Earlybird delivery discount: Check out reductions available on this page. Take advantage now.
Now is the time to pick up an ex-display building during our annual sale. See remaining models here At LEAST 30% Off

tablet
Earlybird delivery discount: Check out reductions available on this page. Take advantage now.
Now is the time to pick up an ex-display building during our annual sale. See remaining models here At LEAST 30% Off

Earlybird delivery discount: Check out reductions available on this page. Take advantage now.
Now is the time to pick up an ex-display building during our annual sale. See remaining models here At LEAST 30% Off

Exposing the Hidden Tactics of Garden Buildings Companies

When looking for outdoor buildings it appears very straight forward to buying one for your garden – just click on the ‘Web’ find the size building you want and then look for the best price. Easy YES? Well not really as there is such a vast amount of garden buildings available from the ‘cheap and nasty’ right up to ones which would feel at home at Hampton Court Palace. So you need to do your homework to ensure you buy the right one for YOUR needs.

1st Choice Leisure Buildings – ONLY Sell Buildings Made to Very High Standards

Buy From An Established Business

By making the choice to buy from a well-established business you can be sure that their expertise in the garden buildings industry is vast. Also, they have become established by selling at the right prices and offering the right buildings and, most importantly, have been listening to their customers. A business which actually has a fixed ‘brick and mortar’ address’ is the best choice you can be sure there is somewhere to contact them if you need to.

With firms ONLY on the ‘web’ they can be ‘here and gone tomorrow’ (as they say in Winds in the Willows and we know how reliable Toad was). A business with a fixed address is the best way to go as you will also find you can ACTUALLY talk to someone in the flesh if you choose (as it used to be in the olden days) and not rely on emails (as good as they are) which most firms on the internet expect you to do. Just by typing in ‘garden buildings to buy near me’ or ‘summer buildings to buy near me’ or ‘workshops suppliers’ will find a local business.

1st Choice Leisure Buildings, a Family Business – was established in 1979 when they started making sheds. They also have a physical office AND Show site so you can talk to them and view examples of their buildings.

Before Buying Always View Buildings for Sale

The internet is a wonderful thing but even a glossy brochure and the flashiest of web pages you can never get a REAL feel for what you are buying. This is not a problem for many items but with YOUR new garden shed or building, it’s important to know that what you getting will meet your expectations. By actually viewing your proposed building you can be sure of how well constructed it is and what the quality is like, you can see how tall it is so you won’t bang your head and are the doors and windows made from stern stuff.

This will help you to distinguish from the made ‘down to a price’ and ‘cheap and nasty’ buildings made and which are readily available on the web and the well made, well-constructed buildings which are designed to last a long time. The purely ‘online’ retailers claim that it’s good to buy online as you can save money BUT how can you know that you won’t end up with that ‘cheap and nasty’ building. Avoid potential heartache and stress by viewing beforehand. Always remember that the cheapest price is not always the best.

Visit One of the 1st Choice Leisure Buildings Showrooms – and see garden buildings display near Guildford and Woking in Surrey. There are over 100 buildings on display at the showrooms and situated not too far from the M25. You will be glad you did.

Click Here For A Walk Through Of Our Display Site

Do You Want a ‘Run of the Mill’ Building or Are Your Special?

Keeping the sizes, models and styles down creates certain advantages as these can help keep the costs down a little however wouldn’t it be good to buy a building to suit YOU and YOUR garden. By doing this you can utilise your garden building to have the best use and to fit in the space that you have got. By talking to a company which can make a garden building in the size and design for you then this is what can happen. It may be a little dearer but this small extra cost can be the difference between ‘making do’ or being 100% satisfied. Surely that’s got to be worth it?

Any Size From 1st Choice Leisure Buildings – We can make nearly all our garden buildings in ‘more or less’ and size or design to suit you. Special sizes are not normally a problem. moving doors & windows – not a problem.

Ensure the Timber Used is the Best for YOUR New Building

Selecting cheaper timber such as whitewood which, to a certain degree, is OK’ish for a basic garden building some money can be saved. However, it’s far better to insist on a redwood deal timber building as this grows far slower than whitewood so the grain is more tightly compacted ensuring a longer life. A better long term prospect but a little more expensive. Whitewood because it grows quickly can be subject to lots of little knots dropping out.

Redwood Timber From 1st Choice Garden Buildings – Most of our buildings, for longer life, are made predominately with redwood deal timber.

Beware of Chipboard, Sterling Board, OSB Boards Being Used

To save money you will find that most of the ‘cheap sheds’ will use chipboard, OSB board or Sterling board on the floors and roofs. 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 meaning the end of your shiny new building. These companies know this so they try to hide the fact by saying their floors and roofs are made from ‘Sheet Materials’. They avoid using the words ‘chipboard, OSB board etc’ as they know there could be problems in the near future.

Solid Timber From 1st Choice Leisure Buildings – They do NOT use chipboard, OSB board, Sterling board on any of their wooden sheds. On the Diamond Heavy Duty Workshops they use a special water resistant heavy duty boarding on their floor.

Is There A Garden Buildings Installation Service?

By their very nature, garden buildings are large and heavy so building them can be a challenge. If you like a challenge this may be fine for you but a company offering garden buildings delivered and installed service will always be a better option. Not only does it save you a lot of hassle you can be sure it has been assembled correctly.

Installation Options – 1st Choice Leisure Buildings offer a delivery and assembly service (and mostly free of charge) to save you time and effort. Not just dumped in your garden.

Are All Panels Fully Pre Made For You?

If you are buying a cheap building always double check what you are getting. Surprisingly many of the cheap ones, besides being made of chipboard etc, are delivered in pieces where you have to build some of the panels yourself. Ludicrous! Your new buildings are unlikely to be ready-made sheds leaving you with loads to do.

Fully Assembled Buildings – All our Timber Buildings are delivered in complete sections (and mostly assembled free of charge) to save you time and effort. Not just dumped in your garden.

Where Can I find More Information?

Visit this page for more Garden Buildings Buying Advice You will be pleased that you did. Also visit 1st Choice’s UK display site and see for your self. Many garden sheds Surrey built on our show site for you to view.


Author is Robin Antill - expert in garden buildings Written By Robin - Expert in Garden Buildings For 44 Years.
Hi, I'm Robin Antill, founder of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings, and I use my expertise gained over 44 years in the garden buildings industry to understand that each customer is different. With my manufacturing, retailing and customer service experience my articles help people choose their ideal shed, garden workshop, summerhouse, log cabin or garden office needs to suit their requirement and that is key to satisfaction. And what do I do when I'm not writing? You may find me following Grimsby Town Football Club or riding roller coasters - so plenty of 'ups and downs' in my life.

About Author:

Robin Antill is an established authority in the field of quality garden building manufacturing, boasting over four decades of experience. Having founded Titan Garden Buildings in 1979, he demonstrated a commitment to excellence from the outset by moving away from subpar materials and embarking on crafting buildings of superior quality.


His lineage of craftsmanship, traced back to his father and grandfather's business in Cleethorpes, underscores his dedication to quality and customer satisfaction. Robin's son, Craig, who joined the business in 1990, brings additional expertise, having honed his skills at Guildford College in joinery.


Together, they elevated Titan Garden Buildings, which eventually evolved into 1st Choice Leisure Buildings. Their enduring focus on premium materials, top-notch manufacturing, and unparalleled customer service, along with Craig's digital acumen in creating the company's online presence, showcase their expertise and reliability in the industry.


Robin’s expertise was featured in Realtor.com, Homes&Gardens, The London Economic, and dozens other publications.


Woking Show Site
1st Choice Leisure Buildings
Woking Garden Buildings Show Site
Sutton Green Garden Centre,
Whitmoor Ln, Sutton Green,
Guildford,
GU4 7QA
Phone 01483 237550