Garden room kits, prefab, shell or built on site?

The four routes

Turnkey

The company designs, prepares the base, builds, insulates, wires, lines and finishes the room. You get a single price and one company responsible for everything.

• Good for: anyone who wants it done properly with the least hassle.
• Watch for: what "turnkey" includes. Some exclude the base, the cable from the house or heating.

Prefab and modular

The room is made in a factory as panels or complete modules, then delivered and assembled on a base. Panels are carried through a side passage; complete modules are lifted in by crane.

• Good for: speed. The room often goes up in one or two days, with less mess.
• Watch for: access. Ask how the panels or module will reach your garden, and who pays for a crane or road permit if needed.

Shell only

The company builds a weathertight structure: base, frame, roof, cladding, windows and doors. You arrange the insulation, lining, electrics and finishing.

• Good for: confident DIYers, or people with a builder or carpenter they trust.
• Watch for: condensation. Insulation and a vapour control layer must be fitted properly, or moisture will damage the structure. See insulation and condensation.

DIY kits

You buy the parts, often pre-cut, and build it yourself. Kits range from simple log cabins to insulated panel systems.

• Good for: small rooms and people with real building experience and time.
• The real cost: add the base, insulation if not included, roofing, electrician, interior finishes, tools, skip hire and your time.
• Watch for: thin log walls (28 to 44 mm) without insulation, which are cold in winter. And UK sellers' prices may not include delivery to Ireland, VAT or customs.

Which suits you?

The planning rules are the same for every route. See the planning guide.