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If you are looking for insulated summerhouses that you can enjoy for far more of the year than a conventional summer building, you are in the right place. I’m Robin Antill, founder of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings, and I have been involved with timber garden buildings since starting my own business in 1979. After nearly five decades in this industry, I have learnt that the best summer house is not necessarily the biggest or most expensive. It is the building best suited to how you intend to use it.
That is particularly important when choosing insulated summer houses. If you want somewhere pleasant to sit with a cup of tea on warm summer afternoons, you may not need insulation at all. If you are planning a garden office, hobby room, studio, games room, gym or somewhere you would like to use regularly during autumn and winter, insulation becomes much more important.
Our insulated summerhouses are available in a wide range of sizes and designs, from relatively compact buildings through to substantial models up to approximately 28 x 16ft. Depending on the model, options include full insulation, attractive internal lining, double glazing, colour finishes and bespoke layouts. Our main ranges also include professional assembly, subject to the applicable delivery area, access and base requirements.
Insulated Summer Houses From a Family Business With Experience Since 1979
I left school at 15 and started my own garden building business in 1979, trading as Marina Sheds. Those early years gave me a very practical education in garden buildings. I learnt about timber, construction, delivering and erecting buildings and, most importantly, dealing directly with customers and understanding what they actually needed.
I sold Marina Sheds in 1990. Unfortunately, I did not receive all the money due from the sale, which was a difficult lesson, but in business you learn from setbacks and move forward.
In 1992 we expanded beyond sheds and added summerhouses, garages, garden rooms and log cabins. The wider range meant our old name no longer properly described the business, so we became Titan Garden Buildings.
My son Craig joined the family business in 1992 after studying carpentry at Guildford College. His practical understanding of timber construction complemented the experience I had gained through manufacturing, selling and installing garden buildings, and timber buildings have been part of our family working life ever since.
Titan Garden Buildings was sold in September 1998 and, after that, Craig and I took a different direction.
In 2000, Craig and I formed 1st Choice Leisure Buildings. The principle behind the name was quite deliberate. We decided to use our combined manufacturing and retail experience to offer carefully selected garden buildings from other manufacturers as well as Titan products, provided those manufacturers met the quality standards we expected.
Today Craig runs the day-to-day business, and I support him as required. I also continue to share the knowledge I have accumulated since starting in the garden building industry in 1979. You can read more about me, Robin Antill, and my background in garden buildings here.
Although garden buildings have changed enormously since I started, my basic approach has not: offer customers good-quality buildings, explain the differences clearly and do not try to sell somebody a specification they do not need.
Why Choose an Insulated Summerhouse?
A traditional wooden summer house can be a wonderful place to enjoy the garden during spring and summer. However, if you plan to spend significant time in the building when temperatures fall, an insulated summerhouse is usually the more sensible starting point.
Insulation reduces the rate at which heat passes through the structure. During colder weather, it helps a heated summer house retain warmth for longer. During warmer weather, it can also help slow the transfer of outside heat into the building.
Insulation does not perform miracles, and it does not create heat. What it does is provide a much better starting point for creating a comfortable garden room that you can use for more months of the year.
This versatility is why customers choose insulated summer houses for home offices, art and craft studios, music rooms, reading rooms, hobby rooms, games rooms, exercise spaces and simply somewhere comfortable to escape to at the end of the garden.
What Does Fully Insulated Actually Mean?
This is something I encourage customers to look at carefully. The phrase “fully insulated” sounds reassuring, but you should always establish exactly what is included in the specification.
Do not compare insulated summerhouses solely by looking at the insulation in the walls. Look at the complete building. Check the walls and insulation but also consider the roof, floor, internal lining, external cladding, doors, windows and glazing.
For regular extended-season or year-round use, the overall construction matters. A well-insulated wall combined with a very basic floor, roof, doors or glazing is not the same as a garden building designed with insulation and comfort considered throughout.
This is why I have always encouraged customers to ask questions rather than buying purely from a headline description or the lowest advertised price. Two insulated summer houses may look remarkably similar in photographs but differ significantly when you examine their actual construction.
Can You Use an Insulated Summer House All Year Round?
Yes, a suitably specified insulated summer house can be used throughout the year, but it is important to understand what insulation can and cannot do.
Insulation helps retain heat; it does not produce it. If you want to sit comfortably in your summerhouse for several hours on a cold January day, you will normally require a suitable source of heating. Once you heat the room, good insulation helps slow down heat loss and makes the space considerably more practical than a comparable uninsulated summer house.
Ventilation matters as well. A heated building that is regularly occupied will contain moisture generated by breathing and everyday activities. Appropriate ventilation helps that moisture escape and reduces the conditions that can lead to condensation.
For that reason, I would consider insulation, heating and ventilation together rather than treating them as three unrelated subjects.
Are Insulated Summerhouses Worth the Extra Cost?
Sometimes yes and sometimes no. I would rather say that than tell every customer they need the highest specification available.
If you want an attractive garden retreat that will mainly be used during pleasant spring and summer weather, a standard summer house may represent better value. There is little point paying for insulation simply because somebody has convinced you that more specification must always be better.
If you expect to use the building regularly during autumn and winter, work in it several days a week, spend long periods pursuing a hobby or want the room to become a genuinely useful extension of your living space, an insulated summer house will normally make much more sense.
The question I would ask is not simply “Is insulation worth it?” but “Is insulation worth it for how I intend to use this building?” That is a much better way to make the decision.
Platinum or Royal Insulated Summer Houses?
We offer different specifications because customers have different requirements and budgets. Our Platinum and Royal ranges both offer excellent choices for customers wanting greater comfort and usability than a conventional seasonal summerhouse, but they differ in important ways.
Platinum Insulated Summerhouses
Our Platinum range is a good starting point if you want plenty of choice over size, design and specification. There are apex, pent, corner and contemporary styles, with professional full-insulation options on selected models and fully insulated buildings such as the Fleet and Odiham.
Platinum will often suit someone who wants a quality insulated summerhouse for leisure, hobbies, a studio or home working, but still wants flexibility over the final specification. Selected Platinum designs are also available in particularly large sizes, making the range worth considering for more ambitious garden-room projects.
Royal Insulated Summer Houses
I would look towards our Royal range when regular use throughout the seasons is a high priority, and you want to begin with a premium fully insulated specification.
Royal buildings such as the Bletchley, Buckingham, Denham and Marlow are designed for customers looking for a substantial insulated garden room suitable for regular occupation. They can be particularly appropriate for a home office, studio, hobby room or high-quality garden retreat where you expect to spend several hours at a time.
| Feature | Platinum Insulated Summer Houses | Royal Insulated Summer Houses |
| Best for | Leisure, hobbies, home working and customers wanting flexibility over specification | Regular home working, studios, hobbies and comfortable year-round garden room use |
| Price position | ££ – Great value, with plenty of choice and a high specification | £££ – Premium specification |
| Insulation | Full insulation is available on selected models, while the Fleet and Odiham come fully insulated | Fully insulated as standard throughout the range |
| Size choice | A very good choice of sizes, with selected models available up to around 28×16 ft | Sizes range from around 8×6 to 20×12 ft |
| Styles | Apex, pent, corner and contemporary designs | Purpose-designed premium garden room styles |
| Colour finish | Colour paint finish options available | Colour paint finish options available |
| Installation | Professional assembly included on applicable orders | Professional assembly included on applicable orders |
| Why choose it? | You want an insulated summerhouse with more choice over size, style and specification | You want a premium fully insulated building for frequent or year-round use |
Which Would I Choose?
I would start with Platinum where flexibility, choice and value are the priorities. I would look first at Royal, where regular occupation and a premium, fully insulated specification matter more than the lowest initial purchase price.
Neither range is automatically better. The right choice depends on what you want the building to do. That is why I dislike automatically pushing everyone toward the highest specification. The better building is the one whose specification matches the job you are asking it to perform.
Using an Insulated Summer House as a Garden Office
One of the most popular uses for an insulated summerhouse is as a home office. It can provide useful physical separation between home life and work without requiring an extension to your house, while retaining the warmth and character of a timber garden building.
If you intend to work in it every day, however, think beyond whether a desk will fit. Consider insulation, heating, ventilation, glazing, natural light, glare, electrical sockets, lighting, internet connectivity, furniture, storage and security.
I also think about the journey from your house to the office. A beautiful garden office at the bottom of the garden becomes slightly less appealing on a wet February morning if reaching it involves walking across a muddy lawn.
If working from the garden is your main priority, I would also compare these buildings with our garden rooms and garden offices and our insulated garden rooms before making your final decision.
What Size Insulated Summer House Do You Need?
Size is another area where customers can easily make an expensive mistake. A building often feels considerably different once furniture is placed inside, so don’t choose based solely on dimensions on a web page.
Our insulated summer houses range from relatively compact buildings suitable for a single-person office or quiet garden retreat through to substantial rooms capable of accommodating sofas, multiple desks, hobby equipment, gym equipment or different activity areas.
Selected buildings are available up to approximately 28 x 16ft, but bigger is not automatically better. The right size depends on what you intend to put inside and how much free space you want around it.
Before ordering, mark the proposed dimensions out on the ground in your garden. I have recommended this for years. It costs virtually nothing, takes only a few minutes and gives you a far better idea of the footprint than simply looking at measurements on a screen.
Remember to allow suitable access around the summerhouse for installation and future maintenance as well.
Bespoke Insulated Summerhouses
A standard building is not always the best answer. Gardens vary enormously and so do the reasons people buy summer houses.
Depending on the model, bespoke options may allow dimensions, door positions, window arrangements and other details to be altered. This can make a considerable difference if you have an awkward garden, a particular view you want to enjoy or an internal furniture layout already in mind.
If you need something different, tell us before ordering. It is much easier to design the summerhouse around your requirements at the beginning than to discover afterwards that a window is exactly where you wanted your desk or the doors open onto the wrong part of your garden.
If you have particular dimensions or a design in mind, you can use our online summerhouse quote form to tell us what you require.
Quality Timber and Construction Matter as Much as Insulation
Insulated Ply Lining
Having spent most of my working life around timber garden buildings, I would never judge an insulated summer house on its insulation alone. The quality of the timber, framing, floor, roof, windows, doors, ironmongery and assembly all contribute to how satisfactory that building will be over the years.
Our main insulated summerhouse ranges use quality timber construction, including redwood deal on applicable models, together with solid wooden floors and substantial timber components.
This is an area where apparently similar summerhouses can be very different. Two photographs on two websites may show buildings that look almost identical. Yet, the timber sections, framing, flooring, roofing, doors and windows behind those photographs may tell a completely different story.
There will nearly always be somebody on the internet prepared to sell something cheaper. In my experience, reducing the cost of a timber building usually means saving somewhere. That could mean lighter framing, thinner timber, a less substantial floor or roof, cheaper doors and windows or a lower overall specification.
That does not mean the most expensive building is automatically the best. Quality means buying a building of an appropriate standard that you can reasonably expect to do the job you are asking it to do.
Professional Assembly of Your Insulated Summerhouse
Correct assembly matters with any timber garden building and becomes even more important as the construction becomes larger and more sophisticated. Professional assembly is included with our main insulated summer house ranges, subject to the individual model, delivery area, site access and base requirements.
Your building will need a suitable firm and level base of the correct dimensions. A poor base can cause problems with doors, windows, and the building’s overall alignment, so getting this right before installation is extremely important.
If you are uncertain about the base you require, ask us before doing the work. Advice at the beginning is considerably less expensive and frustrating than correcting the wrong base afterwards.
How Much Does an Insulated Summer House Cost?
The cost of an insulated summer house depends on its size and complete specification, including construction, insulation, glazing, doors, internal lining, finish and any bespoke features.
It is therefore difficult to make a meaningful comparison simply by asking which company sells the cheapest insulated summerhouse. You need to establish what is actually included in the advertised price and whether you are comparing genuinely equivalent buildings.
The products on this page show our current available ranges and prices. If you need a particular size or specification, use our online summerhouse quote form and tell us what you are trying to achieve. Craig and the team can then help you narrow down the appropriate choices rather than simply pointing you towards the biggest building we can sell you.
Why I Still Recommend Seeing an Insulated Summer House Before You Buy
I have been in this business since 1979 and, despite all the benefits the internet has brought, I still believe there is no substitute for physically looking at a garden building before spending your money.
A website photograph can show the design and a specification can give you measurements, but neither allows you to open the door, walk inside, look closely at the timber, feel the floor beneath your feet and decide whether the building actually feels right.
That is why we maintain our extensive Surrey display site near Guildford and Woking. You can compare different buildings, sizes, construction methods and finishes rather than relying entirely on photographs. You can also talk through your intended use with people who deal with garden buildings every day.
If travelling to us is practical, I strongly recommend that you visit our Surrey garden building display site before committing yourself. A garden building can be a substantial investment and spending some time seeing what you are buying is rarely wasted.
What Nearly Five Decades in Garden Buildings Have Taught Me
When I started my original business in 1979, I could not have imagined that decades later I would still be talking to people about sheds, summerhouses, workshops, garages, log cabins and garden rooms.
The products have developed enormously, but customers still face essentially the same question: which building is right for me?
The most useful thing we can do is listen. Somebody wanting a peaceful summer retreat has very different requirements from somebody planning to work in a garden office for eight hours a day. Someone who wants somewhere for painting at weekends has different requirements again.
The largest, most heavily insulated and most expensive building is therefore not automatically the correct one.
I founded my original business on the principle that customers deserved good-quality garden buildings and straightforward advice. Craig and I still believe in that approach today at 1st Choice Leisure Buildings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Insulated Summerhouses
Can an insulated summer house really be used in winter?
Yes. A suitably specified insulated summer house is considerably better suited to colder-weather use than an equivalent uninsulated building because the insulation helps reduce heat loss. You will normally still require a suitable heat source if you want a comfortable room temperature during cold British winter weather.
Can I use an insulated summerhouse as a home office?
Yes. This is one of the most popular uses for an insulated summerhouse. If you intend to work there regularly, consider heating, ventilation, electricity, lighting, internet connectivity, glazing, furniture and security, as well as insulation.
Is a fully insulated summer house better than a standard summer house?
Not automatically. If you’ll mainly use your building for relaxation in spring and summer, a standard summer house may be perfectly adequate and could save you money. If you want frequent use during autumn and winter, an insulated model is usually the more practical choice.
Will insulation keep my summerhouse warm without heating?
No. Insulation helps retain heat; it does not create heat. In cold weather, you will normally need a suitable heating system if you want the room to stay at a comfortable temperature.
Does insulation stop a summer house becoming hot in summer?
Insulation can help slow heat transfer, but it cannot prevent overheating on its own. Large windows exposed to direct sunshine can make any garden room warm, so consider ventilation, opening windows, blinds or shading, and the building’s orientation.
Do insulated summer houses need ventilation?
Yes. Good insulation does not remove the need for ventilation. Ventilation becomes particularly important when an insulated building is regularly occupied and heated because it allows moisture to escape and helps reduce condensation.
Are the walls, roof and floor insulated?
This depends on the individual range and specification. Some of our buildings are supplied as fully insulated models while others offer insulation as an option. Always check the specification of the particular summerhouse you are considering rather than assuming every insulated building is constructed in the same way.
Can my insulated summerhouse be made to a bespoke size?
Bespoke sizes and alterations are available on many models. Depending on the range, you may also be able to alter window positions, doors, and other design details. If you have something particular in mind, use our summerhouse quote and design form and tell us what you require.
Do your insulated summer houses include installation?
Professional assembly is included with applicable 1st Choice summer houses. Check the individual product specification for exactly what is included and ensure that the required base and access conditions are met before the installers arrive.
Do I need planning permission for an insulated summer house?
Many garden summerhouses in England can be installed under permitted development rights provided the relevant conditions are met. However, the rules can depend on the size, height and position of the building, your property and its intended use. Listed buildings and designated land can also be subject to additional restrictions. Planning permission and Building Regulations are separate matters, so if you’re in any doubt, check the current requirements that apply to your property before proceeding.
Why buy an insulated summer house from 1st Choice Leisure Buildings?
Because we combine carefully selected garden buildings with experience stretching back to 1979. I started the original business because I believed customers deserved good-quality garden buildings and straightforward advice. Over the years we expanded into summerhouses, garages, garden rooms and log cabins, and today my son Craig runs the day-to-day business while I continue to support him and share the experience accumulated since 1979.
Just as importantly, you do not simply have to take our word for the quality. You can visit our Surrey display site, inspect buildings for yourself, compare the timber and construction and ask as many questions as you like before deciding. That is how I would want to buy an insulated summerhouse, and it is how I believe our customers should be able to buy one.
Find the Right Insulated Summer House for Your Garden
An insulated summer house can turn an underused part of your garden into a room you can enjoy much more frequently throughout the year. The key is choosing the building around how you will actually use it rather than simply buying the largest specification your budget allows.
Browse the insulated summerhouses on this page to compare designs, sizes, specifications and prices, explore our wider summer house range, visit our Surrey display site or request a summerhouse price or design quote.
If you are unsure whether you need a standard summerhouse, an insulation upgrade or one of our fully insulated summer houses, tell us what you intend to do with the building and when you expect to use it. We can help you consider size, insulation, glazing, layout, base, and installation requirements, and narrow down the options.
After being involved with garden buildings since 1979, the best place to start is not with the price or the brochure. Start by deciding exactly what you want your new garden building to do for you.
Robin Antill
Founder, 1st Choice Leisure Buildings
More Information In Our Help Articles and Blogs
If you are researching summer houses and want a little more guidance before making your choice, the articles below cover some of the most important things to consider. From choosing the right building and setting a realistic budget to planning permission, foundations, insulation and heating, these guides provide practical information for planning, installing and enjoying your summer house.
How To Choose a Summerhouse Shed
A practical guide to choosing the right summerhouse shed for your garden, including important considerations such as size, style, position, construction and how you plan to use the building. Read our guide to choosing a summerhouse shed.
Best Summerhouse Guide
Compare the main types, sizes and styles of summer houses and discover the factors worth considering when choosing a building to suit your garden, budget and intended use. Read our best summerhouse guide.
How Much Does a Summer House Cost in the UK?
Learn what can affect the price of a summer house, from its size and construction to its specification and additional features, so you can plan a more realistic budget. Find out how much a summer house costs.
Planning Permission Guide
Find out when a summer house may fall within permitted development rights and which factors, including its position, dimensions and intended use, could affect planning requirements. Read our summerhouse planning permission guide.
Heating Your Summerhouse Ideas
Explore different ways to keep a summerhouse warmer during cooler weather, along with practical considerations such as insulation, electricity, building size and frequency of use. Explore ideas for heating your summerhouse.
Are Summer Houses Worth It?
Consider the benefits of owning a summer house and the different ways one can provide useful extra space for relaxing, hobbies, entertaining, home working and more. Discover whether a summer house is worth it.
How To Build the Foundations and Base
Understand why a firm, level and stable base is essential and explore the different foundation options available when preparing your garden for a new summer house. Read our guide to summerhouse bases and foundations.
How To Control Condensation
Discover what causes condensation and excess moisture in summer houses and learn practical ways ventilation, heating and regular maintenance can help keep the interior drier. Learn how to control condensation in your summerhouse.
How To Insulate Your Summer Building
Learn about insulating the walls, floor and roof of a summerhouse and how improved insulation can make the building more comfortable for use beyond the warmer months. Read our guide to insulating a summerhouse.
Colourful Summer House Paint Ideas
Find inspiration for summerhouse colour schemes, from traditional natural finishes to brighter shades and contrasting doors, windows and trim that can make your building stand out. Explore colourful summerhouse paint ideas.
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