Southern Enterprise Awards 2025/ 42 Best Custom-Built Garden Room Company 2025 – South East In today’s property market, many people are choosing to maximise their current spaces rather than moving house. A luxury garden room is a great way to do this, as not only does it provide more room to play with, but it also adds value to a property and enriches the homeowner’s lifestyle. Specialising in beautifully bespoke garden rooms, Miniature Manors Ltd creates high-quality garden buildings for clients across Sussex and the surrounding counties. Recognised for its efforts in this programme, we caught up with the company’s own Clare Kear for more on Miniature Manors. Founded in 2008, Miniature Manors is the brainchild of Richard Kear, a former oak framer whose journey with garden rooms began when he was off work recovering from a serious hand injury. Passing the time by building playhouses with his best friend – inspired by his father, a carpenter who built Wendy houses for wealthy families (including royalty) – Richard received plenty of interest from families in the area, recognising that there was a demand for these types of buildings from adults as well as children. When Miniature Manors was set up shortly after, it was one of the first businesses of its kind in Sussex, and it is today one the most experienced in the region. The market may be busier than it was more than 15 years ago when Richard set up shop, but many of these competitors undercut on price as well as quality. By delivering luxury garden buildings of the highest quality for miles around, Miniature Manors has positioned itself as the go-to provider for these types of builds, which take many shapes, sizes, and uses. Be it a bespoke garden room designed from the ground up by their expert team or a predesigned garden studio that offers the same handcrafted approach but with a quicker turnaround, there are a variety of use cases for these spaces. Examples include a garden annex (which can be used as a holiday rental or guest space), a music studio, an office, or a gym. More recently, the team even created a pitched garden room complete with corrugated metal cladding, which is now used as a filming studio for an influencer. Diving deeper into the process behind these builds, Clare told us: “We take our client’s brief seriously in order to create a functional extension of their space. We take into account the existing garden, creating garden buildings that blend seamlessly with their surroundings. Whether our clients need bespoke furniture, canopies for hot tubs, air-conditioning installation, or shower rooms and kitchens, our team has things covered.” With these experts offering a turn-key service, the process is as seamless as possible for clients. The design stage sees the team work closely with the client to craft their perfect outbuilding – one that can be used for work, rest, or play. Then, once the construction process begins, everything is taken care of – from the initial groundworks to the final utility connections. Should any formal planning be required (it rarely is, another advantage of these builds), this will also be handled, reflecting an encompassing approach. The provision of such a comprehensive service gives way to a flawless build, one crafted by hand using only the finest materials available. With many of its competitors exclusively using modular, flat-pack style buildings, the distinction between what they offer and what Miniature Manors offers is immediately apparent by sight alone. This, combined with the fact that the entire office and carpentry team are employed by them makes it clear this is a company united in its aim of being the best. Touching on the next steps for Miniature Manors, Clare told us how the team are seeing a move away from the simple garden offices that were commonplace during COVID and the following months and years, with more people now in search of larger, annex-type projects. This feeds into the point made at the beginning, about homeowners are looking to get that extra space they need without the costs of moving house or having a huge extension. Basic facilities such as a toilet or shower can make these garden spaces multi-purpose. Having tapped into this demand and made the most out of it simply by going above and beyond, many of the garden rooms in Sussex properties today have been designed and executed by the team behind Miniature Manors Ltd, and it is for this reason that we believe it to be a fitting recipient of this award and a place in the programme. Contact: Clare Kear Company: Miniature Manors Ltd Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01403 610619 Web Address: www.miniaturemanors.co.uk/
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