Help me buy the right house

Hey guys, I would love some insight and help with my search for a good house that has the most potential for a good mixing room I live in The hague, The Netherlands and we are looking for houses in the area. I got a 1 y/o son and a gf that would like to sleep when I am working on a deadline - while I like to work without cans ;) When searching for houses I came across a property with an 'atelier' or workshop in the garden. It was made out of wood, no paralel walls and a green (as in with plants) tilted roof. We went for a visit and the neighboorhood was really not what we were looking for. So the search goes on. I tried to get some insight on the costs of the structure - It was DIY and the broker (is that the correct English word for a middle person between the potential buyer and sthe seller?) was pretty vague about it. Beside the fact it looks great my first instinct tells me a wooden structure like that it might actually be pretty good for a mixing room?

It did however inspire me to seriously consider making a mixing room in the garden of my yet to buy home. The idea Obviously there are less vibrations to worry about since there would be no direct contact with other houses/rooms. Another reasoning behind me thinking about building a mixing room in the garden would be relative cost effectiveness. A wooden structure designed to be a mixing room built from scratch with wood and with enough isolation for monitors only (no instruments). I was thinking this might be cheaper in the long run. the idea I have behind this would be that the weird shapes of the structure is really not such a bad thing for a garden office/room for a potential buyer for when we want to move. Where as a tuned room within a room would most likely drive the value of the house down instead of up. Pros for a garden studio Nice place to work (planning on having glass) less cost goes to isolation easier to sell the house Cons for a home studio room design will have to be fairly easy to remove (which limits the options of tuning?) more vibrations to walls adjacent houses etc no pretty view Budget 15k in euros for the whole thing. I would be doing it DIY except getting electrics from the house to the to be built building, design will be done by a acoustician, and heating by a pro too. (budget is excluding any music gear etc) A friend of mine is in construction and can help with making the ground level, reading the design on site, etc etc. Question I posted a similar post on Gearslutz and got some nice replies so far. I am still looking for people who have pointers for me in terms of the construction. Any caveats or material choices? Is the budget realistic in your experience. I will get back with more concrete info asap - as the question is pretty open at this point. After getting some reassurance of the gearslutz in terms of budget I will focus my attention completely to design a mixing room for the garden! Cheers guys, Durk

Hi Durk, and welcome! :) That's a rather complicated space you have there. I can't see how you would be able to set up a studio decently in there. You can't set up lengthways, due to the serious lack of symmetry, and if you set up crossways, then your head is way too close to the wall behind, and you have those angled windows/walls/ceiling to deal with. Is there any other room in the place that would be more appropriate to use as your studio? If you are not going to get that place, and instead plan to build something in your yard, then I would go with a more conventional rectangular shaped room.

the idea I have behind this would be that the weird shapes of the structure is really not such a bad thing for a garden office/room for a potential buyer for when we want to move.

Well, it LOOKS nice, yes, but it is just too impractical for a studio.

Where as a tuned room within a room would most likely drive the value of the house down instead of up.

Unless you build it so that it can also be re-used as a home-theater... :)

Budget ... 15k in euros for the whole thing.

I'm not so sure that is realistic for building an entire studio. If you had a good room that already exists inside your house, and you just needed to rebuild that to turn into a studio, then that would be reasonable, but not for a "ground up" studio. I would suggest that you re-think your budget, and plan on a more suitable shape. - Stuart -