1st Choice Leisure Buildings For Garden Sheds For Sale. A UK Family Business - Established 1979
What other Garden Buildings firms don’t want you to know Find Out Here
If you are looking for quality, large, big & the best wooden garden sheds for sale, then we have a large range to suit your needs. And all can be made to suit your requirements in size and design. Not only that we have UK show rooms, near Woking, Guildford & Farnham Surrey, where you can see examples for your self and inspect the quality, sizes and styles. We are open seven days a week for your convenience. All wooden and concrete heavy duty sheds delivered & installed FREE.
Take the opportunity to browse our range of buildings online & then come down to see us, a family business started in 1979.
All of our outdoor buildings can be made to suit your requirements in size and design. Not only that we have UK show rooms, near Woking, Guildford & Farnham Surrey, where you can see examples for your self and inspect the quality, sizes and styles. We are open seven days a week for your convenience. All of our wooden and concrete buildings are delivered & installed FREE (optional extra on log cabins).
Established in 1979, we are a family owned and operated business with decades of experience. Our Platinum and Diamond ranges of outbuildings, including our range of corner buildings are also supplied by family-owned businesses. Would you like your own space in the garden for your hobby? Then take a look at our TIMBER WORKSHOPS Take a look at our delightful TRENTAN LOG CABINS with sizes and styles to suit all. Enjoy your garden with your family in a new SUMMER HOUSES. They will love you for it. Does your car require a home? We have all the LIDGET CONCRETE GARAGES range to suit all ranges of vehicles. Would you like to work at home? Then why not consider a GARDEN OFFICE made to suit your needs. With two large display sites you can visit us anytime or easily shop online.
Farnham Show Site
1st Choice Leisure Buildings
Squires Garden Centre,
Bagshot Lea Road,
Badshot Lea,
Farnham,
GU9 9JX UK
Phone 01252 311085
Woking Show Site
1st Choice Leisure Buildings
Sutton Green Garden Centre,
Whitmoor Ln,
Sutton Green,
Guildford,
GU4 7QA UK
Phone 01483 237550
How To Choose Your New Quality Garden Building For Your Home
STOP And Think BEFORE Buying Your New Garden Shed. What you should ask and check BEFORE buying
- Are the buildings you want to buy on display?
- How good is the timber cladding?
- Are the floor and roof SOLID timber – is there any chipboard?
- Can you choose your size and style of shed?
- Are the sheds delivered and installed FREE and delivered FREE?
- How thick is the framework?
- How tall are the buildings, are you a midget?
- What conditions are attached to the guarantee?
- Is the shed made in the UK and is it stockpiled?
Viewing and Display Sites
Timber Cladding And What To Look For
Your New Shed Roof Is Crucial To Its Life
Your New Shed Floor Needs To Be Strong
Ensure The Roof Style Will Suit Your Needs
How Much Does It Cost To Install a Garden Shed? – What You Need To Know
Read About Delivery and Assembly Options
Important To Know About Windows And Glass
If You Are Not From Lilliput Then Be Wary About Your New Building
And Best of All – THOSE Wonderful Extra Long Guarantees Being Offered
Garden Sheds Over The Years
What Is A Shed?
What Materials are Garden Sheds Supplied In?
These buildings come in a variety of materials such as wood, timber, metal, steel, plastic or concrete. Often the choice of material used for these tends to be personal choice but different claddings have varying pros and cons. Timber sheds tend to be most popular due to the natural feel it the material gives. However, whilst they are strong, one of the downsides is they need to be treated to maintain their long life. Tanalised or pressure-treated ones won’t require as much maintenance. They normally last for around 15 years, so are very popular. Some sheds are made from galvanised steel with a long guarantee against rust, so no treating of these sheds is required. Beware of metal buildings which are ‘electro-plated’ rather than ‘hot dipped galvanised’. This treatment won’t last as long. Sheds made from more durable materials won’t rust so are a viable proposition for the owner who does not want any maintenance issues. However, these type of units can look a little bland and industrial but do serve their purpose in the garden very well.
Concrete is the ‘bruiser’ of the shed world. Being made from solid concrete they don’t need any maintenance to speak off. They can brush aside everything that the weather throws at them. One of the downsides of these is the limitation in sizes available and. Also, to some people, they can feel rather utilitarian.
1st Choice for Corner Sheds and Summer Buildings
1st Choice for Wooden Buildings©
Should I Consider Buying An Insulated Shed?
The garden shed is used traditionally as a storage place and sometimes as a workshop which limits its use, especially during the cold winter months. There is another option which means you are able to use it all year round. By investing a little more and upgrading to an insulated building you will be able to use these wonderful sheds all year round. Your children could use it as a den and maybe play computer games in there or chill out with their friends.
At at the same time, they will be out from under your feet! Mum or Dad could use it as a ‘man cave’ or ‘she den’ for their own hobbies, pastimes and have some ‘me’ time. An insulated shed could be used as a home office for business. If so the cost would be tax deductible which is a ‘win-win’ for you.
Can I Insulate My Shed After It Has Been Delivered?
If you are a reasonable DIY’er then it’s relatively easy to insulate the shed yourself. You would just need to buy the insulation material, such as fibreglass, polystyrene or a purpose-made material. You would also need sheets of plywood, hardboard (which can be veneered) or maybe T&G boards. You would need to cut the insulation to size and tack it into place between the internal timbers. Afterwards, you would need to cut the wall sheets to fit and screw or tack into place.
The roof can be challenging to insulate due to the delights of gravity! It ‘tries’ to fall down. You would need 2 or 3 people for this to make life easier. Finish it off with cover strips on the inside – job done. Challenging but quite rewarding!
Are There Any Other Options Available?
Will my Insulated Shed Be Warm In The Winter?
Provided your new shed is insulated and lined either by you or us then it will be nearly as warm as inside your house. However, like your house, during the colder spells, you will require some heating to ensure a comfortable environment.
We would recommend an electric radiator as the best option. Stay well away from any form of Calor type gas heaters as they produce a lot of damp as well as being a fire risk. The bonus is that the insulation will help to keep your shed cooler in summer.
This is something I didn’t know in my early days of garden shed manufacturing (I started back in 1979 making sheds). I discovered this when going from an uninsulated building into an insulated one. The difference was amazing! The insulation option is well worth considering
How Much Will Insulating A Garden Shed Cost?
How To Insulate a Garden Shed Floor, Walls and Roof
- Measure the size of your building. How high are the walls, how large is the roof area, measure the floor if you want to insulate it
- Decide on the type of insulation you would like to use. i.e. fibreglass type, insulating a shed with polystyrene, or foam insulation sheets
- Order the selected insulation from your builder’s merchant or someone like B&Q
- How to insulate the garden building walls – Cut the insulation to size and fit this in between the walls and tack into place.
- Cover the wall with plywood, hardboard or T&G timber boards.
- How to insulate a building roof – Cut the insulation to size for the roof, we recommend using polystyrene as this can be cut slightly oversize so it can be wedged into place
- Cover the roof with plywood or hardboard. We recommend screwing this into place so it can be removed if need be.
- Finally cover the joins in the wall and roof panels with cover strips. This ensures your insulating of your shed, summerhouse or hut has a tidy cosmetic finish
- How to insulate the floor – You will need to fit insulation in between the floor joist and tack into place before assembling it.
- Alternately, buy an shed with insulation already in place. This is the easiest option but a little more costly.
Can An Insulated Shed Help Sell My House?
The attraction of an insulated garden shed is very appealing as this can give prospective purchasers a very good reason to choose your house. This will give them an opportunity to carry on using it as an office, or maybe they can use it as a recreation or craft room. Possible other uses are as a gloried den for the children which they would love. You can always look on the internet and ask what is the cheapest way to insulate a garden building or about insulation DIY options?
The choice of garden buildings is staggering with many different types available and you can see a good range on our web site. The most important consideration is to ensure it is lined and insulated (I always think this should be insulated and lined as the insulation has to go in before the lining. But it normally is described as lined and insulated, (why I don’t know). The reason for the insulation option is to help to keep the building warmer in winter and more importantly, and not always appreciated, is to keep it cooler in the summer.
You need to ensure that the internal height is sufficient as many of the cheap (made down to a price) sheds and garden buildings are quite low. This is important as a low ceiling height will make it a little claustrophobic. Ensure that the building is made from T&G (tongue and grooved) timber and also, for long life, from redwood deal and not the cheaper white wood.
Where ever possible order double glazed doors and windows as this will help to keep the warmth in during the winter and the heat out during the summer making the building pleasant all year round. There are a number of options for the roof covering from heavy duty felt, long lasting Onduline roofing, felt tiles, cedar shingles or even a slatted roof. All will keep your new building dry from rain and snow so the choice is cosmetic.
The Managing Director of property developers Puddlestone said that there has been a significant rise if the demand for homes with insulated buildings in the gardens. This has made those homes more attractive and easier to sell. This is put down partly to the increase in people wanting to work from home due to the financial crisis. Having said that it does not always mean that the sale value will reflect the cost of the home office just that it makes the home easier to sell.
If you are thinking of investing in an insulated garden shed for the garden it is good to know that it will help in the future to sell your home. So you have had the benefit of whilst you are living there and you also have the confidence that when you decide to move on it should be easier to do so.
Can I Receive A Personal Quote?
We are, of course, very happy to supply you with a firm no-obligation quote for your garden shed to meet your needs.
Just call us on 0333 800 8880, use our contact form or visit one of our display sites.
How Much Are Garden Sheds?
This all depends on the type of garden shed that you decide to buy and a whole host of other options. There are so many options to choose from and these will depend on the purpose of the building. Take a look through the product tabs at the top of the garden sheds page and go to the appropriate section. There is a huge choice from plastic to concrete and timber.
Many have a range of build and insulation options (free on small and large wooden and concrete sheds). It will also depend on where you want to site your shed. Whether this is in the back garden on at the side of your house. Each page has full help and advice on design and build options.
Personal Quotations?
We are very happy to supply you with a free no-obligation quotation for your heavy duty garden shed.
Call us on 0333 800 8880, use our contact form or visit one of our display sites.
With the water shortages and hose pipe bans it is important that we make the most of this natural resource. Without it we would not exist and the garden depends on this water to enable it to thrive and grow,
Many people use the garden for growing vegetables, fruit and flowers which helps to save on the household budget. Beside the money saved the taste of fruit and vegetables from your garden is second to none. And knowing you have grown this lovely produce can give you a satisfying feel.
Even if you don’t use the garden for growing the garden lawn always looks so much better when it looks lush and green. This is where water plays a part so you need to ensure you make the most of what we get even though we complain when it is raining.
The large garden shed can play a part in helping with this problem by the simple addition of gutters, downpipes and a water barrel or two. This will catch the rain which falls on the shed roof and will then be channelled down the gutters and into the barrels. From there you can spread this water over the vegetables, fruit, flowers and garden and this will help it to grow and flourish.
This in itself is a relatively easy job to do. All you need to do is to screw the gutter brackets onto your garden shed, ensuring that each one is a little lower than the next one. This will ensure that the water will flow off your shed roof, along the gutters and into the downpipes before discharging into the water barrel. This barrel can often be put alongside the shed so it is out of the way however many people like the barrel to be next to the shed door. It’s your choice.
An even easier option is the RainSaver gutter system available from 1st Choice Garden Sheds and will fit most of their garden sheds. With this you don’t even have to screw brackets onto your building as it utilises special brackets which just screw on by hand. The 3 inch gutters then clip into place before adding your own pipes into your water barrel. Could not be any easier. And the great thing is than even on a 6ft garden sheds you can collect over 1800 litres of water per year on each side. That’s over 400 gallons available free and not being charged through your water meter.
Over in the States Concordai College had created a special water saving garden called the Cornucopia Garden. In this garden they have a large garden shed which collects and harvests rainwater and this helps to demonstrate self-sufficiency in the garden. This is part of a larger scheme of how to grow food in a sustainable manner.
They have shown that their skinny garden shed with a barrel which collects the rainwater will collect 50 gallons of water which can be used in the garden. The co-president, Shane Sessions, declared that the students have established a self sustain system and was being used to grow tomatoes, onions and other crops which are then sold at farmers markets. They have also grown beans, corn and squash in the traditional Native American way. They have also be keeping a blog about the progress in the garden called ‘Fresh Dirt’.
Clearly there are only positives from collecting rainwater both for the environment and also for smaller water bills.
Garden Sheds For Sale
All available in more or less in any size to suit you. All wooden sheds include free assembly saving you loads of money and making life just a little easier. They can be made bespoke to suit your needs in a range of styles, sizes and finishes.
Diamond Woodgate Reverse Apex
When looking for garden sheds it appears very straight forward. Just click around the internet, find the size you want and then look for the best price. Easy YES? Well not really as there is such a huge array of varying quality sheds out there.
From the cheap and nasty right up to ones which would feel at home at Hampton Court Palace.
You need to do your homework to ensure you buy the right one for YOUR needs. Take a read of the following or look on our What You Need To Know web page or any of our Top Buying Tips pages.
1st Choice Leisure Buildings – ONLY Sell Garden Sheds Made to Very High Standards
FREE ASSEMBLY INCLUDED
Classic Chichester Apex & Pent Shed
By choosing to buy your timber shed from an established business you can be sure that they have a great deal of expertise in the industry. Also, they have become established by selling the right products at the right price.
Most importantly, they have been listening to their customers. By choosing a business which actually has a show site you can be sure there is somewhere to contact them if you need to. With online-only businesses, they can be here today and gone tomorrow.
With a business with an actual physical address, you will also find you can talk to someone if you choose. Just by typing in ‘sheds near me’ or ‘garden shed suppliers’ will generally find a local business.
1st Choice Leisure Buildings, a Family Business which was established in 1979. We also have a physical office and Show sites.
Toughened Glass As Standard
Georgian Chichester Apex & Pent Shed
Sheds by their very nature are large and heavy so building them can be a challenge. This may be fine for some people but a company offering a delivery and installation service will always be a better option. Not only does it save you a lot of hassle, but you can also be sure it has been installed correctly.
Besides the assembly service for our sheds, we can also arrange for a base to be built. This can either be made from a slab of solid concrete or a tanalised timber sub-frame base. It’s even possible to arrange for your building to be painted in colours to suit you. Although the buildings do come with a protective treatment.
1st Choice offer a delivery & assembly service (mostly free of charge) to save you time & effort. Not just dumped in your garden.
Bespoke Garden Sheds
Platinum Titchfield Apex Shed
The internet is a wonderful thing but even with the flashiest of pages or glossy brochures, you can never get a REAL feel for what you are buying. For many items, this is not a problem but with your new garden shed it’s important to know that what you getting will meet your expectations. By actually viewing the proposed structure. you can be sure of the quality and how well it is constructed. You can see how tall it is so you won’t bang your head. Also how the doors and windows are made.
This will help you to distinguish from the cheap and nasty built to a price. Our well-constructed buildings are designed to last a long time. By viewing beforehand you can save yourself from potential heartache and stress. You’ll be glad you did!
The cheapest price is not always the best value. Click Here For A Walk Through Of Our Display Site
Visit One of the 1st Choice Leisure Buildings Showrooms – and see our displays near Guildford and Farnham in Surrey.
Platinum Titchfield Pent Shed
There are certain advantages for standard sizes or designs as these can help keep the costs down. However wouldn’t it be good to buy a building to suit you and your garden? By doing this you can utilise your new shed to have the best use and to fit in the space that you have.
Talk to a company which can make a bespoke structure in the size and design you need. The extra marginal cost can be the difference between making do or being 100% satisfied.
All you need to do is to talk to us about what your ideal shed is and we will do our utmost to meet your needs.
1st Choice Leisure Buildings can make virtually every shed we sell in a size and design to suit you.
Onduline Roofs With Air Gaps
Platinum Traditional Style
Money can always be saved by selecting a cheaper timber such as whitewood. To a certain degree, it’s OK for a basic garden shed. However, It’s far better to insist on a quality redwood ‘deal’ timber. This wood grows far more slowly than whitewood so the grain is more tightly compacted, ensuring a longer life. A marginal extra expensive for a better long term prospect. Whitewood, because it grows quickly can be subject to the small knots dropping out.
All timber is responsibly sourced and is FSC ‘Forest Stewardship Council’ quality approved. This is very important these days where every effort needs to be taken to protect our environment.
The majority of 1st Choice’s garden sheds are made from redwood ‘deal’ timber for a long life.
Traditional Style Garden Sheds
Diamond Shoreham Shed
You will find that most of the cheap garden sheds use chipboard, OSB, or Sterling board on the floors and roofs to save money. However, as soon as damp gets in these boards start to swell and disintegrate. That’s the end of your shiny new shed!
Some shed companies try to hide this by saying their floors and roofs are made from ‘Sheet Materials’. They avoid using the words chipboard or OSB board because they know there could be problems in the future.
1st Choice Leisure Buildings recommends solid timber – we do NOT use chipboard, OSB board or Sterling board!
An Ideal Solution For Your Home
Storrington Corner Building
Many of the cheapest shed companies deliver them in pieces where you have to build some of the panels yourself. Ludicrous! If you are buying a cheap shed always triple-check what you are getting! Your new buildings are unlikely to be pre-constructed, leaving you with a load of work to do. It may seem like a great idea to buy a kit. But know what you are letting yourself in for!
Perhaps when you left school you saw your future as a carpenter or a ‘chippy’. You may have been looking forward to a life building sheds. That’s fine! There’s nothing wrong with that. But if not then why don’t you let the factory’s do the work for you?
Insist on a complete building to be delivered to you.
All our Buildings are delivered in completed sections (and mostly assembled free of charge) to save you time and effort!
Garden Workshops
Visit this page for more Buying Advice You will be pleased that you did. Also, visit 1st Choice’s UK display sites and see for your self. There is a great selection of sheds built on our show site for you to view!
Before spending your money take the time to out visit one of our two display site in Surrey, close to Guildford, Woking, Farnham and Aldershot. Our friendly staff will be delighted to show you our buildings, listen to you and give you free unpressured advice to enable you to make an informed choice.
Main Product Ranges
