Log Cabins For Sale

It appears to be easy to purchase a log cabin – look on the internet to see a model you like and then try to find the best price – simple! Well – NO. Because there is such an extensive range of wooden log buildings available, the quality (or lack of it) varies considerably. You need to tread carefully to ensure you are not disappointed.

It would be best if you considered so many different things before you ‘sign on the dotted line’ so ask as many questions as you want and ensure you are happy with the answers. You can then be reasonably sure you won’t be disappointed.

1st Choice’s Trentan Wooden Cabins – are Made to Very High-Quality Standards

Optional Cabin Installation

By buying from an established business you can be reasonably sure that they have a great deal of expertise in the market. More importantly, they listen to their customers. This doesn’t mean avoid younger companies but just be a little more aware of their trading record.

Most established businesses have bricks and mortar premises where their website is simply a tool to introduce their products to the public. These businesses tend to have staff available to talk to about the range of buildings on offer.

1st Choice has been in the outbuilding industry since 1979. We have a physical office where you can talk to us or visit, as well as two display sites.

Double Glazed As Standard

With the internet, it’s often difficult to see what your new log outbuilding will be like. This is why it’s important it is so important to view your wood cabin before delivery. This way you can see how well it’s been made, whether there is sufficient head height, whether the doors and windows are solidly made and how good the timber is

Whilst some cabin internet-only companies may claim it’s best to buy online, it is not always possible to be sure what you are getting. If they are not prepared to let you see their log buildings beforehand, then be very wary. The cheapest price is not always the best value.

1st Choice Show Rooms and display areas are near Woking & Farnham in Surrey & Showcase Their Very High Standards Cabins

View Before Buying

The thinnest timber you should use for log cabins is 44mm. This thickness provides adequate strength to the building which makes it suitable for most uses. Thicker 70mm timber is the best as it is naturally insulating. This means that you do not need to install expensive wall insulation. Cool in summer and warm in winter is the best combination you could possibly have!

I have seen cases where 19mm ‘logs’ (how they call them logs I don’t know!) are used which makes for a very cheap, lightweight building. I wouldn’t want to lean on one! 28mm logs can be suitable, provided the right quality of timber is used. But certainly not any fast-growing timber

1st Choice Standard Cabin – Recommends 44mm Timber But 70mm is The Best!

Felt Tiles As Standard on Apex Cabins

The better timber cabins have double glazing as standard, but cheaper models only have single glazed windows. This does reduce the cost of the building marginally but it makes it harder to keep the building warm in Winter. Conversely, it is also and harder (and not many people think of this) to keep the cabin cooler in Summer.

You will also find that double glazed windows are substantially more robust than single panes due to the two panes of glass with its vacuum inside it. So warmth and strength as standard.

1st Choice use Double Glazed Windows as standard – All pre-hung and framed with adjustable hinges!

Optional EPDM Felt on Pent Cabins

Ensure that all apex log cabin and pent log cabin shaped ends are supplied cut to size & shape. Many cheap cabin kit manufacturers supply shaped which need to be cut by you. This may save money but means more work for you, and the possibility of mistakes.

It makes good sense to have the least amount of work as possible. The best option is to have the cabin built for you. Right – it is more expensive, but you can be sure that your new potentially self build log cabin will be constructed correctly and all you need to do is to enjoy it with your family in your garden. Also check the log cabin security features available on your cabin.

All 1st Choice Log Buildings have pre-cut panels to shape as well as size.

Over 60 Different Sizes and Styles

During the cold winter months it makes you wonder how we can sit outdoors in shorts and tee shirts or ladies with their short dresses. With the heavy snow over most parts of the country during the winter makes us think of the Swiss Alps maybe with its insulated log cabins which would be good use as a cabin in the UK. The snow can be welcome for a short while and children enjoy playing about in it, I know my grandson Daniel, does. When the snow arrived, my wife went to the local hardware shop and bought two sledges. One made of unsympathetic plastic and one made from wood. Guess which one I preferred? When I started my insulated garden cabin factory back in 1979, the snow didn’t last too long, and the sledges stayed in the cabin!

This time of the year can be spent planning for the winter with decisions to be made about whether the garden furniture can should stay outside or be removed to the safety of our cabin. The barbecue often is showing signs of rusting so maybe I’ll pull that inside as well. Having said that I don’t use it very often and remains in my garden for most of the year.

A wooden cabin is used mainly during the warmer parts of the year, but it’s a shame to close it down when the weather turns cold. The answer is an insulated log cabin as this will help to keep the cabin warmer all year round. There will be a bit of investment to do this, but the rewards are great with this added insulation. Your children could use it as a den and out from under your feet, and they would love you for it. Or you could use it for your self and get away from your busy life, or your wife could use it as a hobby room. Even better you can share it with all your family which as got to be good. Other than that, an insulated garden cabin could be used as an office where you could run your business or run a small min-factory. In this instance, it could be tax deductible so even better.

You can insulate your garden cabin after delivery if you have reasonable DIY skills and you are going to build the cabin yourself. All you need would be some polystyrene or fibreglass type insulation and some sheets of plywood, hardboard or something similar and 2×2 timbers. After you have fitted the roof, you would nail the 2×2 timbers to the roof and then fit the fibreglass or polystyrene inside these timbers. You would then line over the top with some sheet material before fixing the roofing material. With the floor you would again nail 2×2 timbers onto the floor, fit the insulation in between and then line with plywood (at least ½” but ideally ¾” thick). This would raise the floor by 2″ if you go on top of the floor. Ideally, put the insulation in between the floor joists but ensure it does not touch your base as you need to allow some airflow underneath.

The walls are normally at least 44m thick and sometimes 70mm thick. This in itself provides good insulation values, so it not always necessary to insulate the walls any further. Having said that any extra insulation added will help even more to keep the temperature right. All the Trentan log cabins come with double glazed doors and windows, unlike many cheap garden cabins.

On all our log cabins we have an option to supply a lining and insulating kit for the roof and floor so nothing else would be required (supplied within a 50 miles radius of Guildford). And if you took the option of having the cabin built, then the floor and roof insulation would be fitted for you within the price. The other plus is that the floor insulation would go under the floorboards so you would not use any height within your cabin. Well worth considering if we are arranging the installation for you.

The cabins are supplied with chunky timber walls (good U-values) and double glazing as standard, and you can ensure that they are comfortable year-round with the addition of our insulated floor and roof upgrade. We use 50mm PIR Celotex / Kingspan in the roof and cover this with a structural grade 18mm OSB roof deck atop before fitting your specified roofing material. We will use 25mm PIR Celotex / Kingspan on the floor. The fitment of insulation will not affect the internal headroom in any way and prices shown will include for fitting when our teams install your cabin.

By adding insulation to the roof and floor then this will make a massive difference and help to keep the building warmer in the winter and a little cooler in the summer. The standard 44mm logs do provide a reasonable amount of insulation – the 70mm more so. However, it’s reasonably easy to add insulation to the walls after you have had the building built if you choose to do so, but you should ensure that the wall logs are still able to move according to the time of the year. You would, like in a house, need to provide heating during the cooler months and I would recommend a dry source of heat such as an electric radiator. Never use a Calor Gas type of heater as, besides the flammability of it, gives out a lot of moisture and can make your cabin damp. Avoid at all costs.

One thing which most people don’t think about is keeping the log cabin cooler in the warmer months. Insulating the building will help massively in this aspect. And this is something I only learned by chance. On a hot summer day, I went from one of our display buildings into an insulated one and was astonished by the difference in temperature. I double-checked, and the insulated building was far cooler, so this is well worth considering.

On all of our Trentan cabin pages you will find links to the prices of the basic buildings, and on the order form, you will see the cost for that particular model. And if you are not sure, then have a chat with us, and we can help. Being able to use your garden cabin all year round is well worth considering at the stage of buying it. You will find it harder afterwards to add it. So sometimes it better to ‘bite the bullet’ and get the right building at the right time.

We are, of course, delighted to provide you with a no-obligation quote to meet your needs so call on (0800) 999 6995, (0333) 800 8880, (01483) 237550 or (01252) 311085 use our contact form or call into one of our display sites near Farnham and Guildford and have a chat. You will be glad you did.

We believe that it is vital that you are given the opportunity to inspect a log cabin before parting with your money so we have established two easily-accessible display sites near Guildford and Farnham in Surrey which, hopefully, is not too far away where you can come and see over 100 buildings from all of our main ranges of buildings. You can browse our garden cabins and log buildings at your leisure without worrying about any high-pressure salesmen pouncing on you (not that we would employ that type in any case!). If you need any help, then we are there to advise.

Besides supplying some of the nicest buildings to you we can optionally (chargeable) arrange the assembly of these cabins for you providing there is a suitable base. And if there isn’t, don’t worry, we can build that for you too for a small extra charge. Experts in timber cabins, wooden huts and log buildings. And so much more so take a small drive and come and see us.

We, being a family business, have been involved in the manufacture of quality buildings 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 shed companies in the south of England and 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 where quality and customer service was always the keyword behind 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. 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 you know your building actually will be ‘1st Choice’!

If you need help about planning permission take a look at the Planning Portal Official Site

If you need help and general buying tips with flat pack log cabins and related issues then take a look at our page with advice about buying on our web site. There use to be log cabin directories on the web but have been superseded by search engines these days