We Love It In The Sun

Fred and Val McClean, a retired couple living in the West Midlands, with frequent family visitors, just fell in love with our Vantage 300.

“We love it in the sun, we love it in the shade, we love it in the rain and we love it in the dark. It is a great new amenity and we are well pleased with it!”

Here is their story.

Reminiscences of a beach hut

With a large and beautiful garden, Fred and Val decided to clear an unused area of their garden and start to enjoy a little bit more of sunshine.

“We had a tired and underused arbour and barbeque area in what was actually the sunniest part of the garden. We cleared the space before deciding exactly what sort of building we wanted.”

When we asked Fred about his reasons for buying a Garden Building, we discovered that happy memories from the past were among the main reasons.

“Ever since the golden days of our beach hut family holidays, my wife has yearned for her own little hideaway equipped with chair and blanket. We are grandparents who live within twenty minutes drive of seven grandchildren in three families. Our aim was to make a garden building exclusive to people over forty .We have plenty of photographs that suggest that we haven`t quite achieved that aim!”

And what type of Garden Building were they looking for? “We wanted a garden building that offered attractive views, both from and towards it. We have a maturely `wooded` garden and wanted to make the most of the available sunlight in the course of any day, so we wanted to maximise the glazing to achieve that. A hexagonal building with glass on adjacent sides made the most of the sun`s progress whilst providing extended views of the garden from a comfortable position.”

Choosing a Dunster House garden building

Literally exhausted of looking for a garden building that would fit their needs, both online and on local garden centres, Fred and Val were finally impressed by the wide offer and usability of our website.

“We looked at garden buildings locally and online to the point of exhaustion. We were impressed by the user friendliness of the Dunster Website, particularly the technical links, the explanatory notes/specifications and the variety of choice on display”, explained Fred.

And he added “Having narrowed down our choice online we felt confident that we would see what we wanted when we visited the works. And we did.”

Having decided to visit one of our showrooms, Fred and Val were quite happy with the professional service provided by our team.

“We were welcomed courteously and efficiently and all our questions were answered professionally. We visited over a Bank Holiday and we booked provisionally on a delivery date which was confirmed as promised when the works reopened. The summerhouse package from Dunster House arrived intact, on time, and contained all the components and assembly details I needed for a straightforward (if protracted) construction.”

The building process

Although Fred does not deny that the assembly was a challenge for him as a lapsed handyman, he has also added that his old limbs have recovered thanks in no small measure to the convalescent qualities of their new garden facility.

“The building of the summer house was preceded by installation of a suspended deck which was the most physically demanding part of the project. That took about three weeks between showers. The weather was more accommodating during the building construction.”

“The instructions were clear enough but the geometry was a bit of a challenge to an untutored carpenter such as me. There are a series of hexagons to separately form and align (sub frame/floor/walls/wall plates/roof star) and although I (somehow) managed it, the neatness of my connections might not pass muster with an experienced erection team. Application of the timber preservative was not factored into the programme and that seemed like a frustratingly extended section of work. Patience is also required with the trimming of the shingles-the hexagonal shape demands that all the sheets are trimmed at least once and it took a while to perfect a cutting technique, but it does look good and it’s watertight!”

“Nevertheless, all visitors have admired the finished product and I admit only to having enjoyed the assembly experience”, he concluded.

And now that the building is finished are they happy with the end result? “We use the summer house almost daily. It’s our haven of peace and tranquillity. It opens up parts of the garden previously unused and unadmired and it provides us with a natural break between what is now basically an upper garden and a lower garden with scope for new ideas for separate usage. We’re looking forward to putting a decorated Christmas tree in it when the time comes!” explained Fred.

What’s next?

When asked about the reactions and comments from friends, family and neighbours, the couple was quite happy to comment: “Neighbours say they have enjoyed watching the building being built and they have all been eager to come and see it finished. My children and grandchildren, who visit frequently now tend to settle in and around it for their ‘light refreshments’. My son has space for something similar and says he’d get one if I build it for him, although he has house extension priorities at present. All visitors have admired it and no negative feedback has been received.”

Though the erection of the Summerhouse has already prompted a number of landscaping improvements in their garden, the couple has no plans for further garden buildings. Well at least for now, because as Fred explained “If I could persuade my wife to agree, I’d have a little outdoor sauna.”

That is awesome Fred as we have just the product that you need! If you are truly in love with your summerhouse would you consider buying from us again? “I have already recommended Dunster House to those I know and I would not hesitate to use Dunster House again if there was a need.”