Garden Workshops: What to Look for Before Making a Purchase

When buying a garden workshop, it seems to be straightforward – just click on the ‘web’ find the building in the size you want and then search for the best price. ‘Piece of Cake YES? Well, not really, as there are so many different heavy-duty workshops available, from the ‘cheap and possibly nasty’ right up to ones which would feel at home in a posh country home.

To ensure you make the right decision, you need to do your homework to ensure you make the right choice and buy the right one for YOUR needs. By spending a little time before making a decision, you can judge each option on its merits. Weigh up the overall value of each building to ensure you choose the right building. The cheapest choice is not always the best value!

By deciding to buy from an established business, you will find this is the best option as you can be sure that their expertise in the garden buildings industry is key to their success. Also, normally this will only happen when they have been selling the right buildings to their customers at the right price, and this normally follows after listening to them.

Choosing a business with a fixed ‘brick and mortar’ address’ is always good as you can be sure there is somewhere to contact if you need to.

If the business is only available on the internet, then how can you be sure who they are and whether they will be here today, tomorrow and in the future. Having a fixed address is always a good thing to have and is reassuring if you need to contact them in the future. Sure – emails are great, but you are dependent on these being responded to and quickly.

You will find that these type of timber buildings tend to be quite large and heavy, so assembling them can be challenging. This may be something you would like to do, but it will always be a better option to get the experts in.

This will save a lot of heavy lifting, and you can be sure that the building is erected correctly. Why spend a lot of money and struggle to build it? Let someone else do it and enjoy the finished result.

The national average cost to build a new workshop on your property can range from £10 to £20 per square foot, so you can see you can save a lot of money with our free construction service. Don’t risk your new building just being dumped in your garden!

The ‘internet’ is an amazing thing (thanks to Sir Tim Berners-Lee), but the flashiest of web pages and glossy brochures can never show a REAL feel for what you are buying. This is not a problem with many standard items, but when selecting YOUR new ‘man cave’ or large shed, it’s important to know that your expectations will be met with the same as what you ordered.

By being able to view your proposed building, you can be reassured of the quality and see how well constructed it is, you can check the height to ensure you won’t bang your head and can see if the doors and windows are made from stern stuff. This will help you to distinguish the ‘wheat from the chaff’ – i.e. the made down to a price cheap and nasty workshops

You will find that most of the ‘cheap’ sheds will use Sterling board, chipboard or OSB board or Sterling board on the roofs and floors to save money. This would be fine in an ideal scenario, but as soon as any damp gets into these boards (and being outside is nearly unavoidable), they will start to swell and then disintegrate. This will be the end of your shiny new man cave without any expensive repairs.

These sectional workshop companies know this, so by saying their floors and roofs are made from ‘Sheet Materials’, they hope to hide the fact from you. They avoid using the words ‘sterling board, chipboard, OSB board, etc.’ as they know it’s quite possible that there will be problems in the near future. Be VERY cautious if any OSB board etc, is used on a roof as this will fail as soon as it gets wet.

Standard sizes and designs have certain advantages as these can help keep the costs down a little, however, why not consider a building to suit YOU and YOUR garden. This will enable you to utilise your new sectional building and allow it to have the best use and to fit in the space that you have available. By deciding on a company that can make a garden building in the size and design for you, this can happen.

This might be a little more expensive, but this small extra cost can be the difference between being 100% satisfied or ‘making do’. Well worth considering, surely? 1st Choice started because the owner couldn’t get a building in the size and design he needed, so decided to do it himself. Forty years on, he is still helping customers get what they would like, and that could be you. Don’t accept a compromise.

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. An excellent choice as well as peace of mind.

The garden building is used traditionally through the warmer months and then, maybe, used as a storage place throughout the winter. Well, how about being able to use it all year round?

With a little added investment and then deciding on an insulated garden workshop, you can use this wonderful building all year round. Your children can be out from under your feet, and they can use it as their own with their computer games, music or chilling with their friends. Mum or Dad could use it as a ‘man cave’ or ‘she den’ for their own hobbies or pastimes.

Or an insulated timber workshop or shed could be used as a home mini-factory for your business, and if so, the cost would be tax deductible which is a ‘win-win’ for you. More …..

We, being a family business, have been involved in manufacturing quality timber garden workshops 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.

Craig is a key member of the business and is helping 1st Choice to embrace the challenges of the 21st century. With his two children Daniel and Rebecca, the future looks very promising. As you can see, we are not just salespeople selling a range of products we know nothing about. We have the history behind us to ensure that when you choose ‘1st Choice’, then your new timber workshop will be ‘1st Choice.

Don’t RISK buying wooden sectional buildings with an OSB roof. Our roofs are T&G Timber boards with Onduline & batons underneath to allow airflow. This roof also has 15 years of design life against leaking. These Platinum garden buildings are made from fully tanalised redwood timber (not cheap whitewood) are some of the best available on the market.

These magnificent timber garden buildings include double doors, wooden floor, FREE erection to make your life easier and FREE delivery to most of England (mainland). These delightful buildings have an option to be lined and insulated for all year round use. It’s an intelligent decision, well worth considering and will provide even more uses for your new building.

Available to be viewed at our display site near Guildford where you can examine the high quality of this large workshop for yourself. Fully bespoke options and any size.

These Apex Garden Storage Buildings are not Built Down to a Price But an Unbeatable Standard. We have been selling the Diamond Barnham Heavy Duty wooden workshops and garden storage buildings for over 18 years. They are among some of the best garden workshops available to buy.

Everything about them is right from the heavy-duty floor to the solid 2×2 framework, to the terrific eaves (the lowest part of the workshop) height of over 6ft 3in and with doors which would not look out of place on a barn.

It would be best if you saw them and appreciate how good they are. And you can at our garden workshop shed display site near Guildford in Surrey. It’s well worth a visit to see these buildings. All Diamond buildings are erected free of charge saving you time, money and aching muscles. A great reason to choose Diamond.

Please take a look at our Platinum and Diamond ranges of wooden garden workshops with pent or mono-pitch style roofs. Both are made by established family businesses where the quality of buildings is paramount. Made from sturdy redwood timber, these buildings are designed to last, and no unsuitable materials, such as OSB sheet material, is used. All wooden pent workshops include free assembly as standard.

Toughened glass is standard as well for safety. Both companies can offer any size or style to suit your needs, so don’t be afraid to ask and ensure you buy a building to suit your needs. Full lining and insulating options for all year round use on the premium Platinum Apex workshops. How do you know how good they are? Please take a look and inspect them at our Surrey display sites and be amazed. You will be very welcome.

Please take a look at our Platinum and Diamond ranges of large sheds workshops with apex or gable style roofs. Both are made by established family businesses where the intelligent use of quality material in the buildings is paramount. Both companies can offer any size or style to suit your needs, so don’t be afraid to ask and ensure you buy a building to suit your needs.

Made from sturdy redwood timber, these buildings use no unsuitable materials, such as chipboard etc., and are designed for the long haul. Free installation is included as standard on these buildings, and included as standard is toughened glass for safety. Fully insulating and lining options for all year round use on these Platinum premium workshops. To see how good they are? Be amazed when you take a look when you inspect them at our Surrey display sites. You will get a family welcome.