Why is Gillies and Mackay so expensive?

The other day I received an e-mail from a guy (it’s okay it happens all the time) and he said “Alright darlin’ what’s yer cheapest shed ya’v got?” my instant reply was common courtesies and a simple “we don’t do cheap sheds I’m afraid, just expensive.”

I then laid out in great detail our technical specification of what we use to make the shed and how we do it.

Needless to say he wasn’t impressed and I never heard from him again. 

The thing is we’ve been charging a fortune for our Sheds for over 25 years – we know what we’re doing when it comes to price. We also know that pricing is a big part of your decision when buying a shed.

But why are we so expensive? Charging a million pounds* needs some sort of justification surely?

*They’re not actually a million…yet.

5 reasons why Gillies and Mackay is so expensive

1.  We use Scandinavian Pine, which is hand selected by Mr. Mackay himself

In the beginning, back in the 80’s everyone was using Spruce and it was rubbish. It was rough, brittle and bent like a banana.

We couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of its nonsense so thought we’d spend a bit more and get something that not only looked pretty but was far denser, so much easier to work with and did what it was profiled to do.

We work closely with our local sawmills to ensure quality is maintained for each individual timber component.

Related content:

• A guide to the wood in your shed
• Whitewood vs redwood
• What is the best type of wood for a shed?

2. We make everything ourselves, here in the Carse of Gowrie

It’s a funny thing to say, but in the real world of business, it is, without a doubt cheaper to outsource and buy in from abroad. Our manufacturing industry is something that is to be desired and it is completely reasonable to assume that your consumable comes from China.

But it turns out foreign Sheds don’t appreciate that our wet winters last 10 months of the year and it’s highly unlikely to withstand hurricane – whatever her name is.

So what better way to take on the Scottish climate than to make them in it?

3. We look after you

It’s not difficult – we treat others the way they expect to be treated. We put all our profits back into the business to do research and develop our product.

Mr. Gillies’ sole purpose is to visit age old customers, whether in their 1st year or 21st year of ownership, and ensure that whatever problem they may have, it is resolved.

4. We pay a decent wage

By decent I mean we’re even Accredited Living Wage Employers. We’re also members of the Scottish Business Pledge AND we do everything we can to ensure our 15 strong staff are looked after, cared for and loved for life.

We support 9 families in total and it’s a commitment we take very seriously.

Our rewards and care packages for each employee is a reflection of their loyalty and hard work given to us over their many years of service.

5. We give you a part of us

Each building we make is a Gillies and Mackay baby. We entrust you to look after it, care for it and accept it into your family.

We know making memories and sharing lives with the ones you love can start with a single moment.

That moment is in your Gillies and Mackay building passed on through the generations – just like us.