Installing a garden studio for your seniors: here’s everything you need to know

To avoid nursing homes for our elderly, more and more of us opt for the furnished studio. It must be said that this small accommodation for your garden offers many advantages. It enables autonomous seniors to maintain their independence while having their loved ones by their side, while providing a simple, cost-effective and reassuring solution for children and grandchildren. But before you take the plunge, a few points should be known, especially in the area of ​​regulation.

Do I need a building permit?

You want to build a garden studio for seniors, but don’t know how to go about it? If the living space is smaller than 20 m², you do not need a building permit. You only need to submit a provisional work declaration (OP) to your town hall, as this is considered an extension. This building permit is mandatory because it allows your municipality to check whether your project complies with the rules of the local urban development plan (PLU). Please note that if the garden studio is larger than 20 m², the building permit is required.

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Do I have to pay tax?

If your accommodation is more than 5 m² (which is certainly the case), whether or not it can be dismantled, you must pay the “garden shed” tax. So it concerns garden houses, verandas, garages, attics, caravans, mobile homes or even furnished studios. But the bad news is that this tax has continued to rise since its introduction in 2012, and has even increased by 7% in 2022. This year, the taxable value per square meter is 820 euros outside Ile-de-France and 929 euros in Ile-de – France.

You can calculate your development tax on this simulator placed online by the government. With regard to the payment terms, for an amount lower than 1,500 euros you have to pay the 12th month after the date of issue of the work permit in one instalment and for higher amounts it is in two installments from the 14th and 24th month after the date of issue.

Photo: Lois GoBe/Shutterstock

How do I choose my garden studio?

The fastest, most economical and ecological solution is to opt for a studio kit. You have several choices: self-build (you build the accommodation yourself), from the water from the air (the accommodation is waterproof, impermeable and the construction can be finished by you) or turnkey (c that means that your elderly only have their need to put down suitcases). It costs on average 600 to 1,200 €/m² for a wooden or solid wood frame and between 600 and 900 €/m² for a metal frame. To learn more about the studio kit, check out our helpful article.

Photo: Lois GoBe/Shutterstock

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