Summerhouses

I have a lovely summerhouse. The intention was to use it as a seating, quiet hobby space. So far it has been used to store car parts for our T2 renovation; project finished, summerhouse cleared out ready to furnish. Next it became a wood store as DH decided we should have a log burner. Log store built and no longer a wood store. Next came the kitchen cabinets while we built our extension. Kitchen restored but still got some cabinets which are now excess to kitchen requirements. I have put my foot down and will be clearing my summerhouse and leaving everything not required in my DH 's workshop. I wonder how long it will be before we make a tip run.

Thank you everyone. This has been a most inspiring thread. I have toyed with the idea of a summerhouse for years, but my naysayers ( children) were adamant that it would become an outside storage area very quickly.
Now, I might be ready ..

Dog!

Weve had our 8 years ...its right at bottom of the garden....15ft x 10ft ....we've 2 old leather sofas in there plus a beer fridge .....we've slept in there with the GC .....my DP sits out there a lot in the evenings with the dig with the doors open watching the stars! ...we have Internet connection out there and an Alexa

You are all making me envious. We bought one which I was looking forward to enjoying. First day it rained husband put all the garden furniture in there to keep it dry. He brings the garden furniture out only on warm sunny days in the morning and puts it away every evening. With the garden furniture in the summerhouse there is no room to sit.

Do you have to have his permission to buying if you want it?

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

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.

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.

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.

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 🍹

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.

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

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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.

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

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.

Flo122

thank you everyone

Have just messaged you Flo.

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!!!##**!

thank you everyone

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.

Meant to add

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.

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.

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.

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.