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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Choosing the Right Garden Room in Southampton
When choosing a garden room in Southampton, I recommend starting with how you intend to use it. A room for occasional hobbies or relaxing may need different specifications than a garden office used for several hours every working day. Once the main purpose is clear, it becomes much easier to compare size, insulation, glazing and overall construction.
Before ordering, mark the proposed dimensions on the ground and think about how the building will sit within your garden. Consider access for installation, natural light, privacy, the position of doors and windows and where furniture will go. A well-planned room is usually more useful than simply choosing the largest building that will fit.
Garden Offices in Southampton for Working From Home
A dedicated garden office in Southampton can provide a proper workspace away from the distractions of the main house without the need for a conventional daily commute. One benefit I particularly like is being able to close the office door at the end of the working day and create a clearer separation between work and home life.
If you intend to use your office throughout the year, compare the complete specification rather than appearance alone. Look at the insulation, floor, roof, walls, doors, glazing and ventilation. Our insulated garden rooms and offices are a useful starting point when regular year-round use is important.
My Garden Building Experience Since 1979
I’m Robin Antill, founder of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings. I left school at 15 and started my first garden building business in 1979, trading as Marina Sheds. Those early years gave me first-hand experience of making, selling and supplying timber garden buildings and taught me to look carefully at construction rather than simply judging a building by appearance.
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 I remained involved with garden buildings.
By 1992 we had expanded beyond traditional sheds to include summerhouses, garages, garden rooms and log cabins. That broader direction led to the name Titan Garden Buildings. My son Craig joined me in 1992 after studying carpentry at Guildford College from 1990, bringing his practical woodworking 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 one 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 whenever required. You can read more about 1st Choice Leisure Buildings and our history.
Why Garden Room Specification Matters
After more than four decades around garden buildings, I have learnt that two rooms which look very similar online can be quite different when you examine the framing, flooring, roofing, doors, glazing, insulation and materials used.
I don’t believe the cheapest garden room is automatically the best value, and the most expensive is not necessarily the right choice either. What matters is matching the specification to how you intend to use it. A full-time Southampton garden office may justify a different specification from a room mainly used for occasional hobbies or relaxing.
Think About Position, Access and Exposure
The position of a garden room can make a real difference to how practical it is. Think about how exposed the site is, where rainwater will drain, which direction the doors and windows face and how easy it will be to maintain the exterior in future.
Access also matters. Side passages, steps, walls, gates and restricted parking can all affect installation, so it is worth considering these details before selecting a building. If access is awkward, tell us before ordering so we can discuss it alongside the room’s size and specification.
Preparing a Base for Your Southampton Garden Room
A good garden room needs a suitable foundation. The base should be firm, flat and level and capable of supporting the particular building you have chosen. I would not automatically assume an existing patio or paved area will be suitable without checking the requirements for your chosen model.
Our garden room and garden office base guide explains the main options and why preparing the foundation correctly is important.
See Garden Rooms Before You Buy
Even after more than four decades in the garden building industry, I still recommend seeing buildings in person whenever practical. Photographs are useful, but standing inside a building gives you a much better idea of the floor, doors, windows, usable space and overall construction.
Southampton customers are welcome to visit our Surrey display site at Sutton Green Garden Centre, Whitmoor Lane, Sutton Green, Guildford, GU4 7QA. If you are making a special journey to see a particular model, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us beforehand so we can confirm what is currently available to view.
Garden Rooms Southampton – Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a garden room as a home office in Southampton?
Yes. A garden room can provide an excellent dedicated workspace away from the main house. If you intend to use it regularly throughout the year, compare insulation, glazing, ventilation, heating, electrics and the complete construction specification before making your choice.
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 construction rather than relying solely on the word “insulated”. You can view our insulated garden rooms and offices for suitable options.
Do garden rooms in Southampton need planning permission?
Many garden rooms at houses in England can fall within permitted development rights when the relevant conditions are met. However, this can depend on the building’s size, height, and position; 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.
What size garden office should I choose?
Allow enough room for your desk, chair, storage and any additional equipment while leaving comfortable space to move around. I recommend marking the proposed dimensions on the ground and considering the furniture layout before ordering rather than choosing purely from the external measurements.
Can I see a garden room before ordering?
Yes. You can visit our garden building display site at Sutton Green near Guildford to compare representative buildings in person. If you want to see a particular model, contact us before travelling so we can confirm what is currently on display.
Why choose 1st Choice for a garden room in Southampton?
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. We use that knowledge to help customers compare construction, specification and value so they can choose a garden room appropriate for their intended use and budget.
Eastleigh, Chandlers Ford, Romsey, Hedge End, Cadnam in Hampshire are just a few of the areas covered for our Garden Rooms
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