Summer Houses For Sale

It appears to be easy to buy a wooden summer house for your garden. Just take a look on the internet to see a building which takes your fancy in the design you are looking for and find the best price – easy peasy! Well – NO!

This is because there is such a large range of summer buildings available with questionable quality. You need to be really careful to ensure you are not disappointed

1st Choice Garden Summer Buildings – are All UK Made to Very High Standards and Quality.

FREE Assembly Included

By buying from a business which has been established a long time you can be sure that they have gained a great deal of expertise in the market. More importantly, they listen to their customers. You will find that most established businesses have bricks and mortar premises and they use. Their websites are designed as a tool to inform the public of their range of products.

These type of businesses employ staff who you can talk to. Many internet-only retailers only communicate via email.

1st Choice was established in 1979. There is a physical office where you can talk to us – face to face.

Toughened Glass Throughout

These type of summer buildings are heavy, so putting them together is hard work. Some people like the challenge and the satisfaction of doing it themselves, but getting the experts in is the best way to ensure they are assembled correctly.

This will save you a lot of hard work and will ensure that your new designed summerhouse has been erected correctly. Let someone else do the donkey work and just enjoy the end result.

1st Choice offers a Free Installation Service. Don’t risk building just being dumped in your garden!

Made To Suit Your Needs

It’s really important to view your building before you buy. We have a large summer house UK show site near Guildford and Farnham in Surrey not far from the M25.

We would love to show you our huge range of buildings which are all erected and ready to view. Take a look at the following link where you can see the site itself from the air. We have over 80 buildings on display, one of the largest collection of timber summer houses designs on display in the UK! We employ expert staff who will guide you through the buying process with now pressure. We are a simple and honest family business so come and see us!

Click Here For A Walk Through Of Our Display Site

Always ensure that only the best materials are used in the construction of your new building. This means selecting a manufacturer which uses timber from the colder parts of Europe. In Sweden, Norway and Finland it grows slowly so is perfectly suitable for these buildings. The cold weather means the wood has a greater density ensuring it remains very stable, even in the UK variable weather.

Cheaper garden huts are made using faster-growing cheaper whitewood trees. They are much more likely to move.

1st Choice Sun Rooms are made using slow-growing Redwood Deal timber.

Insist on Toughened Glass

You will find the better summerhouse have toughened glass as standard.

Cheaper buildings use horticultural glass which is inadequate for a building you will be spending a lot of time using. It’s second-grade glass and you will normally be able to see defects in it.

It breaks into jagged pieces and simply not suitable especially where children are around. It really is not worth the risk.

1st Choice Wooden Summer Houses have toughened glass windows and doors.

Summer Rooms to Enhance Your Garden

There is an advantage to buying standard sizes and designs are it can help to keep the cost down. However what happens if you don’t like where the windows and doors are? This is why it’s good to talk to a timber building company who can make your summerhouse to suit you.

It may be marginally more expensive but the extra cost can make the difference between putting up with what’s available or getting the best possible building for your garden.

1st Choice Bespoke Houses can be made in more or less any size or style to suit you.

Stylish and Delightful Summer Houses

Ensure that all the gable and shaped ends are cut to size. Some cheap manufacturers offering summer houses for sale supply shaped ends which need to be cut by you. This saves a little money but means more work for you and the possibility of mistakes.

Do you really want to take the risk doing this. Also, if the manufacturer is trying to save a few pounds here what else might he be trying to save money on?

All Summer Buildings from 1st Choice have pre-cut panels.

You Can See INDEPENDENT Customer Feedback on this page.

It appears to be easy to buy one, just take a look on the internet. See a building which takes your fancy and then search for the best price. A piece of cake? Well, life’s not like that.

This is because there is such a large range of summer buildings available with the quality varying tremendously. To ensure you are not disappointed you do need to be very careful and do some homework.

A company which has been established a long time is a good choice. You can be reasonably sure that they have gained a great deal of expertise in the market.

More importantly, by being in business for a long time, they have listened to their customers.
You will find the better-established businesses actually do have ‘bricks and mortar’ sites for viewing and their website is just a tool to inform the public of their range of products.

These companies also tend to employ staff who you can actually talk to (just like in days gone by – how quaint, but nice) and advise you on what will be best for you. Most ‘web site only’ firms expect you to communicate through the modern wonder of email, which is OK but will never ‘actually’ beat talking to a person.

With the internet, with its flashy web pages and, possibly if you are lucky, a glossy brochure you can never really know what your proposed summer house will be like in ‘real life’. This is why it’s crucial, BEFORE delivery, to try to view any potential summer building.

This will ensure that you can see and check for yourself how well it’s been made, that there is enough height inside and you can see that the doors and windows are solidly made (and not nasty, cheap and flimsy).

As well as that you can check what quality of timber which has been used. It’s claimed by many summer house firms, who only operate on the ‘web’, that it’s best to buy online and that you can save money.

However, it’s never possible to be sure what you will actually get. You need to be VERY wary if they are not prepared to let you see their buildings beforehand. It’s a fact that the best value building is not always the cheapest one.

It’s possible that you can save money by selecting one of these cheaper summer houses but you do need to ensure that only the best and correct materials are used in your new building. This means only using timber which comes from the colder parts of Europe such as Sweden, Norway, Finland where it grows very slowly. This cold weather means it has the greatest density ensuring it remains very stable even in varying weather.

The cheaper summer houses for sale are made using faster growing cheaper whitewood trees meaning it is likely to have more movement in your garden. Which is not good in the long run.

To cut costs the cheaper buildings will use horticultural glass (which is in essence – seconds) or worse still, plastic. This is actually ‘second-grade’ glass and you will normally be able to see defects in it. Away from the busy activity, it can be just about OK but on buildings which are being used regularly is it not better not to take any chances?

If horticultural glass smashes it breaks into jagged pieces and you certainly would not want your children or grandchildren getting hurt. Horticultural glass does reduce the cost of the building but is it worth the risk? However, the better summerhouse manufacturers will, as standard, use toughened glass. A very good choice as well as peace of mind.

Standard sizes and layouts has the advantage that it can help to keep the cost down, but what if you would like a size to suit YOUR garden or you would like doors and windows in a different place then you would be out of luck. Maybe you would you like a corner summer house.

This is why it’s good practice to talk to a garden building company who can actually make your summerhouse to suit YOU. It may be a little more expensive but the extra cost can make the difference between ‘putting up with the available options’ or getting the best use for YOUR garden.

The advantage of the ‘web’ and social media means that any ‘bad apples’ or companies selling bad buildings can quickly be isolated. So this is one way to find out a little more about the company from whom you be thinking of buying a summerhouse. Can be very enlightening and can help to put your mind at rest.

Check out independent feedback sites such as Independent Feedback.

We, being a family business, have been involved in the manufacture of quality timber summer houses for sale since 1979 when Robin started his first production unit. Craig, Robin’s son, joined in 1990 and trained at Guildford College in joinery. For over 20 years we ran one of the largest UK wooden building companies in the south of England.

We made the conscious decision to only deal with quality materials which we knew would last the test of time. This ethos probably comes from our upbringing. Robin’s father and grandfather were Master Butchers in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire and Quality and Customer Service was always key in their businesses.

Choose us if you are interested in a new traditional, modern, contemporary, large or small summer building designed for your home. Whether it’s for sitting out in the garden on a sunny day or for using it as a recreation area, hobby room or somewhere to store your leisure equipment and gardening supplies. You can even find a corner summerhouse, if you have an unused corner in your garden, in the large range on offer on our 1st Choice Leisure Buildings web site.

Summer houses delivered and installed is one of the things you should be looking for and, to save you time and money, we will install free of charge. These buildings are ideally suited to any size of back garden. They can be used for leisure or professional use to suit the needs of you all our buildings. From insulated sunrooms to wooden summerhouses and can be fully bespoke. Why settle for anything less? We always strive to ensure we are your 1st Choice for your garden buildings.

The internet is a wonderful tool for seeing what is available. It can be very easy to purchase a summer house for your garden online sitting at home. With just a few clicks you can have made a decision, paid for a new building and before you know it your new garden building will on its way! However, moving in haste may make you repent at leisure!

There are many manufacturers out there selling sub-quality buildings online and this is where trouble can occur. Your new sunroom will have to stand up to the full force of our British weather and any shortcomings in the materials used will expose it. So how can you tell?

The best way to tell whether your shiny new summerhouse is made to a good standard is by viewing it in situ. If the retailer can’t provide that then you need to be cautious.

You will find that the majority of outdoor summer house retailers on the web do not offer an option to view beforehand. At 1st Choice, after being involved in manufacturing since 1979, we set up a show site back in 2003. It demonstrates to our customers the high quality of our range of buildings.

Don’t make the mistake which others may have done. Always ensure you see your new summer building before buying. It’s very easy to rue that mistake afterwards and wish that you have been a little more careful.

Please take a drive to see our great range of buildings. We have over 80 different buildings on display which shows just how committed we are to selling the very best! This will ensure you have made an informed and wise decision.

It’s always worth checking out previous customers feedback, but only on independent sites.

On our 1st Choice web site, you are able to spend time looking at our extensive range of garden houses, sunrooms and home offices. You can view all the detailed specifications of our designs. You can even download the relevant leaflets and price lists from our web site. Our buildings, sun rooms and summer cabins from the Platinum and Diamond ranges have been sold throughout England & Wales and surrounding area for a great number of years.

To back up our claim of being the 1st Choice we are proud to have been involved in their manufacture since 1979. During this time we have followed the ethos that quality is always first. Even if the price is a little higher.

At the end of the day we have to live with our conscience and being a family firm we believe in fair play. With the latest two grandchildren on the scene, this is more important than ever for their futures as well as ours!

• 1/ Measure the size of your summer building. Check the walls height, measure the roof area, and take the dimensions of the floor if you want to insulate it
• 2/ There are several methods of insulating the building – i.e. fibreglass type, insulating a shed with polystyrene, or foam insulation sheets – so decide which one will be best for you.
• 3/ Contact your local builder’s merchants or maybe B&Q and order the required insulation
• 4/ To insulate the garden building walls you will need to cut the insulation to size. And this will fit in between the walls and you then need to tack into place.
• 5/ Using plywood, hardboard or T&G timber boards you would then need to cover the walls.
• 6/ It’s similar when insulating the summer building’s roof – i.e. cut the selected insulation to size for the roof, polystyrene is my recommendation, as this can be cut slightly oversize so it can be wedged into place
• 7/ Line the roof with hardboard or plywood. Screwing these roof sheets is recommended into place so it can be removed if need be.
• 8/ The final thing to do with the roof is to cover the joins in the roof and wall panels with covering fascia strips. This ensures your insulating of your summerhouse or hut has a tidy cosmetic finish
• 9/ How to insulate the summerhouse floor – You will need to fit insulation in between the floor joist and tack into place before assembling it.
• 10 Alternately, buy a summerhouse designed with insulation already fitted in place. This will be a bit more costly but definitely the easiest option. See our full range of insulated summer buildings on this page.

If your building is insulated then it will be nearly as warm as inside your house. Just like any building, during the colder spells, you will have to have some form of heating. The ideal solution is an electric heater. You can’t use a gas heater like Calor gas. Apart from the obvious flammability risk, it creates a lot of moisture which will tend to warp the timbers and cause damp. Besides keeping your new wooden summerhouse warm in the winter insulation will help to keep it cooler in the summer. This is something which not many people think about. To be honest, I never used to think about it, but on our show site we had a normal summer building next to a designed insulated one and I was checking them over.

When I went from the normal one into the insulated one I could not believe the difference in temperature! I had to go back into the un-insulated one to check, so it’s well worth doing.

Treat them mean – keep them keen is a well-known phrase. Normally used by male chauvinistic persons to describe their ludicrous views of the fairer sex. Used in the context of the garden studio or garden office it can be taken to mean it you don’t bother with them then they will still serve you well which again is a ridiculous idea. Garden studios, like our lovely ladies, (if that doesn’t sound too patronising) take kindly to being cared for and looked after. They will repay you by looking good, making you feel proud and will look after your valuable items to boot.There are many types of treatments available, ranging from water-based treatment through to fully pressurised tanalised treatments. Years ago one of the favourite treatments was crescote, often mixed with old engine oil. This did a sterling job protecting the timber from the harsh weather. This had a distinctive smell, quite strong, which tended to linger for quite a while.

Not ideal if you had treated the inside of your building which you wanted to work in. Improved safety rules were introduced in 2003 as it had proved dangerous to use and from 30th June 2004 it is actually illegal to even store it or keep it in any form. A new substitute Crecote has been introduced for people who wish to get a similar effect.

Water based preservative is commonly used on the cheaper garden studio room, mainly serving the purpose of a base coat, for your second coat to be put on. The water is actually a carrier for the chemicals and helps the chemical to adhere and react to the wood thus protecting it to a certain degree. This can be either painted on, sprayed on or the shed panels can be dipped into a bath of this treatment.

Solvent and spirit based preservatives is the preferred and better method of putting treatment onto timber. The solvent again is a carrier for the chemicals and works far better than the water. The solvent or spirit helps greatly and gives greater protection to the timber. Again this can be painted on, sprayed on or dipped. Very few people dip their wooden panels in this dues to the possibility of reactions to the operatives doing the dipping.

Oil-based treatments and you are moving into the realms of ‘Rolls Royce’ types of treatment. The oil holds the chemicals and bond the chemicals into the wood. The oil soaks into the timber giving a certain amount of ‘give’ helping with the natural movement of your timber garden studio

Tanalising, or pressure treating, is the very best you can do for your timber. The tanalising process consists of the timber being put into a sealed vat. And the Tanalith E fluid is forced into the wood under pressure. This ensures that the preservative goes a great deal further than just brushing or spraying. The result of this is that the timber should resist rotting for a period of 15 years. To reflect the high specifications of the Platinum range all their garden studios are made using fully pressure treated timber.

The treatment also protects against fungal and insect attacks giving your garden building a long life. The appearance of the timber is quite attractive having a light natural green tint to the wood which can blend into the garden. However, you can add a colour treatment to the wood if you wish. This treatment is ideal for any building in an enclosed space where treating the building would prove difficult or where you like the idea of very low maintenance.

However whatever treatment you have it is important to keep an eye on it to ensure that you retreat when necessary. The only extra treatment which the tanalised studio may need is a water repellent treatment, such as Thomsons WaterSeal. This would stop any dampness coming through if the building was subjected to torrential rain. (the timber is treated against rotting and is not a water repellent in its own right)

The water-based treated garden studio should be re-treated within 4 weeks of delivery, ideally, and then every 2-3 years depending on the weather conditions. The same would apply with the spirit or solvent-based treatments. With the oil-based treatment after the building has its first coat, you could get up to 4-5 years before anything needs doing again with the exception of any sides facing into the weather.

I do not recommend any of the water-based treatments for the top coats and would only recommend spirit, solvent or oil-based preservatives despite what the manufacturers may say. Water-based treatments are fine for base coats or for fences, nothing else.

Some garden studio manufacturers claim to offer a 10-year guarantee, even with the water-based treatment, however, like most things in life this is not as good as it seems. There are strict conditions stating that if the building is not treated EVERY year then the guarantee would be null and void. Clearly, this means that the treatment they are applying only last for ONE year and the further protection is coming from the treatment YOU are having to apply every year. Clearly a WORTHLESS guarantee. DON’T be fooled by them. The best thing (or worse) is that you will be very lucky to find any details of the conditions on those sites.

With the benefit of my 40 years in the garden building business I hope that the above advice is useful for you to understand how to get the best out of your new garden studio or wooden building. Over the years there have been many improvements and changes to the treatments available, some good and some bad, however, if you look after your summer studio it will last many many years.

When typing in ‘garden summer houses near me’ or ‘how to build a garden summerhouse then you need to be a little careful, no very careful, about your intended purchase. With the large range of prices available which reflect the different retailer’s choice of buildings, you can be bamboozled into thinking that the cheapest garden summer building is the best value. As in most other things in life, this is not always true, cheapest prices do not mean the best value.

The most important thing is to determine how long you want your new building to last. If you only want it for a couple of years then one of the cheaper ones may do the job for you. With their chipboard or OSB (oriental strand board) board floors and roofs, they SHOULD last a couple of years even if they get wet. However, when you come to move on the fact that you have a garden summer house with a disintegrating floor or roof will put prospective buyers off, so still might not be a good option.

Something to look out for is when these cheap manufacturers describe their building floors and roofs as SHEET materials. They do this so that you are not aware they are using chipboard or OSB materials which, I think is a little misleading. Strictly speaking, chipboard and OSB are sheet materials but considering the weakness of these types of materials outside surely you should have the right to know beforehand what you are getting. You really should give this some serious thought when you take this in and consider what will be best for you.

This is where visiting a display site is priceless. You are able to see the garden summerhouses designs in situ near you and are able to walk in and out as well as examine how well, or bad, they are put together. You can often see different ranges of buildings at these display sites, certainly at sites such as 1st Choice’s display areas where you can see these buildings for sale and hopefully near you..

By taking a look you can make your own mind up as to the quality, you can see the type of wood used, as well as the height of the sheds. Many cheap buildings sold on the web are very low. They might look OK on the colourful all dancing, all singing web sites but when they arrive in your garden you will find out the truth.

Another thing to look out for is whether the doors are made from joinery quality timber which ensures the best life for the building in your garden. Some might only be ‘knocked ‘together and in that instance you need to check if they have diagonal braces on them. This is essential if you want to ensure the doors won’t drop. If the door drops then it sticks and you won’t be able to slide your padlock on or lock the door properly. Do they have glass or cheap scratchable plastic, perspex or acrylic. These cheap materials will discolour in time and rattle about in the wind. Very irritating!

Even if you are unable to visit a showroom near you then the fact that a company has one is reassuring. You know they have nothing to hide and are quite happy for their products to be scrutinised closely. You could also see whether they have any INDEPENDENT feedback from their customers. This again is a good source of unbiased information and can give reassurance about them.

Another area where you may see garden summer house sheds ‘in the flesh’ is at the ‘County Shows’ around the country or at garden shows, such as the Chelsea Flower Show or Hampton Court Flower Show. However, be aware that at the large national shows you are only likely to see the very expensive garden summerhouse designs. These are at the other end of the spectrum and again don’t always offer the best value. They will be exquisitely made with wood as smooth as a baby’s bottom but you are paying top dollar for this level of finish.

You sometimes find garden summer buildings near you in other exhibits as well which was the case at The Museum of the San Ramon Valley. One had become the focal point of this exhibit praising the virtues of family gardening and the effect on family life.
The exhibit also displayed some 1940’s kitchens as well and combined with it reflected the increasing trend of families utilising their gardens and growing their own produce. The 1940 theme reflecting earlier times during the Second World War where ‘digging for freedom’ was second nature. The museum stresses that growing one’s own food during the war was crucial.

Besides these buildings, garden and kitchen on display were various equipment from that time period. This highlighted the differences in growing produce then and now.

However, as important as these shows and exhibits are a garden building display site is definitely worth visiting before you spend your hard earned money. By examining these garden summer buildings and corner summerhouse you can ensure that your choice which you select will last more than just a couple of years. It may be more expensive but you will often find that the better manufacturers will assemble them for you as well. This will save you time, which you can spend doing other things, and you will know that it has been erected correctly and this will help to ensure a long life in your garden. Or you may feel that to build your own summer house in your garden will be the best option or that visiting 1st Choice display site is the best first option before you order that building for your garden.

After you have decided on your new garden summer house you need to consider how you are going to look after it. These garden buildings are an investment and will enable you to enjoy your garden more than ever and with a little bit of regular care will last for many years. There are various types of summer buildings treatments and you will find that most will be treated with a water based coat of treatment. This can be seen as being a primer and it is recommended that you re-treat your new garden building within a few days after being delivered. The second coat can be seen as an undercoat and when you put your next coat will be the top coat and this will give long-lasting protection.The next best treatment for your garden summer building is a spirit based treatment. This type of treatment is more expensive and you will find this on the better quality designed buildings. What this means is that the actual treatment is immersed in a spirit, such as white spirit. This will help the treatment to soak further into the wood and therefore will do a much better job. With the spirit based shed treatment you don’t have to treat your new garden building straight away but it is still a good idea to retreat, with a spirit based treatment before the following winter. This second coat will provide many years of protection against the elements.

The best treatment on garden summer houses and outdoor buildings is full pressure treated timber, often described as Tanalised. This refers to the name of the treatment which is Tanalith E. Tanalised timber is produced by impregnating the timber with this treatment inside a steel container and under high vacuum pressure. This forces the treatment deep into the wood ensuring a much longer life for your shed or garden building. This also protects against fungal decay and insect attack with an expected protection spell of up to 30 years.

When treated the timber takes on a green tinge but this fades over time. No further treatment is normally required against rotting as this treatment will protect your for 15 years (at least) against any rot during that period. However, this treatment is designed to protect against rot, this is not waterproof. If you get spells of prolonged rain you may get a damp patch on the inside of your garden summer house. Although this gives great protection to the timber against rotting what it does not do is to give full water repellency to your garden shed. During driving rain, any exposed timber may end up with damp patches on the inside. Whilst this does not affect the timber you may not want this.

What I recommend in this instance is to treat the outside of any sides, facing into the weather, with a spirit based or water repellant treatment or if you want to keep the colour of your shed the same then you can use Thompson Waterseal. This is a clear treatment which effectively puts a water repellent coat on the outside of your garden building.

On the Platinum pressure treated summerhouses the terms of the warranty require the application of two coats of a suitable water repellent protector within three months of installation. You are able to order Barretine Waterseal to you for self-application with your new building. The following is what they suggest:-

All of our Platinum solid timber clad garden buildings are fully pressure treated, extending the lifespan of the building and protecting it from rot and decay. During this process the timber is placed into a large vacuum tank and the preservative is forced deep into the wood pores. As the preservative is already in the wood no further preservative is required from the point of view of rotting. This preservative treatment process leaves the timber with a natural green colour (The treatment process can result in colour variation and drying marks). The natural green colour will fade to a honey brown and eventually to a silver grey if left unfinished.

Please note: It is important to remember that the pressure treatment process is not a finished or weatherproof system. We recommend that in order to maintain appearance and achieve the maximum lifespan that your building should be protected from UV light and water penetration, therefore a suitable weatherproof stain or paint coating must be applied as soon as possible but no later than 12 weeks after installation, and then at regular intervals (always apply any coatings in accordance with the manufactures instructions).

During the treatment process the timber absorbs a lot of moisture some of this may still be present in the timber when the building is installed. Once installed the natural air movement will quickly complete the drying process. If installation is during cooler/damp periods, we advise for there to be as much increased ventilation by leaving doors & windows open when possible to speed up this drying process.

There are also a range of paint and treatments available in a range of colours if you want a little more colour on your summerhouse and this can be applied either at the factory if the option is offered, or ideally about 6 weeks after your new garden building has been delivered. This will ensure that basic treatment has soaked in and the paint should adhere to your garden building with no problem.

You will find a range or timber treatments available at your local DIY superstore of hardware shop and you may be confused which one to use. My advice, based on 39 years in the garden buildings business and pre Margaret Thatcher, is to use only oil, spirit or solvent-based treatments. Avoid water-based treatment as my experience over the years shows that this will not be as effective as the oil, spirit and solvent-based treatments as these will soak into the wood far better. The way to know which to use is to look at the cleaning instructions on the tin. If it says to wash your brushes out in water then that will be a water-based shed treatment and should be avoided. If the brushes have to be washed out in white spirits then you can be sure this will do a good job for you and will protect your garden summer building for the long term.

The home is the epicentre of our lives and where we normally feel most comfortable. By looking at all of the designs of modern summer houses for sale it can make it even more special. When this is combined with a garden, if you are lucky enough to have one, then we have to count our lucky stars. The garden allows us to have our own piece of little Britain where we can relax and enjoy time with our family in the open. The typical Brit loves to spend time on home improvements. Whether it’s a simple coat of paint or a complete revamp of the bathroom or kitchen. The garden can help improve your home and in particular, a cool new summer room or shed. These types of garden buildings and common garden buildings are so versatile they can be used for a great many different purposes. This includes general storage, a workshop, hobby room, or just space to get away from the family. The summer house is perfect for that.You could utilise these buildings for storage of items which would otherwise be in the house, reducing clutter in the house.

You can also sort out various tools and store them ready for use. This freeing up of internal space is a great boost to the home and your family. More importantly, it solves the problem of never being able to find that garden implement that you need ‘right now’!

This is just one of the reasons when choosing a new sunroom or summerhouse design is to choose as large as one as possible. If you already have a room in the garden building then take some time to spend at the weekend going through and either throwing surplus items away, selling them or giving them away to family and friends.

Don’t allow your summer garden building to becomes a dumping ground for unloved objects. Don’t let it become the tatty building at the bottom of the garden. Make it work for you. Give a little priority and it will pay you back in spades and help your home become a more organised area for you and your family.

If you are in the market for a new building then ensure you do your homework. Steer clear of ones which use chipboard or cheap OSB board. Ensure that the framing is a good thickness, ideally 2×2 and that the cladding (the planks of wood on the wall) is tongue & groove.

Even more importantly is take a look at your proposed summerhouses in the flesh display site such as this one. If you are unable to see the product beforehand then just hope for the best but prepare for the worse. That will reduce any disappointment which may come your way.

The garden by its very nature lends itself to being modelled to suit its environment. The natural aspect created by all living things is limitless. The only limitation is the human mind. Think like a garden designer. Take the existing layout, the trees, shrubs etc and work out the space available before looking at buying a new summer house – are you looking for a modern summerhouse, a Georgian one, contemporary or traditional – maybe a luxury summer building will be right. See the buildings beforehand will help you decide and ensure the building will be right for you.

This usually involves sitting down, maybe sketching out the plot and working out what is important for your needs. You will find that everyone has their own ideas for their ideal garden. From practical issues such as somewhere to store tools to the sort of area needed for relaxing.

Consider how ‘hands-on’ you want to be. Simply a keen gardener with a low maintenance garden? A garden designer with fancy layouts or a landscape gardener with intricate shrubbery and seating areas!.
Take the time and visit a show like the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. It’s packed with ideas to improve your outside space!

We believe that it is vital that you are given the opportunity to inspect your purchase before parting with your money!

We have established two easily-accessible display sites near Guildford and Farnham in Surrey. You are welcome to view over 100 buildings which include many summer house designs from all of our main ranges!

Browse at your leisure without worrying about any high-pressure salesmen pouncing on you! If you need any help then we are there to advise.