“We would just like to thank you for our wonderful shepherds hut! We have not encountered any problems whatsoever. The delivery and customer service were great and we built our hut really quite quickly in spite of the weather, without any problem. We are very happy indeed - thanks again! Would highly recommend Tuin.”
“I bought 2 Patricia Deluxe Shepherd Huts back in February 2024 - I have done the majority of building on my own. It has taken me a while but the weather has not helped! I found the instructions easy to follow and all the parts well constructed with precession fitting. I have already recommended the company to friends! I live in a very out of the way place which is not easy to access but the transport company could not have been more helpful. I do also have to thank the friends and neighbours for pitching in too! I added the tin roof and insulated and clad the interior - just waiting for the stoves to be fitted and then I'm Finished!”
“Disappointed on small things. I expected a lot from Tuin having seen their log cabins in the past and found them to be good products. My shepherds hut is on balance a good product, competitively priced but let down by small details. The overall timber quality does not live up to its billing as it is a pretty standard product available anywhere. Some specifics - the setup for 600 panels had a 5 to 10mm difference against the 1200 panels. Not insurmountable but frustrating. The roof t and g was pretty poor with lots of warp twist and cup. The design of fixed lengths meant there was no opportunity to overcome the problems by staggered laying. Doors - the lock catch plate did not align front to back. The good quality engineered timber in the frame was let down by very rough beading and raw cut planking. In design terms the structure would be vastly improved by the inclusion of a wall plate to impart rigidity , alignment and strength to the whole. This might sound like an indictment , which it is not, as any structure like this, that can be erected by a couple of 60 somethings in two days and do the job at a price point is a good buy. The points i raise are relatively easy to fix.”
“We have read all the hut reviews with interest and concur with most of what is said. We encountered a few issues which others have not mentioned and we think are worth pointing out: Fixings - the torx screws are a good idea, but T10? Too small for this scale of project and the bits supplied broke almost immediately. Buy at least 4 more diamond tipped ones. Would also suggest 3.5 mm dia screw is too small - minimum 4mm is better. The supplied wall to floor fixing is too flimsy in our view. We used Timbascrew 6.7 x 100mm with two minimum in each panel. Warping - this was quite bad on three of the base lengths and present on almost all the base sections. A good 20deg twist over 5 metres on the main lengths. It's correctable but you need a lot of leverage from a 4 ft sash cramp to do it and a lot more 90 deg fixings than supplied to hold it. We also needed 10 coachbolts in each main joist to join it to the small piece - screws won't cut the mustard here if trying to correct a warp. We have a lot of storage space and none of the hut was left outside before use so it should not have warped like that - quality control may be the issue here? Tools - you need a much bigger toolbox than suggested! Cramps/clamps, a selection of screws/bolt and an impact driver are essential. We also used 55mm floor brads as these hold the floor really well - don't skimp, 14 in each plank as it is the floor that completes the strong base; a sort of monocoque. Expect to have to trim both the final floor and roof planks longways - you need a jigsaw (or cut them by hand if you fancy it!) Treatment - don't leave the wood preservative until you start building - it's a drag, but your first job is to give at least two coats to all the outside components, especially the end grains. We also stained all the outside and underneath components before starting. Do not skimp on this - you will regret it. Roof felt - this is very poor quality, so don't even bother. We replaced it with Icopal Anderson mineral cap sheet 1E. It's 10m x 1m so you only need two rolls laid span wise (not lengthwise). Use the clout nails and felting glue - it looks great and you can still add wriggly tin roofing later on top if you want. Instructions - OK but should be better given the complexity. A few photos of the main joints and completed sections would go a long way to interpreting the drawings. Look at the photos in the website reviews - they really help. Delivery - amazing. We live in Perthshire and the guy turned up on time with his forklift having parked half a mile up the road - he happily went up our track and placed it precisely where we asked by the barn. Wouldn't even stop for a cuppa. Overall - we knocked a star off as we had a slight feeling of "that's good enough" with the fixings, wood and felt quality. For the money it should have been better. It would not have cost much to provide higher quality. That said the overall result is very good and came out better than we thought it would. Finally, Tips - you may well need to plane the doors to get them to fit as the doorway was slightly smaller than the completed door width. Fit the vent kit from Tuin, one high, one low: it gets hot in there and mould can get a hold quite quickly. You really do need two people - preferably three - when erecting the walls!”
“We cannot praise this product too highly as the quality of the wood and the fittings are of the highest standards.We were well Prepared for the arrival of the delivery truck as we had been well advised. The driver was the perfect person for the job. When we opened the kit we were delighted but now the hut is erected we could not be more pleased.Thank you for an excellent product at a very good price!”
“I am very happy with our purchase of the Shepherds Hut Deluxe. The modular build was comfortably completed in two days and clearly the timber units are very well made , a quality product. The only thing stopping me from giving a 5* rating was the quality of roof felt that came with it, poor quality which when opened had some holes in it. I paid extra to have the roof properly felted and am really pleased with the finish. Overall its been a great success and we are very happy .”
“We are delighted with our "Patricia Deluxe" Shepherd Hut! Fabulous service from Tuin, with delivery exactly when expected. The kit components are extremely high quality, and building the hut was a pleasure. Some of the instructions require some "imagination", but are generally self explanatory.”
