If you’re a homeowner who wants a bit more room and is considering expanding into your garden instead of renovating the inside of your main house, then a contemporary garden room could be just what you’re looking for. A garden room provides the ideal space away from your main house for running your business, working, homeschooling the kids or just taking a breather from the stresses of everyday life.
If this sounds like something you need in your home, we’re here to help you in your research process. One of the key steps will be to compare garden building manufacturers so that you can be confident you are really getting a structure that meets all of your requirements. That’s why this guide will compare Garden Retreats and Summer House 24 across key purchasing information such as construction materials, customisation options, sizes and much more.
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Garden Retreats and Summer House 24: Summary
| Garden Retreats | Summer House 24 | |
|---|---|---|
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Materials |
Glass fibre and carbon fibre frames, with EPS insulation wrapped in a composite cladding. |
Garden rooms: untreated Nordic spruce. Insulated garden rooms: recycled steel shipping containers. |
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Size range |
Three individually-priced pods you can install individually or combine to make a larger structure:
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Garden rooms: from 3 x 3 metres to 8 x 5.5 metres. Insulated garden rooms: 6 x 2.5 metres to 6.1 x 2.4 metres. |
|
Optional extras |
|
Garden rooms:
Insulated garden rooms:
|
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Fixtures and fittings included as standard |
|
Garden rooms:
Insulated garden rooms:
|
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Warranties |
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Garden rooms: five-year guarantee. Insulated garden rooms: unclear. |
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External maintenance |
Zero external maintenance is required. |
Garden rooms: supplied unfinished so will need treating and maintaining regularly. Insulated garden rooms: resinous cladding material requiring low maintenance. |
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Prices |
From £10,000 for the smallest pod with no extras. |
Garden rooms: from £4,775 for the smallest garden office with no extras. Insulated garden rooms: from £26,975 for the PopUpHut with no extras. |
The main differences between Garden Retreats and Summer House 24
As you can see from the summary table above, there are some key differences between our Garden Retreats pods and the garden rooms on offer at Summer House 24. Firstly, both the garden rooms and insulated garden rooms at Summer House 24 are provided in pre-determined configurations. Our pods come in three individually-priced sizes which you can install on their own or combine to create a room that meets your exact specification.
The materials we use are also very different. Whereas we use glass reinforced plastic (GRP) to construct our pods and super-strong, non-flammable composite material for our cladding, Summer House 24’s garden rooms are constructed from timber. While timber is a natural material that provides a rustic aesthetic, it needs treating and staining regularly to keep it in useable condition. Summer House 24 can provide wood finisher and preserver as an optional extra—they do not come as standard with an order. In comparison, the insulated garden rooms from Summer House 24 are repurposed steel shipping containers wrapped in a softwood cladding.
Insulated garden rooms from Summer House 24 arrive fully assembled, so no installation is required (though the lead time can be up to 12 weeks). Their garden rooms, on the other hand, are intended for DIY build unless you upgrade to include installation in the delivery service. Wall and roof insulation and guttering are also extra. You will have to arrange utilities such as electricity, lighting and heating yourself.
All electrics, heating and air conditioning is included internally with a Garden Retreats pod, as is insulation and LED lighting. We use no nails in the construction of our pods, meaning they can be constructed quickly on-site and dismantled so you can take your structure with you if you relocate in the future.
Benefits of the Garden Retreats pod
Because of our superior materials, a Garden Retreats pod is guaranteed to last a lifetime—that’s why we offer a 25-year warranty for all of our structures. Our materials are strong, durable and require 75% less energy for production and transportation than steel. We also use industry-leading warm roof systems with U-values of just 0.18 that won’t lose heat during the winter months.
The structural integrity of our pods mean a roof terrace can be safely installed whenever you want, whether this is during the initial building period or at a later date. For even more luxury, you have the option of including composite decking available in the same three classic colours as our composite cladding. As standard, you have a choice between patio and bifold doors in black or grey, as well as a selection of wipe-clean luxury Italian floor tiles. You can even upgrade your wall panels to include your own hi-res photo or business logo to create a unique feature wall.
Perhaps the biggest benefits of the Garden Retreats pod is its versatility. No matter what you have planned for your space—a home office, games room, gym, pet grooming salon, hair and beauty salon, or just a stand-alone structure as an extension of your main house—the Garden Retreats pod will provide the flexibility, creativity and efficacy you need.
For more information or to book a free site survey, contact a member of our team today.