When choosing a timber building, you need to check the specifications to ensure it will have the strength to last. So always check out the thickness of the timber, whether it’s made from redwood or the cheap inferior whitewood, how thick the framing is etc. Are the doors and windows joinery made, meaning they will last a long time? Does it has toughened glass for safety or imperfect horticultural glass, plastic or perspex? All important questions.
On many of the buildings available on the web, you will find that they will deliver them to your house and leave them for you to build. You can save a little money this way, but you will have to build it yourself. That’s OK if you are a good DIYer, but it will still be hard work. The best option is to take advantage of 1st Choice’s FREE assembly option on the Diamond and Platinum buildings. They will do all the hard work – all you need to do is build a level base for it to go onto. And they can even arrange that for you as well if you wish. This way, you can be sure your new building will be built correctly, and all you need to do is enjoy it.
We have a large range of
garden shed sizes for you to choose from and in several styles. However, we specialise in making buildings to suit your needs. Whether it needs to be taller, extra or fewer windows, the doors and windows moved, we can do that for you. Ensure you buy the building to suit you and your family with no compromises. Give us a call on (0333) 800 8880 or visit our showroom and discuss what you would like. We are happy to provide a quote to suit you with no pressure.
To make the most of your new building, it’s a good idea to have it
lined and insulated to get the most use out of you all year round. Doing so will keep the building cooler in summer and warmer in winter. It’s possible to do this yourself if you feel confident. However, there is an option to do this for you on all the
Platinum buildings. It can be seen as a luxury, but you will be glad you did on those hot summer days or cold winter days. Just contact us, and we will arrange a free quote for you.
We provide 20×8 sheds with a protective treatment but why not consider a building painted with Sadolin (Diamond Buildings) or Valtti (Platinum Buildings) paints. Both are available in a range of colours so you find a colour to suit you. You can find more details about
painted sheds here. Or, just contact us, and we will arrange a free quote for you.
Sadolin Superdec 'Clover Leaf'
Free Fitting Included
Sadolin Superdec 'Sea Step' +
Free Assembly Included
Sadolin Superdec 'Four By Two'
Free Fitting Included
Sadolin Superdec 'Outside'
Free Installation Included
Tikkurila 'Sage Green' Wood Stain
Free Assembly Included
Tikkurila 'Chestnut Brown' Stain
Free Assembly Included
Tikkurila 'Charcoal Grey' Wood Stain
Free Assembly Included
Tikkurila 'Oakwood' Wood Stain
Erected Free Of Charge
Before deciding on a new 8×20 shed for your garden, you should always do your homework (sorry!) as it’s very easy to be taken in with a flashy website leaflet or colour brochure. Try to find time and make a trip down to our showroom where you can examples on view. By doing so, you will then be able to decide what you may be buying. We have a large collection of wooden buildings that you are welcome to view. We will be delighted to show you the different buildings and answer any queries you may have. We can provide quotations as well. Another thing to do is to take a look at the
feedback from previous customers which can be enlightening.
All of our timber sheds which we sell are not the 'cheap and cheerful' buildings you can buy online made from inferior materials and down to a price. After 40 years in the business we know what is important in making a quality garden shed - one that will last and will look good in your garden.
Don't risk buying a 'bad un'. Do your research and always, if possible, go and look at your intended purchase before signing on the 'dotted line'. Don't end up in the situation - if only! Visit one of our show sites and see for yourself how good our sheds are. You won't regret it.
Photo Gallery
Diamond Sheds
Free Assembly Included
Platinum Sheds
Free Installation Included
Bespoke Options
With the lack of space in our modern cities homeowners are always looking for ways to improve the size of their homes. Quite often there are largish gardens, at least 20X8, which may be filled with summerhouses, log cabins or garden sheds which don’t always give the benefits the owners are looking for.
This means maybe rethinking what to do with the available land and possibly removing or relocating these garden buildings. This can give an opportunity to have an extension to the house. Depending on the situation this could be one or two storeys high creating a massive amount of extra accommodation.
Another possibility which has been seen on Grand Designs is to have a basement conversion and this can be quite popular in London. As there are no exterior alterations then planning permission is not normally needed although building regulations is a must.
There are many uses for these basement from family rooms, to an extra bedroom or even to use for storage similar to usage as a garden shed, but in my view, would be totally not cost effective and overly expensive. To go down this route you would need a basement already and if your house is Victorian there is very good chance you have one. Hopefully the water table is not too high in your area which will may it easier to waterproof but if you have a basement, certainly worth considering.
However, not everybody is in favour of these types of conversions, whether out of jealousy or concerns about the structure or other environmental issues. A multi million pound redevelopment scheme in Chelsea, London, received accusations that a planned development was totally at kilter to local architecture and would alter the local environment. How this can be so when the conversion is totally out of sight and usually in a basement which is already there is debatable.
This development in Paulton Square had created a living space which was 40ft x 20ft in the terraced house basement, as well as an area 20X8, and extended under the garden, however, the local residents were not happy with this. Robin Lister, the property developer, had purchased the house 2 years beforehand and installed a temporary conveyor belt to take the soil away from the basement whilst the work under the garden went on. He had hoped to sell the property for in excess of £7 million.
However, the Chelsea Society, which exists as a conservation group to protect the historic character of the area were critical of the underground development. The secretary of the society, Terence Bendixson, said that if you dig up the garden and then put in a basement then the ground will not be able to absorb rain water which is a great problem in our cities and suburbs.
One of his arguments is that these types of development can affect the London plane trees, also, these conversions upset the traditional use of these grand houses as the cellars used to be for the servants quarters and not for living accommodation. I think they forget that we now live in the 21st century and not the late 19th century. Things have moved on since then and property owners are looking for different things in their homes.
It was suggested that a 20ft x 8ft log cabin or even a state of the art garden shed might be a better idea for his garden. It certainly would be less controversial Who would have thought that a garden shed could be a better proposition that an underground development. Despite my 39 years in making garden and other related garden buildings if it was me I would go for a converted basement every time.
