Imagine sipping your morning coffee in a sun-lit garden room, surrounded by blooming flowers, while your tools stay dry and organized in the shed next door. Summer house sheds in the UK are becoming hugely popular of late, with more homeowners improving their outdoor area with these beautiful, practical buildings. But why are summer house sheds seemingly popping up everywhere at the moment?
Let’s take a quick look at what makes these wonderful combination buildings so appealing:
For most people, the days of tenderly nurturing gigantic garden areas are a thing of the past. Space is at a premium these days, which means we need to make the most of every square inch.
The idea behind a summer house shed in the UK is quite simple: by removing the need for two separate structures, you can free up valuable garden space for planting, play areas, or simply enjoying more open landscape. This clever integration delivers maximum functionality in areas with minimal space.
That means:b>
- Enjoy a larger garden area perfect for relaxing, playing, or landscaping, by combining leisure and storage in one spot.
- With just a single foundation needed, you spend less time and money on groundwork, giving you more weekends for leisure.
- The clever design saves space yet maintains full functionality, meaning you can have your cake and eat it too.
- Flexibility in placement means you can position it to maximise sunlight or privacy, enhancing your garden experience.
When comparing options for adding both leisure and storage space to your garden, the clear cost-saving advantages of a summer house shed are truly compelling.
Apart from the obvious savings on materials, you will also benefit from reduced labour costs, free delivery (within the 1st Choice Leisure Buildings delivery area), and simple, no-hassle planning.
Save up to 25%—or up to £750 compared to separate buildings—making it an efficient and cost-effective solution.
Key savings of summer house sheds include:b>
- Lower overall material costs compared to two separate buildings
- Single installation process, reducing labour expenses
- Unified design that eliminates redundant elements
- Reduced ongoing maintenance requirements and costs
A well-designed summer house shed creates an eye-catching focal point that improves your entire outdoor space. Unlike purely functional storage solutions that often detract from the natural beauty of your garden, our combination buildings cleverly blend practicality with architectural charm.
Picture your neighbors pausing at the gate, admiring how your garden has transformed into a feature of elegance and utility, making it the envy of the neighborhood.
The aesthetic benefits of a summer house shed include:
- Cohesive architectural design that enhances garden harmony
- Professional finish with complementary design elements
- Opportunity for creative landscaping around a single feature
- Impressive visual appeal that draws the eye and complements plantings
Even during winter months, when a standalone summerhouse might see little use, the storage portion of a summerhouse shed is perfectly usable.
Combine with shed insulation—think foil-backed panels that lock in heat—and you can easily extend the leisure space usage throughout the year.
Year-round advantages of a summer house shed include:
- Continuous utility regardless of season or weather conditions
- Protected storage keeps gardening equipment and furniture safe in winter
- Possibility for an insulated leisure space usable even in colder months
- Greater return on investment through consistent usage
Perhaps the most obvious reason to choose a summerhouse with shed functionality is the remarkable adaptability it offers. So, if you simply seek a quiet work space to get your head down, a creative studio that offers room to think, or just a pleasant retreat, the dual-purpose design offers a whole host of possibilities.
“We turned our summerhouse shed into a craft studio with storage for all our supplies,” says one satisfied customer, illustrating the real-world versatility of these unique structures.
A summer house shed can serve as:
- Relaxation and storage combined in one building
- Home office with convenient built-in storage
- Hobby space with materials stored in the attached shed portion
- Entertainment area with easy access to supplies
- Guest accommodation with discreet storage out of sight
All of our summer house sheds are available in various dimensions to suit different garden sizes and requirements, including:
Perfect for smaller gardens, these space-saving designs offer a cosy retreat with essential storage – the best of both worlds, neatly stitched together in a space-saving building. This type of summer house with a shed is ideal for occasional use or as a reading nook, providing space for garden tools.
These incredibly versatile buildings offer good space for both leisure and storage. The summerhouse portion can easily accommodate seating for 3-4 people, while the shed section provides generous storage for lawn mowers, storage boxes, and a few toys.
If your garden is more substantial, large summer house sheds provide a fully-fledged garden room with a huge amount of storage capacity. If you are looking for a home office, entertainment area, or hobby room alongside extensive storage, this might be a great fit for you.
Commonly overlooked but incredibly important to the aesthetics, the shed roof style affects both the appearance and the functionality of your summer house shed.
Our sales team is always keen to highlight the significance of roof design, as it significantly affects the overall character of the building, its internal height clearance, water drainage efficiency, and how well it complements the existing architecture.
This classic design features a central ridge with slopes on both sides:
- Excellent water runoff capability
- Maximum interior height at the centre
- Traditional aesthetic that suits most gardens
With a single sloping surface, pent roofs offer a more contemporary look:
- Modern, sleek appearance
- Perfect for positioning against boundaries
- Ideal where height restrictions apply
- Simpler construction that can reduce costs
The type of cladding you select directly affects both appearance and durability, determining how your summer house shed will look in your garden and how it withstands the British weather over time.
Our quality cladding is designed to protect while also improving beauty.
This thick, rounded profile creates a log cabin appearance with good insulating properties and a rustic, traditional aesthetic.
The most popular cladding choice, offering excellent water-shedding capabilities with a clean, classic look featuring horizontal lines.
Also known as feather-edge boarding, this style provides a traditional countryside appearance with an overlapping design that efficiently channels rainwater away.
Unlike some competitors who might use thinner materials, 1st Choice Leisure Buildings uses premium-grade timber for all cladding options. With this level of quality, your summer house shed will withstand the harshest winters for many years.
Want to make your summer house shed truly your own? These popular customisation options can help you create something extra special:
Transform your building into a year-round space with proper insulation:
- Wall, floor, and roof insulation packages are available
- Creates a comfortable environment regardless of the season
- Essential for home office or hobby room usage
Add personality and protection with your choice of colours:
- Factory-applied paint finishes ensure complete coverage
- A range of contemporary and traditional colours is available
- Protects timber while enhancing appearance
Improve functionality with these additional, popular add-ons:
- Verandas and covered porches
- Additional windows for increased natural light
- Upgraded door options, including French doors
- Custom partitioning to create multiple storage areas
In a market flooded with mass-produced imports, we do things differently. All of our sheds are made to order right here in the UK, built by qualified joiners to last, and not just to look good on delivery!
We only use slow-grown redwood timber for greater durability and tighter grain. That means no chipboard or OSB, just solid overlapping weatherboard cladding throughout.
Forget the gimmicks. While some suppliers offer “10-year guarantees” full of loopholes, our warranties are simple, honest, and built on products that don’t need excuses.
Your outdoor space isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither are our buildings. We can customise almost every element, including (but not limited to) size, layout, window placement, and even insulation.
At 1st Choice Leisure, you can expect no flat-pack DIY disasters. Our prices include expert installation on most summer house sheds, ensuring your building is properly assembled by experienced professionals.
Visit our Surrey garden room showroom to see over 60 buildings on display. You’ll feel the quality for yourself. We promise no pressure, and certainly no pushy sales tactics – just a friendly team of experts, built largely around family, with decades of experience in the business.
Our summer house sheds offer the best of both worlds, providing a beautiful retreat and practical storage in one beautifully designed, streamlined building. We have a huge, broad range to choose from, starting with budget-friendly compact models going right up to luxury, spacious garden rooms with massive storage.
Book your free design consultation today and envision your perfect summer house shed. Availability is limited, so take advantage before it’s too late!
Contact us today for a friendly, no-pressure chat!
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Can a summer house be used in winter?
You certainly can. We offer optional insulation
to the wall, floor and roof as well as double-glazed doors and windows. These options will enable you to use your new combi summerhouse all year round, whether for work, hobbies, or just relaxing.
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Can I have electricity installed in my summer house shed?
Yes, we can recommend suitable, qualified electricians who can install electricity for you, enabling you to use all the power equipment as required. You can see more details on our
services page. -
Do I need planning permission for a summer house shed?
Typically, any summerhouse shed less than 2.5m high will not need planning permission, regardless of where it is placed in your garden. If it is over 2.5m high, then it would need to be at least away from the boundary. Otherwise, you are likely to need planning permission. You can find more information on our
dedicated planning permission page.
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How long will my summer house shed last?
Provided you take care and maintain your new building, it will serve you for many decades. Pressure-treated timber is always a good choice, as this helps to protect the timber deep into the grain. Be very wary of extended guarantees offered, as these are mostly worthless. You can find detailed guidance on our
weatherproofing garden buildings page.
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What base do I need for my summer house shed?
You will need a
solid and level base for your new building. Options include solid concrete, paving slabs, timber bearers or a timber subframe.
A timber sub-frame is often seen as the best option, as it accommodates slightly uneven ground and allows air to circulate underneath the base. We can help with a base, so take a look at our
services page for more ideas.
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