Build your own greenhouse or buy a kit?
Can you build your own greenhouse for less than a £999 kit once the door opens, the panels are fixed and the frame is anchored? The answer can be yes, especially with materials and tools already to hand. Buying new changes the calculation. Below, a dated materials basket, a used greenhouse and a NORDIC kit share one cost sheet, with unfinished costs kept in view.
- DIY can win. Skills, reusable materials and an unusual footprint can make building from scratch the sensible choice.
- Used can win too. Inspect the frame and glazing, then price collection and rebuilding before agreeing to buy.
- Compare finished scope. A £493.41 materials basket, a £250 asking price and a £999 kit each leave different work to arrange.
Should you build your own greenhouse or buy a kit?
Build from scratch if you can design the frame, make its joints and fit the glazing, especially if you already have usable materials. Buy used when inspection and transport leave a worthwhile saving. Choose a kit when its supplied design is worth the price. Every route still needs a prepared site.
The new-build budget and NORDIC use 2.6 × 2 m, or 5.2 m². Measure the used example, advertised as 8 × 6 ft, before assuming identical growing space.
Draw the beds and path with space for the door and opening windows. Our wooden greenhouse guide covers choosing the frame and glazing.
What do the three routes leave you to pay for?
Separate purchase, transport, site work and assembly. Leave unquoted costs visible until checked.
| Cost or task | Build from new materials | Buy used and move it | NORDIC S kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting figure | £493.41 priced basket below | £250 advertised asking price | £999 base configuration |
| Size reference | Planned 2.6 × 2 m | Advertised 8 × 6 ft; measure it | 2.6 × 2 m, 5.2 m² |
| Frame and covering | Stock to cut and fit to your design | Aluminium frame and glass, seller-described condition | 45 × 45 mm FSC Swedish pine and 4 mm twin-wall polycarbonate |
| Missing hardware | Complete the design and price the remaining items | Inspect and price replacements | Check chosen configuration against the supplied list |
| Moving it | Merchant deliveries or collection, still to price | Collection or delivery quote required | Free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes; possible surcharge |
| Base | Site-specific work to price | Site-specific work to price | Firm, level site required; preparation separate |
| Labour | Designing and building from stock | Inspection followed by transport and rebuilding | Assembly from the supplied instructions |
| Finished total | Requires the remaining costs | Requires transport, condition check and build costs | Kit price plus your site work, assembly and chosen extras |
These are different purchases: an incomplete materials basket, an asking price and a kit. Add the remaining costs before comparing the finished jobs.
What does the DIY basket contain?
Timber, twin-wall sheets, frame screws, an anchor pack and exterior stain total £493.41 in this worked budget. Quantities are budgeting allowances. A checked design and cutting plan must establish the shopping list.
| Material | Budget quantity and published price | Line total including VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Treated timber, nominal 47 × 50 mm, 3 m lengths | 30 lengths at £3.40 each excluding VAT, qualifying for the supplier’s 30+ rate | £122.40 |
| Clear 4 mm twin-wall polycarbonate, 1220 × 2440 mm | 9 sheets at £25.94 | £233.46 |
| SPAX WIROX T20 frame screws, 5 × 80 mm, 100 pack | 2 packs at £16.89 | £33.78 |
| Roughneck ground anchors, 345 mm, 4 pack | 1 pack at £69.99 | £69.99 |
| Rustins outdoor wood stain, Medium Oak, 1 litre | 2 tins at £16.89 | £33.78 |
| Priced basket subtotal | Delivery and remaining items excluded | £493.41 |
The sheet purchase provides 26.79 m² before cutting. Plan each panel with the channels in the required direction and the UV-protected face outwards, following the sheet supplier’s instructions. Enough square metres on paper do not guarantee that the pieces fit the stock sheets. Brissco showed zero stock when checked, so confirm supply before scheduling the build.
The timber allowance is 90 linear metres. Its nominal section differs from NORDIC’s 45 × 45 mm frame and is a pricing reference, without a structural design behind it. A design may need other sections or quantities. Likewise, a four-anchor retail pack cannot determine the right anchoring schedule for your soil and frame.
The arithmetic leaves £505.59 between £493.41 and the £999 kit price. That amount has to cover the omitted purchases before it can become a saving. If you have tools and suitable spare timber already, your cash requirement could be lower. Price the materials you need. List your time separately.
When does moving a greenhouse make sense?
When the frame is complete and reusable, the covering can be moved safely, and the transport cost leaves enough room for repairs. Inspect it before committing to a price.
A listing on a UK classifieds site on 20 October 2026 asked £250 for an 8 × 6 ft aluminium-and-glass greenhouse, described by the seller as dismantled, labelled and complete, with delivery possible for an unstated price. Those are the seller’s statements; nobody had inspected the greenhouse.
Ask for the maker and model, measurements of the base and photographs of the longest members. Count the glazing against a plan. Check the door track and opening window, then ask whether the fixings are reusable and whether replacement seals or panes can be sourced.
Photograph joints before dismantling. Label each piece as it comes off. Check loose parts against the plan.
Price safe transport. Agree who handles loading. Set out who unloads and takes responsibility for damage in transit. A nearby greenhouse with a reusable base can leave a saving. Price a longer trip or missing glazing before deciding.
What does NORDIC remove from the job?
NORDIC supplies the design, the parts and the manual as a self-assembly kit. You arrange the site and the people to build it, then follow the manual for your selected configuration.
NORDIC S, 8 × 6 ft
The £999 base build, checked 20 October 2026, uses 45 × 45 mm FSC Swedish pine and 4 mm twin-wall polycarbonate. Ground anchors are supplied; the door has an opening upper section and there is a rear opening window. Automatic ventilation is an optional extra.
From the product pages, 20 October 2026. Staging, watering and the base are arranged separately.
The pine comes cut to the lengths on the parts list, with 1.2 mm galvanised steel angle brackets for every joint, so there is no frame to design or cut from merchant stock. Read our wooden greenhouse assembly guide before deciding whether you will build it or hire help. We do not offer fitting.
Which jobs remain whichever route you choose?
Preparing a level site, anchoring the structure and arranging assembly remain part of all three routes. Compare those jobs on the same site before judging the purchase prices.
Use our greenhouse base guide to plan the ground work. NORDIC does not require concrete on standard soil, but the site must be firm and level; a prepared base is recommended for long-term alignment. A used frame needs a base that fits its actual dimensions.
List the jobs you can do beside the money column. DIY starts with design work before measuring or cutting stock. Used adds inspection and transport. A kit still needs checking and assembly. If paying a contractor, send the design or manual first and request separate prices for base work and assembly.
Timber also brings upkeep. NORDIC requires re-treatment every 2 years with any UK-purchased preservative; the stain priced for the DIY example is not presented as a substitute for that requirement. The RHS guide to choosing a greenhouse notes that a wooden frame needs periodic upkeep.
Which route fits your situation?
When you have the skills, a workable design and materials you can reuse, or need dimensions a kit cannot provide. Finish the cutting list and anchoring plan before buying sheets.
When you can inspect it, obtain missing parts and move it for a known cost. Add those costs to the asking price before agreeing to buy.
When the supplied design and matched components save work you would otherwise have to do or commission. Read the manual to judge that value for yourself.
Complete your cost sheet
Tick these off for the route you prefer. Your ticks stay on this device.
Read the NORDIC build first
Save the manual and base plan for the 2.6 × 2 m NORDIC, then compare its supplied parts with your completed DIY list.
What we checked for this guide
Prices are dated observations, not quotations for a completed build. DIY quantities are budgeting assumptions. Product specifications follow the October 2026 facts pack. Checked 20 October 2026.
- 01Timber Requirements47 × 50 mm pressure-treated timber
- 02Brissco4 mm clear twin-wall polycarbonate sheet
- 03ToolstationSPAX T-Star Plus 5 × 80 mm screws
- 04ScrewfixRoughneck ground anchors, 4 pack
- 05ToolstationRustins Quick Dry outdoor wood stain
- 06GOV.UKVAT rates
- 07RHSChoosing a greenhouse
Related guides
Written by the Waldenhaus team. We sell outdoor saunas and greenhouses and write these guides from manufacturer manuals, official guidance and our own product pages. Where your equipment manual says something different, follow the manual.