Nothing this week changed the planning rules for outbuildings, but four sets of official figures landed that between them explain why garden room quotes are where they are, and whether waiting until spring will help. Here is the week to 18 September, read from a buyer’s side of the table.
Bank Rate held at 3.75%, and three members wanted it higher
On 17 September the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted by 6 to 3 to hold Bank Rate at 3.75%. The three in the minority voted to raise it by 0.25 percentage points to 4%. The Bank noted that CPI inflation rose to 3.1% in August and said it is likely to rise further over coming quarters, largely because of energy prices. The next decision is on 5 November.
Why it matters to you: a garden room is usually paid for with savings, a loan, a remortgage or a supplier finance deal, and all four are priced off this number. If you have been holding off in the hope that borrowing gets cheaper, this week’s vote points the other way: three of the nine members wanted an increase. Compare the total cost of credit on any finance offer against a personal loan rather than looking at the monthly figure, and if you do pay a deposit by card, a payment between £100 and £30,000 gives you Section 75 protection.
Sources: Bank of England, 17 September 2026 and ONS consumer price inflation, 16 September 2026.
Building materials cost 5.9% more than a year ago
The Department for Business and Trade published its building materials and components statistics on 16 September. The material price index for all work was 5.9% higher in July 2026 than a year earlier, with repair and maintenance materials up 5.5%. Prices rose 0.4% in the single month from June to July.
Individual materials moved very differently. Fabricated structural steel was up 20.9% over the year and rigid pipes and fittings up 15.5%, while cement fell 3.5%. Brick deliveries in July were 22.8% below the same month in 2025 and block deliveries 10.8% lower.
Why it matters to you: the steel and pipework figures matter more to a garden room than the headline does, because they sit in the ground screws or steel-framed base, the electrical containment and any plumbing you add for a shower room. Cement getting cheaper slightly helps a traditional concrete slab. None of this points to quotes falling over the winter, so treat “prices will come down” as a reason to compare specifications rather than to wait.
Source: Department for Business and Trade, 16 September 2026.
Wickes: installed home projects growing while retail prices fall
Wickes reported its half-year results on 15 September for the 26 weeks to 27 June. Revenue was £865.3m, up 2.1%. Design and Installation, the fitted kitchens and bathrooms arm, grew 5.7% to £225.5m, while the Retail side grew just 0.8% to £639.8m, on higher volumes against 2.4% deflation. Adjusted profit before tax was £27.6m.
Why it matters to you: this is the clearest read available on whether other householders are still committing to large installed projects, and they are. Order books for installed work are growing faster than shop sales, which usually shows up in garden room lead times a few months later. If you want a building finished before spring, the time to get on a fitter’s list is now, not in February.
Source: Wickes Group Plc interim results 2026, 15 September 2026.
House prices up just 1.4% on the year, so build for use rather than resale
The ONS published its private rent and house prices bulletin on 16 September. The average UK house price was £273,000 in July 2026, up 1.4% over the year and 0.7% on the month. In England the average was £293,000, up 1.1%. Average monthly private rent in the UK reached £1,400 in August, up 3.8% on the year.
Why it matters to you: garden room sellers often lean on “it adds value to your home”. With house prices moving 1.4% a year, the market is not doing the heavy lifting for you, and a £25,000 building is not going to be recovered automatically on resale. Buy a garden room because you will use it five days a week, not as an investment. The rent figure is the more useful comparison: if the alternative is renting an office or a studio, £1,400 a month is the number a garden room has to beat, and on that basis it often does.
Source: ONS, private rent and house prices UK, 16 September 2026.