Royal vs Platinum Garden Rooms Guide – Which Should You Choose?
| Feature |
Platinum Garden Rooms |
Royal Garden Rooms |
| Best for |
Home offices, hobbies, studios and garden retreats |
Premium offices, studios and larger multi-purpose rooms |
| Price position |
Lower initial investment |
Premium specification and price |
| Popular models |
Fleet Apex and
Odiham Pent
|
Bletchley,
Buckingham,
Denham and
Marlow
|
| Typical sizes |
Fleet and Odiham available up to approximately 16×12 ft |
Royal models available up to approximately 20×12 ft |
| Insulation |
Fully insulated Fleet and Odiham models with insulated walls and roof |
Premium fully insulated construction |
| Double glazing |
14mm double glazing on Fleet and Odiham |
Higher-specification double-glazed garden room range |
| Design choice |
Apex Fleet or contemporary pent-roof Odiham |
Wider choice of distinctive Royal designs and configurations |
| Why choose it? |
You want an insulated garden office or room with an excellent balance of
comfort, quality and price.
|
You want a more substantial garden room with
premium specification and additional floor-space options.
|
Small Gallery of Customer Garden Rooms We’ve Built
Explore our photo gallery featuring garden rooms supplied and installed for our customers. From stylish home offices and creative studios to relaxing retreats and versatile living spaces, discover how our bespoke garden rooms can transform your outdoor space.
Customers Garden Rooms Supplied
Another one of our lovely buildings brought to life! Our Royal buildings are the perfect choice for a fully insulted and double glazed year round garden room. Our customers came in to design the building with our sales advisor. This Royal is 10 foot x 16 foot with an apex roof with black felt tiles. The building also includes PVCu windows and door frames in the colour of your choice and Strongcore cladding painted in a Royal Exterior paint. The customer chose to include laminate floor and blinds for the windows also. Our base contractor constructed the heavy duty timber subframe base for the building and will be back to add decking to the base area together and our electrician will visit shortly to add the electrics to the building.
Lovely feedback to receive from our customer who recently had installed our Platinum Odiham 12ft x 10ft pent insulated garden room. Thank you for your comments 😀 ***** 5 out of 5 stars Mr C - December 21st, 2024 Happy with the range of summerhouses seen on site. Quality and pricing is good. It was easy to view and did not feel pressured into buying. Our queries were answered and we went ahead with our purchase, The summerhouse was installed on the date given. No issues. A good shopping experience.
We really did love receiving some photos of our customer's completed building which she's using as a hairdressing salon . The building is our Royal Pent Garden Room 20 foot x 8 foot which comes fully insulated, painted Strongcore, PVCu double glazed windows and doors and designed to our customer's specifications.
One of our customer's recently bought one of our Platinum Winchester Apex Garden Studios 12ft x 8ft. They had the studio painted, ply lined and with laminate flooring in advance at the manufacturer but they also wanted their very own bar to enjoy in there! Which of course we could do for them and what a nice addition to the building.
We always love seeing the finished result! From initial discussions to placing the order and sketching out the customer's desired building and then to actually seeing the building in our customer's garden is so satisfying and why we love what we do! This building is from our Royal range of fully insulated and double glazed garden rooms and is 12 foot x 10 foot with a pent roof which has EPDM rubber roofing as standard. PVCu windows and door frames, laminate floor and painted Strongcore cladding all in colours choices chosen by the customer.
Some lovely photos from one of our satisfied customers! This is one of our Royal Buckingham insulated and double glazed garden rooms measuring 10ft x 8ft. These buildings make great year round buildings and perfect for a home office. Our base contractor also laid our customer's timber subframe base for the building and our electrician has fitted the electrics including an air con unit.
10x8 Royal Garden Room supplied to a local customer, providing a smart and practical garden space for year-round use.
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Optional extras may be shown. AI-enhanced image; original unchanged.
Choosing the Right Garden Room in Guildford
When choosing a garden room in Guildford, I recommend starting with what you actually want the building to do. A garden room used mainly for hobbies or relaxing may need a different specification from a home office occupied for several hours every working day. Once you know how frequently you will use it, you can make a much more informed decision about size, insulation, glazing and overall construction.
Before ordering, mark the proposed dimensions on the ground and think about how the room will sit within your garden. Consider natural light, privacy, access for installation, the position of doors and windows and where your furniture will go. Choosing the right layout can be every bit as important as choosing the right external size.
Garden Offices in Guildford for Working From Home
A dedicated garden office in Guildford can give you a proper workspace away from the distractions of the house while avoiding a conventional commute. I also think there is a real advantage in being able to walk out of the office and close the door at the end of the working day rather than having work permanently occupying part of your home.
If you plan to use the building throughout the year, look carefully at the complete specification. Insulation matters, but so do the floor, roof, walls, doors, glazing and ventilation. Our insulated garden rooms and offices are a useful place to start when regular year-round use is important.
My Garden Building Experience Started in 1979
I’m Robin Antill, founder of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings. I left school at 15 and started my own garden building business in 1979, trading as Marina Sheds. In those early years I was not simply selling buildings; I was involved in making them, supplying them and dealing directly with customers, which taught me to look closely at how a timber building is actually constructed.
I sold Marina Sheds in 1990, although unfortunately I did not receive all the money I was due from the sale. It was a difficult business lesson, but it did not end my involvement with garden buildings.
By 1992 we had expanded beyond traditional sheds to include summerhouses, garages, garden rooms and log cabins, and this broader direction led to the name Titan Garden Buildings. My son Craig joined me that year after studying carpentry at Guildford College from 1990, bringing his practical carpentry knowledge into the family business.
We sold Titan Garden Buildings in 1998 and in 2000 decided to retail selected quality garden buildings from different manufacturers rather than being restricted to a single manufactured range. That decision led to the formation of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings. Today Craig runs the day-to-day business, and I continue to support him and the team as required. You can read more about 1st Choice Leisure Buildings and our history.
Why I Recommend Seeing Garden Rooms Before You Buy
One advantage Guildford customers have is that our garden building display site is right here at Sutton Green, near Guildford. After more than four decades working with garden buildings, I still believe seeing them in person is one of the best ways to make an informed decision.
Photographs can make two buildings appear very similar, but when you stand inside them, you can compare the floor, doors, windows, framing, glazing, finish and usable internal space for yourself. Our display site is at Sutton Green Garden Centre, Whitmoor Lane, Sutton Green, Guildford, GU4 7QA. If there is a particular model you want to inspect, contact us before travelling so we can confirm what is currently available to view.
Why Garden Room Specification Matters
My experience since 1979 has taught me not to judge a garden building from appearance alone. Two garden rooms can look almost identical online yet differ considerably in their framing, flooring, roofing, doors, windows, glazing and insulation.
I don’t believe the cheapest building is automatically the best value, nor is the most expensive automatically the best choice. The key is understanding what you are paying for and choosing a specification that fits how you intend to use the room. A full-time Guildford garden office may justify a different specification from an occasional hobby room or summer retreat.
Preparing for Your Guildford Garden Room
A well-made garden room still depends on having a suitable foundation. The base needs to be firm, flat, level and appropriate for the size and construction of the building. Don’t assume an existing patio or paved area is suitable without checking the requirements for your chosen room.
You can read our garden room and garden office base guide for more information about the different base options and the importance of preparing the site correctly.
Garden Rooms Guildford – Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a garden room as a home office in Guildford?
Yes. A garden room can provide an excellent dedicated workspace separate from the main house. If you intend to work in it regularly throughout the year, compare insulation, glazing, ventilation, heating, electrics and the complete construction specification before deciding which model suits you best.
Are insulated garden offices suitable for year-round use?
A suitably specified insulated garden office can provide a much more comfortable working environment throughout the seasons. Look at exactly what is insulated and compare the complete building rather than relying solely on the word “insulated”. You can view our insulated garden rooms and offices to compare suitable choices.
Where can I see garden rooms in Guildford?
You can visit our garden building display site at Sutton Green Garden Centre, Whitmoor Lane, Sutton Green, Guildford, GU4 7QA. I particularly recommend comparing full-size garden buildings in person before making a substantial purchase.
What size garden office should I choose?
Allow enough space for your desk, chair, storage and any additional equipment while retaining comfortable room to move around. Mark the proposed dimensions on the ground and consider your furniture layout before ordering, as internal usability matters just as much as the external dimensions.
Do garden rooms in Guildford need planning permission?
Many garden rooms at houses in England can potentially fall within permitted development rights when the relevant conditions are met. However, this can depend on factors including the building’s height, location, size, the property itself and how the room will be used. Planning permission and Building Regulations are separate matters, so check the requirements applying to your individual property if you are unsure.
Why choose 1st Choice for a garden room in Guildford?
1st Choice Leisure Buildings is a family business backed by my first-hand experience with garden buildings since 1979 and Craig’s carpentry training and industry experience since 1992. Guildford customers also have the advantage of visiting our local Sutton Green display site, comparing representative buildings in person, and discussing their requirements before ordering.
We also supply garden rooms across nearby areas, including Woking, Farnham, Surrey, Epsom and Basingstoke, East Clandon, West Clandon, East Horsley, Cobham, Godalming, Cranleigh in Surrey
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