Summerhouse FAQs

A summerhouse is an outdoor garden structure that is typically designed in timber to provide a cool, shaded place to relax or retreat from the summer heat and enhance your garden space. Or, indeed, despite its name, also acts as an all-year-round garden house to shelter you from cooler weather within your garden space. Ideal for crafts rooms, gyms or even outdoor bars, a summerhouse provides a unique and beautiful space that gives your garden the perfect upgrade.

Typically made out of timber and similar wood, a luxury summerhouse allows you to add additional security and aesthetic features such as a felt or tiled roof, several windows and glazed doors to allow daylight to shine in.

Scotts summerhouses come in a range of shapes and sizes. If you would like to add something small yet traditional to your garden then the Balmoral summerhouse is a great place to start. Or, if you’d prefer to fill that large corner of your garden with an eyecatcher then the sophisticated Newhaven Corner Summerhouse could be the perfect fit.

Despite what the name might suggest, Scotts luxury summerhouses can be used comfortably all year round, even during the autumn and winter months. All Scotts garden Summerhouses are built to last from a sustainably-sourced hardwood. This ensures that they are highly durable and hard-wearing, giving you the ideal excuse to spend more time in the garden throughout the year, enjoying your little corner of paradise.

You can view our range of summerhouse designs, colours, shapes, and sizes here: View Summerhouse Range.

A summerhouse can be used as your very own corner of heaven in your garden. Depending on the size and location of your garden summerhouse, when properly designed, it is a great place for activities such as painting, crafting, working, or even a home gym if you enjoy keeping fit. The possibilities are limitless.

Over the years, the use of a garden summerhouse has consistently changed and evolved. Most people use a summerhouse as an extra room, an extension of their home. A summerhouse can be transformed into a studio for writing or other creative activities, or can simply become a space for you to relax and enjoy your leisure time. A garden house is a practical building that adds an extra dimension, whether you need office space, a hobby room, music room, outdoor eating space or simply an area to relax and enjoy your garden.

Depending on what you need your summerhouse for, we can supply you with freestanding seating consisting of self-contained storage boxes with upholstery, or you can supply your own seating and furniture to create a summerhouse to suit your needs. The choice is yours!

What you use your summerhouse for is entirely up to you. Scotts can help you design the ideal summerhouse to meet your requirements. Whether you need extra space for a summer house home gym or would like a quiet corner to do some arts and crafts, there’s a design, shape and size perfect for you. Contact us today to start planning your garden summerhouse. Need some inspiration? See some of our happy summerhouse clients here.

Summerhouses and garden buildings are classed as ‘permitted development’, so they do not generally need planning permission. However, there are certain criteria to determine whether you need planning permission.

Although we cannot definitively express whether planning will be required for each individual case, we have provided a guideline list* to assist customers.

*These guidelines are only intended to give an overview of the regulations but may be subject to changes in legislation. We recommend you contact your local planning authority for specific advice.

All summerhouses and garden buildings require a base to sit your summerhouse upon. The base must be correctly assembled, with a firm and level surface, to ensure the long-life expectancy of your summerhouse.

Please ensure you obtain the base plan for your summerhouse from Scotts before constructing your base, so that it is built at the ideal size.

Alternatively, Scotts offers a Ground Screw base, which is a fast and easy alternative to support your summerhouse on an uneven surface. Find out more about the Ground Screw base.

Your summerhouse can be placed anywhere in your garden as you see fit. However, here are some factors to consider:

• Would you prefer it to face the sun or be placed in the shade?
• Will it be located in the middle of your garden or situated in the corner to save space? All of Scotts standard summerhouses are over 2.5m in height, so they must be built 2m away from your boundary to comply with planning regulations. Full details are available here: Planning assistance web page.
• Consider the view; would you prefer it to face your garden or your home? The Scotts rotating base optional extra allows you more flexibility as it enables you to simply turn your summerhouse to face the sun or even to change the view you have of your garden. This can be easily fitted to our Balmoral, Baltimore or 2.4m Burghley summerhouse models.
• Also, do you need access to power in your summerhouse?

Contact our summerhouse sales team for further information, email us at gazebos@scottsofthrapston.co.uk or call us on 01832 732366.

The external cladding, wall framing, roof, doors, and windows are manufactured from Red Grandis, a sustainably-sourced hardwood timber from well-managed forests. Red Grandis is a premium quality, sustainable hardwood which is extremely durable and perfectly suited for outdoor buildings.

The floor is manufactured from high-quality PEFC® certified European Redwood which is vacuum pressure impregnated with Osmose Naturewood.

All timber is carefully selected and has a long life expectancy.

Our luxury summerhouse range can be enhanced with a variety of optional accessories to suit your individual needs. Personalise your new summerhouse with the following:

• Colour finishes
• Fabric styles and seating
• Roof materials

Moreover, choose from the following range of innovative extras:

• Rotating base
• Padded lounger insert
• Shelf feature
• Tongue and groove effect lining
• Floor covering
• Leaded glass
• Underlining to roof
• Double glazing and insulation
• Solar lighting

For guidelines and advice on maintaining your summerhouse through the years, take a look at your summerhouse maintenance manual, provided at the time of sale.

If you need a new copy, please email a request to gazebos@scottsofthrapston.co.uk

We have a splendid summerhouse show site at Thrapston, open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm (excluding bank holidays). We have several open days which are scheduled throughout the year at the show site.

A selection of our summerhouses can also be seen on display, all year round, at selected garden centres across the country.

Find out where you can view a Scotts summerhouse.

Didn’t find what you were looking for? Get in contact with our dedicated sales team on 01832 732366 or email gazebos@scottsofthrapston.co.uk.