Summer houses are impressive garden structures that give you extra room to play with and provide a special place close to the outdoors where you can relax.
If you’re considering adding a summer house to your property, rest assured that they are generally more affordable than log cabins and garden rooms. With many affordable options available, you can find a summer house that fits your budget, providing a sense of financial security.
However, as with any project like this, the cost ultimately depends on multiple factors, such as the size, materials, extras, and labour involved. Below, I provide a comprehensive guide on summer house costs so you can see if it is a viable option.
Is a Summer House Worth It?
Consider the pros and cons of summer houses and whether you would benefit from one before considering costing.
These versatile garden structures offer a myriad of benefits, primarily providing you with extra space to unleash your creativity. This additional room can be transformed into a bar, lounge, games room, gym, or office, sparking excitement about the potential uses of a summer house.
They are also pleasant to use, and providing there is insulation, they are habitable all year round. The downside is the fact that you lose garden space, and you have to use them regularly to warrant the initial investment.
How Much Does a Pre-Built Summer House Cost?
So how much is a summer house? To give you a quick estimate, base prices for just the summer house and installation range from £1,500 to £9,000, with the UK average being around £3,500. The variance is due to the potential extras you can include, and to be more specific, I have detailed these below:
Extras
The extras and optional upgrades are where you can save or boost the summer house cost hugely. Common extras include:
- Cladding upgrades
- Wood stain
- Upgraded windows
- Gutters & downpipes
- Decorative exterior
You may not need these extras if you want a summer house to relax in during the warmer months. Depending on the size and design, you can spend anywhere from £1,200 to £3,000.
However, if you want it to last and be usable year-round, some extras like insulation and staining become essential.
Wood stain and cladding can help improve the longevity of the summer house, and you can spend anywhere between £500-2000, size-dependent. Floor and internal insulation can cost £500 upwards.
Window upgrades are also a great idea to add more style to your summer house. Many summer houses include double-glazed windows as standard, but these typically have a wooden frame. It is possible to upgrade to PVCU windows, for example, which typically costs an extra £500-1000.
Other extras like guttering, downpipes, and laminate flooring can make your summer house look even more stunning. As a guideline, you can expect to add an extra £1000 for these.
Size
You must first decide on the size to get an accurate summer house cost. Size affects every aspect of the cost, from the basic structure price to the insulation, flooring, and stain. Simply put, the bigger you want your summer house, the more you have to pay. For instance, a larger summer house will require more materials, more insulation, and more labour for installation, leading to a higher overall cost.
For example, our Platinum Highclere Summer House starts at £3589 for a 6ftx8ft model and goes up to £7419 for a 14ftx14ft unit (not including any extras).
Insulation
If you want to survive the average UK winter temperatures of 2-7 degrees, your summer house needs insulation on the roof and floor. This is usually an extra, and you can have either or both. Insulation not only keeps the interior warm in winter but also helps maintain a comfortable temperature in summer, reducing the need for additional cooling. The insulation cost is directly correlated to the size of the cabin, with a small 6ft x 8ft cabin insulation costing around £500 and a larger 14ftx10ft cabin insulation costing around £1400.
Assembly
Depending on the size, some companies charge extra for summer house installation, ranging from £600 to £ 2000. Our summer house range includes installation at the base price.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Summer House?
If you feel adventurous, consider building your own summer house. Indeed, it may be possible to order a summer house as an unassembled kit if you are adventurous. In this instance, you are saving on the assembly cost, which isn’t much compared to the overall price.
Most of our summer houses include free installation, so building your own summer house isn’t very beneficial.
Calculate Your Summer House Cost and Start Your Next Garden Project
It would help if you now had a clear idea of the factors involved in determining how much a summer house costs. You can find complete information on our summer house page, and we have detailed price brochures, too, listing the various extras mentioned above.
About Robin Antill
Robin Antill is the founder of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings, a family-run business that has been supplying quality garden buildings to customers across the UK since 1979.
With more than four decades of experience in the industry, Robin has built the business on straightforward advice, reliable products and good customer service. His aim has always been to help customers choose the right garden building for their needs, whether that’s a shed, summerhouse, log cabin, workshop or garden office, without the pressure of a hard sell.
Under Robin’s leadership, 1st Choice Leisure Buildings has grown into one of the UK’s best-known independent garden building retailers, supplying more than 50,000 buildings nationwide. The company is also home to one of the country’s largest display sites, allowing customers to compare products before they buy.
Although the business has grown considerably over the years, it remains family-run and continues to reflect the values Robin established from the beginning: honest advice, quality products and putting the customer first. These principles have helped earn the company an excellent reputation and a 4.9 Trustpilot rating.
Robin remains closely involved in the business, sharing his knowledge and experience to help maintain the high standards that customers have come to expect from 1st Choice Leisure Buildings.
