Summer Houses Buying Guide

Adding a summer house is a great way to get a lot more enjoyment out of your garden. Whether it is to use as a hobby room, office, gym, playroom or dining area, or even just as somewhere to sit and relax and view the garden, a summer house is ideal. There are now many different sizes and design styles available, so you can find a summer house that is perfectly in keeping with your property and its surroundings.

With a quality garden summer house, the possibilities are almost without limit, but there are few things you should bear in mind before having one installed. Here is our handy buyer's guide, outlining important details and offering useful advice about all things connected to summer houses.

Is Planning Permission Required for a Summer House?

In most cases, no. A summer house is considered an outbuilding by the planning authorities, and in the majority of instances it is not necessary to get planning permission to have one installed. There are some exceptions however. Under the following conditions, you will need to request planning permission before adding a summer house to your garden:

  • Your property is on designated land (e.g. Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or in a national park)
  • Your house is a listed building
  • You want to put the summer house within 5 metres of your property (in this case it may be considered an extension, and might need planning permission)
  • You want to put the summer house in front of your house, and facing a highway
  • The summer house will cover more than 50% of your home's surrounding area

For more details, and the most up to date guidance, check with the government's Planning Portal website.

What About Building Regulations?

Building regulations are unlikely to apply for a summer house, which tends to be classed a temporary structure. If you are planning to run electronics into your summer house, or any facilities which require plumbing, it is advisable to contact your local authority's Building Control department.

Where to Place a Summer House

If you have decided to get a summer house for your garden, the next decision you need to make is where to place it. The optimum location will depend on what you intend to use your summer house for, and whether you prefer it to be in the shade or exposed to direct sunlight. Examine the route of the sun through your garden and make note of which areas receive sunlight at which times of the day. If possible, the best solution is for a summer house with a south-facing front, and positioned a reasonable distance away from the house.

Another factor to bear in mind is the style of summer house itself. Think carefully about the size of your garden, and choose a summer house that won't be too large and dominate its surroundings. Octagonal summer houses, for instance, often work best when positioned in the corner of the garden, where you can make the most of the panoramic view on display. Wherever you decide to position your summer house, make sure that it is on ground that is both level and firm, and away from any damp or drainage areas.

Installation and Treatment of Summer Houses

Some people choose to assemble their summer house themselves, but if you are not experienced at DIY, and don't have the necessary tools, you can use our professional Home Installation service. As a hassle-free and safe solution, the installation service is a great way of making sure that you have nothing to worry about when it comes to building your new summer house.

All summer houses come with a ten-year anti rot guarantee, which is an assurance of quality that very few suppliers can offer. It is also a good idea to retouch your summer house so that its colour does not fade over time. A range of timber treatments is available from Sheds.co.uk that will help your summer house to continue to look as good as the day it was first installed. Call us on 0345 034 6481 for more details.

Quality Summer Houses at Sheds.co.uk

Sheds.co.uk is able to offer a full range of summer houses, from small and simple designs such as the Best Value 7' x 7' Oxford Summer House to larger, more modern designs like the 10' x 10' Loxley Summer House. All summer houses are made with the finest materials to exacting production standards. To view our complete range and find out more details about each model, visit Summer Houses.

All images are for illustrative purposes only. All dimensions are approximate and may vary with manufacturers tolerances. Dimensions contained within product names are approximate, for guidance purposes only. Unless otherwise stated, all measurements are overall including roof overhangs where applicable.

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♦ Pick a day delivery is subject to availability. Postcode must match your delivery address, otherwise the delivery date may not be available. Pick a Day delivery is not available when Home installation is selected, you will be contacted by the installations team to arrange delivery and installation dates. Pick a Day delivery on orders placed through finance are also not available and are subject to credit checks, which are outside our control. In such cases you will be contacted to rearrange delivery. Terms & Conditions apply.