Exclusive Norwegian supplier
Granny annexes fully fitted and installed across the UK
For over 40 years, we’ve been helping people across the UK feel truly at home. We create comfortable, self-contained living spaces in gardens, designed for all-year-round living for loved ones, whatever the season brings.
We take care of every single step — from designing your annexe to your specific needs to fully installing it on site as well as managing all the admin required along the way.
Spaces that feel like home
Thoughtfully planned layouts that create spaces that support independence while keeping family close.
Simplified Planning Permission
Annexes built for the exclusive use of a family member on your property are usually exempt from planning permission.
No VAT or Council Tax
Another advantage of our transportable homes as granny annexes is that there's no VAT to pay. In addition, providing your annexe is being used by a dependent relative, it is typically exempt from Council Tax.
Assisted Living & Monitoring
All our floor plans are fully DDA-compliant, featuring accessible design elements such as grab rails, a shower seat, and an optional movement monitoring system for added safety and ease.
What's included?
- Fully fitted kitchenette with over, hob, extractor fan & sink
- Choice of kitchen styles and finishes included in the standard specification
- Stylish shower room with toilet, sink & spacious walk-in shower
- Full internal electrics including consumer unit, lighting, heating and plug sockets
- Luxurious flooring throughout
- Thermally efficient double-glazed windows
- Secure bi-fold entrance doors with high-security locking as standard
- Accessibility features, grab rails, shower seat and accessible layout can be included in the standard specification, not charged as extras
- Optional decking areas that can be used to entertain friends and family
- Optional safety technology: Canary Care discreetly monitors temperature and movement within the annexe without compromising privacy
Annexes for keeping loved ones close
Norwegian Log designs and build high-quality annexes for gardens of all sizes.
A practical solution for families needing a fully functional residential space to support loved ones, keeping them close next to the main house.
Every annexe is bespoke and configured to suit your needs, including accessibility and assisted technologies.
While often chosen for elderly relatives, a granny annexe can evolve with your family’s needs — becoming a guest accommodation, a home office, or a private retreat once circumstances change
Layouts for comfortable living
View floorplans designed for our customers for inspiration.
Features
Our range begin with compact and convenient one- and two-bedroom granny annexes all the way up to four-bedrooms with room for the extended family plus guests.
A permanent cosy environment, our log home annexes offer flexibility, comfort and privacy beyond what a normal granny flat or granny pod can provide.
These fully-insulated granny annexes offer independent living with a safety net, ideal for those with disabilities, additional needs or who just want to be close to home and familiar faces.
They are suitable for everyone in the family. A Norwegian Log family annex can be a cost effective means for a daughter or son to get on the housing ladder.
Optional extras include:
Care assistance package
Accessories to make life easier and safer include thoughtfully positioned grab rails, shower seat, etc.
Canary Care monitoring system
Canary Care discreetly monitors temperature and movement in your home without affecting privacy. It can detect visitors, too, and operates with all UK mobile networks to give you and your loved ones complete peace of mind.
All our granny annexes are made from natural, sustainable wood combined with modern cavity insulation, making them warm in winter, cool in summer and reducing running costs to a minimum.
This saves on energy costs throughout the year, with minimal maintenance required thanks to the immensely strong and durable construction from made to measure northern Scandinavian Spruce rather than flimsy prefabricated panels.
Optional features such as Wi-Fi controlled underfloor heating includes zoned programmable thermostats that ensure balanced, gentle warmth throughout your home.
All of our annexes come with a five-year warranty which is extendable to 25 years and covered by a comprehensive maintenance package.
A log home annex will add value to your home, and with our garden annexes designed to last a lifetime it, could prove to be the perfect long-term investment.
Versatility and flexibility: if family circumstances change, an empty garden annex can quickly begin paying its way to increase your garden’s income potential. You can offer B&B rooms or provide a self-contained home in your garden for rental. Business use is subject to a different planning regime, of course, so please consult a professional.
When you’re looking to sell up, annexes are a popular way to stand out in the property market, with estate agents reporting that properties with an existing annexe are in high demand and tend to sell quickly.
Timeless Traditional Log Cabin Annexes
We offer two design styles in a range of different sizes. For a classic Scandinavian log cabin experience, our traditional annexes are built from solid log using interlocking, high precision, computer-controlled-and-shaped logs.
These are cosy and well insulated, with an indefinite lifespan. All of our traditional annexes have a full fit out package available too.
Our annexes also offer a choice of roof styles. Alongside our pitched roof garden annexes, which offer airy vaulted ceilings, we also offer mono-pitch mobile homes with a single sloping roof that you can install close to a boundary - where light might be an issue.
Stylish Contemporary Garden Annexes
For a more modern, fresh feel, our smart contemporary style garden annexes feature an eye-catching glass frontage and new log technology - which opens up new intriguing design options, using angled shapes rather than right angles.
These contemporary annexes are bright and welcoming, but still strong, durable and draught free. We offer all of our Contemporary annex styles with the 'turnkey' full fit out, or you can choose to complete the fit out yourself to your family's specific requirements.
Planning permission, VAT and Council Tax
These are the three questions we are asked before almost anything else. The short answers are: in most cases, for an annex you do not need planning permission, and you do not pay VAT or additional Council Tax.
Granny annexes built for the exclusive use of a family member on your property are generally classified as mobile or transportable homes under the Caravan Act 1968, provided they meet certain size and construction criteria. This classification means they sit outside the standard permitted development rules that apply to permanent structures, and in most cases planning permission is not required.
We build all of our annexes to BS3632, the British Standard for residential park homes. This is the benchmark that establishes a structure as fit for full-time residential use and is the same standard that underpins the planning exemption.
That said, "generally exempt" is not the same as "guaranteed exempt." Local authority interpretation varies, and there are circumstances — listed buildings, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, previous planning conditions on the plot — where a formal application is needed. Our advice, regardless of situation, is to obtain a Lawful Development Certificate from your local council. This is a formal document that confirms planning permission is not required for your specific annexe on your specific site. We handle this process on your behalf as part of our service. If planning permission is required, we manage that application too.
Because our annexes are classified as transportable homes under the Caravan Act 1968, they are zero-rated for VAT under HMRC VAT Notice 708. You pay 0% VAT rather than the standard 20%. On an annexe starting from £61,703, that is a significant saving — one that does not apply to conventionally built structures subject to Building Regulations.
If you are comparing quotations from different annexe suppliers, check whether VAT is included or excluded in the price presented and which regulatory route their product follows. Not all garden annexes qualify for zero-rating. Ours do.
An annexe used solely by a dependent relative is generally exempt from Council Tax under Class U of the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992. A dependent relative is defined as a person aged 65 or over, or someone who is substantially and permanently disabled, or someone who is severely mentally impaired.
If your annexe is intended for a family member who meets that definition, you apply directly to your local billing authority for the exemption. We can advise on this during the design process. It is worth doing — Council Tax on a second dwelling on your property adds up quickly and most families are entitled to avoid it entirely.
FAQs
Annexes sited in the garden for the exclusive use of a family member are usually exempt from planning permission. You can read more about this in our handy guide to mobile home Planning Permission. Or contact us for some straightforward advice.
We do recommend that we obtain a Lawful Development Certificate from your Council which confirms that planning permission isn't required - we will even handle this process on your behalf. If Planning Permission is required, our experts will be happy to guide you through the process and deal with the application.
A garden annex will add value to your home, and with our annexes designed to last a lifetime it could prove to be the perfect long-term investment.
If family circumstances change, an empty garden annex can quickly begin paying its way to increase your garden’s income potential. You can offer B&B rooms or provide a self-contained home in your garden for rental. Business use is subject to a different Planning regime, of course, so please consult a professional.
When you’re looking to sell up, annexes are a popular way to stand out in the property market, with estate agents reporting that properties with an existing annexe are in high demand and tend to sell quickly.
We offer a groundworks service for all our annexe installations, meaning Norwegian Log can offer a complete service from concept through to completion.
Alternatively we can work with a local provider of your choice should you prefer to manage this element yourself.
We focus our installations within the UK. Over the past three decades, we've likely worked in almost every region of the UK, and we're well-equipped to serve customers across Great Britain. However, please note that we do not currently offer installation services in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.
Norwegian Log annexes are highly energy-efficient as they are excellent at retaining heat and conserving energy. This is owing to the logs' natural insulation combined with modern cavity insulation. This combination, with the natural temperature control properties of the logs, means your granny annexe will stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
The high levels of insulation keep running costs to an absolute minimum, reducing exposure to rising energy costs. Our family annexes are sustainable, eco-friendly and cause minimal disruption to the environment.
For optimum convenience we offer an internal fitout service on all of our annexes. There's a wide choice of styles for kitchens and bathrooms to really bring your dream home to reality.
All of our annexes come with a five-year warranty which is extendable to 25 years and covered by a comprehensive maintenance package.
Timelines can vary depending on project size and client feedback, but here’s a general overview:
- Initial design: First draft delivered within 1–2 days
- Quotation: Typically takes 2–5 days, depending on communication and revisions
- Final log cabin design: Usually completed within 1 week
- Planning process: Around 8 weeks
- Manufacturing: Typically 10–12 weeks
- Groundworks: Usually around 1 week, depending on size and site specifications
- Installation: Generally 5–10 weeks, depending on cabin size
- Fit-out: Approximately 2–3 weeks