Any experience with posh sheds / garden offices?

[ecuse]

We want to get a large robust shed prefab thing to be used as a garden workshop for my DP who is a computer technician. He needs room for a workbench, a desk, and for the walls to be robust enough to hold a good amount of shelving.

We've googled around and found plenty of places selling those prefab kits at prices ranging from £1k-£10k.

Anyone got first hand experience, recommendations, brands to stay away from, or hard-won wisdom to share?

We got one second hand (moving it was um, very hard) but we reinforced the interior and floor and put nice wood on the outside, got windows and now have a lovely bunkhouse/tack room.

You don't need tons of space, 10x10 is pretty good, if you can get bigger, do that. you can reinforce walls to put in shelving and stand alone shelves work too.

Our windows were all model windows that were used to demonstrate how the windows worked. We got them from a salesman who wasn't selling anymore.

If you are handy, you don't need to get a fancy one, you can do a lot of the upgrade yourself.

We used a company called Garden Affairs, in Bristol I think - we are in Shropshire. They have various models to work from, and you can decide where the windows and doors go. It arrived flat pack on an enormous lorry from Holland and we had to

1. install the concrete pad (well the builders did)
2. spray each piece with wood preservative several times
3. put it up using instructions translated from the Dutch
4. paint it

5 install electrics

It was actually very simple once you'd worked out where to start - you just go round and round with each piece slotting into the next. It was quick and very satisfying. We installed insulation in the floor, but if I were doing it again I'd do something about the walls as well, as it was a bit chilly.

I would do it again, although perhaps would get help shifting the wood - 2 of us moving 4 metre lengths of wood was hard work - and we were really pleased with it. Two of our friends put up similar buildings after seeing ours!

Garden Affairs were very helpful too - they sent up extra bits and pieces without querying (we'd mislaid them), and were great giving advice over the phone. This was 7 years ago, so I expect prices have gone up, but it was worth it for us.

www.gardenaffairs.co.uk/

We did this in our old house. I'd recommend proper double glazing and heating...it got very cold and condensationy in the winter.

Ours was 20x12 I think, split into two rooms. We had the floors and walls insulated and electrics put in.

I'd also recommend you put a proper path in. Ours was at the end of the garden, across the lawn, which was a pita.

Get plenty of electric points put in.

These as footings are a lot easier than a concrete slab and will make the timber structure last longer:
www.swiftfoundations.co.uk/

You do need to dig holes about 600x600mm sq and ram in type 1 hardcore to make a 450 deep footing to comply with building regs (more if on clay.... In which abcanchors mini piles would probably be better but £££)

You can then make up a base walls and frame in 150x50s (up to 4m spans) then insulate, fit electrics then board with timber inside and out (easier and more robust than plasterboard). Felt on the roof. Job done.

This is all good stuff, thanks!

We're looking at this at the moment-has anyone put underfloor heating in theirs? Thought this might be a good way to make it usable all year.