Summer houses, and other garden buildings, create the perfect at-home escape. Whether you use your summer house as a place to relax, as an office, or as a space for the kids to hang out, it’s an invaluable addition to your home. However, problems can arise if you want to move your summer house — there is no denying that is a big and often difficult job.
The good news is that it isn’t impossible. Whether the location isn’t suitable in your garden, or you want to move it to your new home, there will be an appropriate method to move your summer house to a new spot.
To move a summer house, first consider if the move is essential. If it is, you can use a rolling foundation for short-distance moves, or dismantle it for long-distance moves.
Consider If The Move is Essential
As we’ve mentioned above, moving a summer house is a difficult, time-consuming and often expensive job. Consider if it is essential to move your summer house. Can you take advantage of the building in its current position? Could you replace it if you’re due to move? Will your summer house survive a move?
If you have the perfect summer house, and a lot of time and cash has been invested in it, you might not want to leave it behind. In this case, you will need to either use a rolling foundation for short-distance moves, or hire a professional carpenter to dismantle and reassemble your summer house.
Use a Rolling Foundation for Short-Distance Moves
To move an assembled and small summer house a short-distance (i.e. within your garden), create a rolling foundation underneath the structure so that it can be carried to the new location. The structure must be solid to do this, without any rot in the timber.
To move your summer house, Garden Room Guide advise that you:
- Make sure that your summer house is emptied, and that fragile glass windows are removed prior to the move.
- Dig holes around the summerhouse to position Jacks that will be used to raise the building from the ground.
- Once raised, place round fence posts or metal scaffold poles underneath. Make sure that these are evenly distributed along the length of the summer house.
- Roll the summer house to its new position with the help of several people. You will need to push from different sides to spread the force.
Keep in mind that insulated summer houses will be much heavier than non-insulated structures, and will therefore be harder to move. Experts also warn that the wall lining may begin to crack and separate away from the exterior wall if it is flexed.
If your summer house is large (larger than 3x3m) or if you need to move it a significant distance (i.e. to a new house), you will need to dismantle it instead — possibly with the help of a professional carpenter.
Dismantle Summer House for Long-Distance Moves
To dismantle your summer house for a long-distance move,
- Clear out all items.
- Remove the windows and doors with a flat headed screwdriver or other prising tool.
- Remove the walls by dismantling the joints at the corners with a screwdriver.
- Make sure you keep your screws safe and separate so you can find them when you’re putting the summer house back together.
Once you have all the parts, wrap them in protective materials (paper, bubble wrap and moving blankets) to transport them to your new location. If you have hired one, your professional removals team will do this bit for you. Your next task, then, is to re-assemble the structure when you get to its new location.
Depending on the type of structure and your level of confidence, you might need to hire a professional carpenter to dismantle your summer house for you. This is the more expensive, but the often safer and more secure option.
To learn more about our purpose-built storage facilities or removals services, take a look at out our website or contact Nathan. At Falconers we use meticulous moving techniques, passed down and perfected through generations for over 132 years, to ensure your goods are moved with expert precision and kept in perfect condition.
For more expert advice on how to pack, move and store your belongings — or other important information on how removals work — check out our blog page.
