a green summerhouse with a lady standing in the open door way and a rear shed area with door open

Choosing a Garden Building 

As any homeowner and Buy Sheds Direct website regular will know, nowadays there is a huge choice of garden buildings for sale, ranging in size from compact storage units to giant garages, and encompassing all sorts of wonderful greenhouses, arbours and pergolas in between.

However, like with so many things in life, there is a definite pecking order. In the garden, the shed, workshop, summerhouse and log cabin reign supreme.

Here, we take a look at this long-established ‘Top 4’ of the garden building world, before providing you with a fail-safe formula to determine which one is right for you.

modern log cabin made from nordic wood7x5 wooden garden shedpretty wooden summerhouse with veranda and plant potslarge wooden workshop shed

 

 

The Shed

An 8x6 tongue and groove wooden shed with door open and window ajar

 

If you were to say the words ‘garden building’ to someone, chances are that the picture they would conjure up in their mind would be that of a wooden shed. Practical and dependable, the garden shed excels in keeping tools, lawnmowers and outdoor furniture protected from the elements and safe from unwanted attention.

Sheds are also easy to customise, potentially making them great places to carry out practical tasks or even somewhere to relax and enjoy a hobby. Coming in every conceivable size, with wooden sheds, metal sheds and plastic sheds all to choose from, there is a garden shed for everyone.

 

 

The Workshop

A 20x10 wooden workshop shed with side log store

 

To all but the most dedicated garden building connoisseur, it can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between a shed and a workshop. Broadly speaking, if a shed is large, has at least 2 windows, is fitted with shelves and has a workbench, then it can be classified as a workshop.

Having said that, a workshop-purest might argue that it also needs an apex roof and double doors on the wider side of the structure too.

As the name suggests, workshops are designed for getting those practical tasks done, but they also make excellent garden storage facilities too.

 

 

The Summerhouse

A fully glazed reverse apex wooden summer house garden room

 

The ultimate place to relax in the garden, close to nature but sheltered from the rain and shielded from the sun, the summerhouse lets you enjoy the pleasures of your garden long after the neighbours have gone back indoors.

Light, airy and invariably beautiful, garden rooms are not only wonderful places to relax, sat on a comfy rattan chair, with Sunday newspapers in hand, they are also splendid venues for family dining and garden soirees, whilst designs that favour natural light ensure that they make excellent home offices too.

 

 

The Log Cabin

A modern pent roof garden log cabin with doors open to show dining furniture inside

 

If summerhouses allow you to extend your time in the garden during warmer months, log cabins are buildings that offer a sheltered garden space for use all year round. Boasting walls that are thicker than summerhouses, and often sporting a chalet-style design, log cabins favour cosiness and solidity.

Due to their robust build, emphasis on comfort and generous number of windows, log cabins make exceptional home offices.

Larger than the average summerhouse, log cabins are ideal as multipurpose spaces for the whole family to enjoy.

 

Decision Time

Now that you’ve had the lowdown on the Garden Building Top 4, how do you feel? Enlightened? More confused? Well, fear not because here is the promised formula to help you decide which garden building you should buy:

Primary use

Secondary use

Choice

Storage

Practical work

Shed or Workshop

Practical work

Leisure

Workshop

Leisure

Home office

Summerhouse or Log Cabin

Home office

Storage

Log Cabin

Leisure

Storage

Log Cabin or Summerhouse

Home office

Practical work

Workshop

Practical work

Storage

Workshop

Home office

Leisure

Summerhouse or Log Cabin

 

If you like to have your leisure space and storage too, why not opt for a combination garden building?

You can find summerhouses, log cabins and workshops with separate storage areas integrated into the building.

 

You now know what you require , so it's time to begin the search for your perfect shed, workshop, summerhouse or log cabin today.

View all our garden buildings at Buy Sheds Direct.