An arbor keeps things tidy in the garden, because the small shed is a great place to store equipment. Comfortably furnished, you can relax undisturbed here in the summer months or celebrate with neighbors and friends. But what does the self-planned and self-built garden house cost and is it really cheaper than the prefabricated kit?
A prefabricated garden house is often the cheaper option
Individuality is trump
One advantage of the self-constructed garden house is obvious: the uniqueness. You can plan the living room, the storage area or an additional terrace according to your own wishes, at least as long as they comply with the statutory building permit regulations.
The cost factors
These are varied and at the same time dependent on the planned size. You should include in your calculation:
- The type of wood: high-quality wooden planks with a thickness of up to 90 millimeters are significantly more expensive than the planks with a thickness of up to 45 millimeters, which are completely sufficient in many cases. It becomes even more expensive if a small, brick garden house (24.90 €) is your dream.
- The wood quality. Although hard softwood lasts for many years, it is not cheap. With good weather protection and regular painting, the lifespan of inexpensive wood qualities can be significantly extended. So at this point you can save.
- The foundation: Should it be a slab foundation or a complex concrete base plate?
- The roof covering: Is roofing felt enough or do you want a house that is covered with bitumen shingles or tiles?
- Equipment.
- Don't forget the cost of the building permit.
The interior design can be expensive
The dream of a tool shed made of cheap wood can therefore be implemented relatively inexpensively. If the summer house is in the allotment garden or on a leisure property, you might want to use it as a weekend house and expand the interior accordingly. Depending on the equipment, the interior design can make the building much more expensive. Such a house should:
- Have good insulation for a pleasant indoor climate.
- Connections to water and electricity are features that add significantly to the level of comfort in a garden house that you intend to spend the night in occasionally.
- The house can only be used in the cool season if you integrate heating.
The ready kit
If the calculation is for self-construction, bargain hunters compare the price again with that of ready-made kits that meet the desired requirements. When comparing prices, remember that you don't have to search long for the necessary material, the right screws and other materials. The final assembly is done in a few hours and you have a guarantee on the quality. What seems expensive at first glance can ultimately be cheaper due to the time saved.
tips
Bargain foxes should never save in the wrong place. When buying, pay attention not only to the strength, but also to the quality of the wood used. We recommend material that was felled in the far north, as the trees grow more slowly here and are therefore of better quality.