Summer House
Strong, relocatable, and built to last the test of time, our garden summer houses give you a stylish and spacious garden room to relax and unwind in.
Our summer houses are made in New Zealand with heavy duty NZ timber framing and supplied as a ready to assemble kitset.
What is a kitset summer house?
Think of our summer houses as a little slice of heaven, cut out just for you. A small, free-standing building, separated from the house, equipped with a deck for lounging and an interior perfectly sized for couches, televisions, bean bags, even beds. A summerhouse is a fantastic addition to a property for anyone who wants a space that’s designed for relaxation - somewhere to kick back and enjoy the gorgeous summers that we’re lucky to have in New Zealand.
But a summerhouse isn’t just great for the warm weather. They make for excellent separated spaces for all manner of activities, from entertaining, to workshops, to sleepouts, to man caves or she sheds. Our kitset summer houses are designed to fit a wide range of uses, so let your imagination run wild.
The big difference with our summer houses is that they come as a kitset. This means that you get everything - everything! - you need to build one in the kitset, from the framing to the cladding to the glass for the doors and windows. You even get the nails.
This means that our summer houses are fantastically simple to build, either as a DIY project if you’re a handy person yourself, or through a hired builder (our recommendation for the best quality of construction). The kits come with step by step instructions so there’s far less chance of mistakes, and it makes the entire construction process faster too. Our summer houses can be constructed in a matter of days, rather than the weeks (or even months) required for a traditional fixed build.
And best of all? Our summer houses are tough and strong, suitable for any weather or temperature, but they’re also portable. They can be dragged short distances or lifted onto a hiab truck for moving bigger distances, allowing you to decide where you want your summer house. These kitsets can, quite literally, chase the sun!
The benefits of a kitset summer house
'Built Tough'
Our kitsets are built to be tough, durable, and long-lasting, ensuring that you get a summerhouse that you can enjoy for many years to come.
We use sustainably grown New Zealand pine and genuine ZINCALUME or Colorsteel iron roof cladding - all you need to do is paint or stain the wood appropriately and you’ll end up with a summer house that can stand up to any weather New Zealand can throw at them and still remain comfortable.
Customisable
We use NZ timber in our summer house kitsets not just because it’s tough and flexible, but because it’s incredibly customisable too. If you want to add shelves, storage, television brackets, or any other common additions, all you need is a few screws and some basic tools - no need to break out the specialist stuff that you might need for plastic or metal.
While our summerhouses don’t come with insulation, wiring or plumbing (because we don’t want you to need to hire a whole raft of experts to build it), these can easily be added after construction on the main framing is complete. The materials we use provide some natural insulation, though adding some insulation is best if you want full comfort year-round.
And if you decide you don’t want a summer house any more? You can easily convert your summer house into a different kind of lifestyle shed instead.
NZ Made
Our summer houses are made specifically for New Zealand conditions and for New Zealanders’ needs. That’s why we choose to use New Zealand sourced materials wherever possible, including sustainably grown New Zealand pine.
Through our support of our fellow New Zealand business owners, we ensure that you get a summer house that’s not only designed specifically for the weather and activities you need it for, but we also make sure that you get the best possible quality product at the end of construction.
Portable
With a traditionally built, fixed-foundation summerhouse, once it’s built, it’s there for life. Not so with our portable kitsets!
We’ve designed our summerhouses to be relocatable, mounted on tough timber skids that let them be dragged short distances or, for longer distances, lifted onto a hiab truck. This means you can move your summer house where you want, when you want.
This portability means that you can even bring your summerhouse with you if you move home - or sell it if you don’t need it anymore. An affordable kitset that puts money back in your pocket - what’s not to like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need permission to build a summer house?
Once upon a time, building a summer house would require consent. That’s still the case in a lot of situations - but thanks to a recent law change that added exemptions around low-risk buildings, you may find that an Outpost Buildings summer house kitset doesn’t require consent!
It’s best to check with either our helpful team or your local builder to see if you’ll need to secure consent before starting your build. Make sure to check in with your local council as well to see if there are any restrictions due to zoning or other local laws.
In either case, our kitsets meet or exceed the materials requirements laid out in the Building Code, so consent, if required, should be a simple matter to obtain.
What are our summer houses made from?
We build all of our kitsets from materials sourced from New Zealand suppliers wherever possible, including our renowned sustainably grown New Zealand pine, which makes up the framing and the core of our kitsets.
Depending on your kitset style, you can expect to find:
+ Heavy duty NZ treated timber 6x2 framing
+ Exterior grade 15mm treated timber plywood walls
+ Ply flooring inside
+ Quality aluminium door and window joinery
+ Heavy duty 6x4 inch skid mounted base
+ Corrugated Zincalume or Colorsteel roofing
We build our kitsets from durable, tough materials, designed with the conditions of New Zealand and the needs of New Zealanders in mind.
Whatever your budget, get in touch with us and we’re sure we can find a suitable solution to suit your needs.