built, fully insulated garden room typically adds between 5% and 15% to a property’s value, according to independent research. A dedicated gym space is an increasingly popular selling feature in Surrey, particularly among buyers who work from home and value having a separate space for both work and fitness.
Garden room gym at dusk fully insulated and lit year round built by My Retreat in Surrey
A My Retreat garden room gym at dusk — fully insulated, fully lit and ready to use every day of the year.

Helpful Pages

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