What Style of Timber Building Is Right For Me?

We’re right #sheddie mad here and by the looks of the way they are flying out the door, it looks like you are too. 

But we know that there are so many timber building options and names to choose from out there that it can be daunting and a long process. You might be left wondering:

“Is this the right one for me, och, ah dinnae ken.”

Which is why in this blog we’ll be looking at what types of timber building might be right for your home. 

What different types of timber buildings are there?

“Do I need a Garage or a shed?”

“ Is it a Shed I’m after or a Summerhouse?” 

We get it, the industry doesn’t make it entirely clear what is what when it comes to timber buildings.

More often than not, we get asked about garden rooms when it’s a Summerhouse you’re after or a big shed when it’s a Garage you are after. 

Let’s start with the basics. There are four different types of timber buildings you’ll need to think about:

1. Sheds
2. Summerhouses
3. Garages
4. Garden Rooms

So, what’s the difference between them and how much should you expect them to cost?

What exactly is a shed?

A shed is a basic single-skinned timber building predominantly used and known for a storage area in the garden for all those garden tools. 

However, sheds are extremely versatile. 

We’ve had customers use their sheds to create a workspace, laboratories, bee sheds, workshops, motorbike storage, potting sheds. They are a place to get down and dirty. 

You’ll find sheds sizes averaging 6’ x 6’ to 18’ x 10’ – sometimes more, sometimes less. 

You’ll typically find they range from a couple hundred pounds to a few thousand.

Find out more about sheds here

What exactly is a summerhouse?

The summerhouse is another single-skinned timber building, this time with plenty of glass for all that sunlight, heat, and taps-aff weather. 

They come in all shapes and sizes, typically a wooden structure, and their main purpose is to be used in those spring and summer months as a beautiful additional area to relax in your garden.

Summerhouses can also be versatile. Sheddies create working spaces, gin palaces, reading areas, gyms, creative spaces for those much-loved hobbies, a social space for friend and family gatherings. 

The key factor here is that you will typically use this on a temporary basis. It’s a seasonal building.  More so in the spring/summer. Less so in the Autumn/Winter. 

Prices range from £1,000 – £8,000.

Find out more about summerhouses here

What exactly is a garage?

The mighty Garage. Garages are larger than your shed and are typically used for storing vehicles from prized cars to expensive lawnmowers. They’re usually concrete structures but also come as a timber buildings and sometimes metal. (We wouldn’t class a metal structure as a Garage as they are single- skinned)

We typically say anything 16’ x 10’ upwards should be classed as a Garage and priced from a couple thousand to £15,000-£20,000 – maybe more.

The purpose of a Garage is to offer high-end protection. Like adding another room to your home but not necessarily a living space. You should expect the build of a Garage to be robust and offer sufficient protection from the outside.

Garages can also be versatile and used from large workshops to gym areas. 

Find out more about garages here

What exactly is a garden room?

The classiest timber buildings, also known as Cabins. The purpose of a Garden Room (The clue is in the name) – is that you essentially have extra room at your home. It is a livable space where you can work, eat, sleep 24/7 – all year round. The fue-shebang – a robust structure, electrics, heating, water, double glazing, and so on. 

You can let your imagination run wild with what you can use a Garden Room for. We typically find Sheddies use these for additional workspaces, creative spaces, living spaces.

They come in all shapes and sizes and typically range from £10,000 – £40,000 plus.

Find out more about garden rooms here

So, which building should you get?

The industry sure does like to make it complicated, but hopefully that has helped you clear up the differences between shed, summerhouses, garages and garden rooms so that you can decide which one might be right for you and your home. 

Here’s some additional info on the differences if you’d like to get stuck in further: 

• Shed vs Summerhouses – What’s the difference?
• What’s the difference between a big shed and a garage?
• Cabins vs Summerhouses – What’s the difference?