Summerhouses

I bought mine about 20 years ago and it has been worth every penny. Husband treats it every couple of years.

Avoid cheap, flimsy ones like you see at DIY places. Mine was from a firm in Northampton. My husband cleared the area and put in a cement base. They came exactly on time, did a great job and I have put at least 5 friends on to them who have all been pleased with their summerhouses.

Mine fits into a corner of the garden where it gets sun all afternoon and evening until sun goes down. It has double doors, windows and we put carpet on the floor. I forget the size but I have 3 large conservatory chairs in there, plus a coffee table, a small table for Radio etc and a set of storage cubes for wool, magazines etc. Last summer we put a TV in there. I love it!

We bought ours the end of lockdown and absolutely love it. I painted the interior white to brighten it up. We simply furnished it and bought a small drinks fridge for it.
I spring cleaned it two days ago and washed the cushion covers and throws. It's one of our favourite places to sit and listen to the birds.

Primrose53, I don't suppose you can remember the name of the company. Your post has encouraged me to look into it further, thank you

Flo122

Primrose53, I don't suppose you can remember the name of the company. Your post has encouraged me to look into it further, thank you

Will message you tomorrow. I still have their brochure.

I had one at our last house and never regretted it. It was lovely to sit in there reading a book if it was a windy day so a too cold to sit in the open. I had a bird table set up nearby and it was wonderful to sit in there to watch them. Unfortunately this garden is tiny so can't fit one in which I bitterly regret.

I had one in my last garden and like Primrose53, it was solid and built to last. When the sun was out in early Spring or Autumn, I often repaired to it after lunch with a book, cup of tea, radio and reclined on a garden chair, feet up and inevitably nodded off 💤. I also had a heater for chillier days. Wish I had a garden big enough in which to install one now. Sigh.

We bought one from a Northampton firm and loved it - tucked into a corner of the garden which caught the late afternoon sun it was ideal for tea and drinks and was much used. It proved a great place for small grandchildren to set up home too but when we moved there was nowhere suitable so we left it but the new owners redesigned the garden and got rid of it.

We had a lovely summerhouse. It was used year round by both of us.
Unfortunately it was wrecked by a winter storm a couple of years ago. We would love another, but cannot afford one.
This was it before the wind blew it to bits.

My friend has a beautiful summerhouse. It’s by Crane, a Norfolk Company, bought from John Lewis, where she got a credit plan and they sorted out a slight issue after it was built. agreement.

Meant to add

We had one, like the above and never used it, except for storage. We removed it.
To be fair, our neighbour had an enormous but beautiful copper beech which shaded the garden and the summerhouse all year. Once that was removed because it was causing us subsidence, the house/garden was flooded with light.
So, only consider one if you have space where light/heat is available.

thank you everyone

Summer houses are lovely
We had a nice one until it died!
Then my blooming husband replaced it with an old brown shed!
He said it was just the same.
I can't repeat what I said. MEN!!!##**!

Flo122

thank you everyone

Have just messaged you Flo.

We've had one for about fifteen years, and have never regretted buying one. I would also add to the previous recommendations and suggest having windows both sides of the structure too.

We got one 3 years ago and love it, whenever the sun is out you'll find us in our 'cowshed'

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After a dreadful experience with one company a local carpenter made mine from scratch and to my specifications, it’s wonderful!
It’s fully insulated, has electricity and is c9’ x 12’. It cost less than I’d expected and less than one from a local company. I have windows on two sides, French doors, laminate flooring with a rug and it easily accommodates two comfortable chairs, a small table and chair for my crafting, a tall slim shelving unit and a storage cube/coffee table.
I am fitting blinds and it’s certainly big enough for my needs.
It’s known as Mum’s Shed 😍, I love it.
I would certainly recommend finding a good carpenter and have it made to your specifications.

My friend has one.
She uses it to store things.
But also, her elderly dad used to sit in it. More as he aged.

We had a good quality one in the garden of our previous house from which we could look out over an adjacent pond visited by a heron. We had a small sofa and a couple of folding chairs in it. Very good for whiling away a hot afternoon.

Ours came with the bungalow and I suspect was installed a year after it was built when the owners noted the sun’s transit across the garden.

Fifty years later, it’s now our favourite place to be once Valentine’s Day has passed until Bonfire night regardless of weather.

Each year Mr PG strips out all the furniture and hoovers the bugs away and I wash the covers etc. This year we’re going to paint the interior turning it into a beach 🏖️ hut and have a launch in April…you’re all invited 🍹

Every couple of years I buy a duvet cover in a lovely design. Sometimes reduced in a store, sometimes in a charity shop. I then cut it up into 3 pieces. One to cover the double door windows and one each for the side windows. As they are double there is no need to line.

We’ve had designs like beach huts, trees, jungle plants, herbs etc which I hem and make a channel to pass an elasticated rod through. It gets so hot and bright in there that they are essential.

We bought a summerhouse at our previous house. It was brilliant and we spent a lot of time out there. In lockdown we used to sit out there for hours, doing jigsaws and reading. We moved house 6 months ago, and although our garden is much smaller it has a summerhouse already set up. As our flat has a very small second bedroom I have set up my office in the summerhouse and work from there. I’m really looking forward to the summer months when I can sit out there with the doors open and enjoy the sunshine and warmth.

I've had one for about 5 years. Love it. Husband insulated it, put a TV in, also oil radiator for when it gets a bit nippy. Maybe to keep me out of the way!
It's only small. 2 seater garden sofa and one garden seat in there (with cushions) . Wish I'd bought a bigger one though.

Absolutely worth having one. I had a garden on three levels in North Yorkshire. So,the first thing was that I chose the company who made sturdy ones, and was actually able to choose how the windows would be put in and the size. Mine had a small long window in the rear and then two large square windows in each side and then the french window style doors could be shut or opened to suit. That meant that it was brilliant for many things. On those clear but cold days I could sit down there with the doors closed and it would be warm and comfortable in there, with a great view of the garden but dry. We got a simple walki talki to use between the house and the summerhouse. Kept fold up chairs and a table which could be used inside or outside . It was set on the lowest level of the garden, close to the pond and near a shed, which is where I had gardening tools and pots and the lawnmower etc etc. I happily spent ages in there on cold or wet days doing all sorts, repotting plants, sowing seeds etc. Used to keep my older encyclopedia down there to be able to check up anything I wanted. Any roadworks or work being done in the vicinity, we would take our lunch down to the summerhouse and I had my radio so could listen to radio 3 and of course gardeners world down there. I have taken part in the birdwatching and counting many years, but one year it was so cold that I actually did it from inside the summerhouse. Good friends knew where I would be if no sign of life in the house and would come round the back, and I didnt miss annoying phone calls or unwanted knocks at the door. We enjoyed using it for many things, a base for welcoming friends and neighbours to a drink . A good plant swap basis with the chance for people to wander across to the borders to check out the plant A place to sit and think , somewhere that you didnt look round and see jobs needing to be done. Dont want to watch football? Had a bit of a row with someone? Dont care for the friend of another family member coming round? A brilliant reason to disappear down to the summerhouse, muttering plants to be watered or whatever.

Oh, it was so lovely and it gave us a lot of pleasure and peace and quiet. After my husband died it was also a great special place for me , and it is something I miss very much since I had to move. It was also mentioned by the buyers as a reason they wanted the house!! They were keen gardeners and that was a major thing that appealed to them. Just one word of warning! Make sure that you claim the space and welcome visitors, or you might find that it will be taken over as your husband finds many reasons to use it too. Enjoy it. Oh of course you can also grow things that dont like to be out in the cold. I would get a notebook already , so that you can start by keeping a note of seeds and plants and if you see a plant you like you can have a check up if it would grow in your area. Oh I envy you starting with a new place to enjoy. Good Luck