I lost my job while pregnant & was quoted £30k for a studio…so built my own garden cabin for a fraction of that
A WOMAN who lost her job at 20 weeks pregnant has told how she's managed to save a whopping £30k a year working from her back garden.
Emma, a brow artist and beauty therapist based in Leeds, found herself out of work when her workplace closed down at just 20 weeks pregnant.
Renting a studio seemed like the obvious next step, but she was left shocked when the quotes came in at a whopping £30,000 a year.
Looking for a more affordable and flexible solution, Emma (@emmavaughanbeauty) decided to create her own studio in her garden - and says it's been a total "game-changer."
It's not only given her the flexibility she needs as a new mum, but has also allowed her to save a staggering £30,000 a year on rent.
Plus, she's building her client base right from her own back garden.
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“Unfortunately, my place of work closed when I was 20 weeks pregnant," Emma says, speaking exclusively to garden specialists Tiger.
"I was unable to find another job and didn’t want to commit to renting a studio when I knew I would need time off with a new baby.
"That's when the idea of a garden building hit me. It offered the perfect solution – a designated workspace within my own home, allowing me to create a schedule that revolved around my growing family.
"Additionally, compared to the commitment of renting a studio which I was quoted £30,000 per year for, the financial aspects of a garden building felt more manageable."
She goes on to say how the initial cost of her garden building was £3,300, with an extra £1,800 spent on decoration and furnishings.
"I love working from my garden building," Emma explains.
"It’s close to family and with two young children it allows me to pick and choose my hours, have a better work-life balance and my commute is just a 10 second walk to my log cabin!
"I also find the atmosphere calming which helps with my work, as the log cabin aesthetic reminds me of a ski lodge. I often get comments on it from my customers."
Emma says that another major perk is that she's gotten more clients since she started working from home too as it's helped her to better connect with people who live nearby.
"Now more locals are choosing to come to me because of the convenience and personal attention I give," she explains.
"Reflecting on it, the closure of my workplace ended up being a good thing. It pushed me to find new ways of working and led me to a setup that is perfect for my job and family life."
It’s close to family and with two young children it allows me to pick and choose my hours, have a better work-life balance and my commute is just a 10 second walk to my log cabin
Emma Vaughan
She concludes; "For anyone thinking of taking the leap into starting their own studio from their garden, I’d say go for it.
"The flexibility and work-life balance improvements are so worth it!”
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Working from home has become hugely popular in the beauty industry due cost saving and flexibility, with this trend continuing to grow. In the last month, there were 3,000 Google searches for ‘home studio’ in the UK.
Garden building specialists, Tiger, are encouraging people to look into alternative uses for their garden buildings, as more of us are turning to garden buildings as a solution for working from home.
