Buying Guide
Buildings that go up fast and stay put for years
A guide to the XPanda range — seven flat-pack steel buildings, what each is actually for, what it costs, and where they're already at work across the UK.
Seven models, one job each
Sizes and prices are trade, ex VAT — delivery and extras quoted separately. Every model is fully modular: link units of the same type end-to-end or side-to-side to build a larger space.
XPandaStore
The standard workhorse for general site storage, tools and equipment. Galvanised steel throughout, bare or with a powder-coated colour finish.
Insulated XPandaStore
Same footprint, insulated core panels — an insulated storage room built for anything sensitive to damp or temperature swings.
BikeStore
A dedicated, lockable home for staff or visitor bikes. Low profile, double doors.
XPandaCabin
An insulated garden room for a home office, site cabin or changing room, with a proper window and galvanised steel construction.
XPandaOffice
A full working office. Multi-room set-ups, meeting rooms and classrooms, built by linking units.
XPandaChem
Purpose-built, bunded storage for chemicals and hazardous materials.
Security Post
A compact guard point or access-control booth for gated sites.
Diagrams are simplified elevations referenced from our technical drawings. Not to scale.
Six things worth thinking through
Before you spec a size, a few decisions worth making early.
Size
Work backwards from what's going in it, not the footprint you think you need. Most customers who size up once are glad they did — adding a second unit later almost always costs more than starting one size bigger.
Insulated or not
If what's inside needs protecting from temperature or damp — electronics, chemicals, anything perishable — go insulated. For general tools and plant, the standard range does the job for less.
Security
Robust locking comes as standard across the range. If you're storing high-value stock, ask about additional locking options before you order rather than retrofitting later.
Delivery & install
Our fleet handles crane-assisted delivery on most sites. A single unit can go from delivery to usable the same day; larger or linked installs benefit from a site visit first.
Portability
Every unit is designed to be relocated — a lot of businesses choose flat-pack specifically because they need something as solid as a permanent structure, without being locked into one location forever.
What affects the price
Size is the biggest factor, followed by insulation, finish and extras like electrics, glazing or linking kits. The range table gives a starting point — an accurate quote needs your site and spec.
Three long-standing customers
Three very different jobs, all still adding units.
National Museum of Wales
A linked XPandaOffice complex now sits inside the Museum's archiving warehouse, used as a meeting room overlooking the whole space. Two further 6m units serve as external office space, and a fourth as internal office — a proper working environment, built in a fraction of the time a construction project would take.
UK Drone Manufacturer, Gloucester
A leading UK military drone manufacturer now runs over 15 Insulated XPandaStores across its production facility, storing valuable and perishable materials that need proper protection from temperature and damp. Client identity kept confidential given the sector — the unit count keeps growing as their storage needs do.
Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Around 15 Insulated XPandaStores keep parts and spare tools organised and protected across the railway's sites, alongside a dedicated XPandaChem unit for chemical storage — a compliant, purpose-built space rather than asking general storage to do a job it isn't built for.
The full range, side by side
| Model | Size range | Insulated | Price from (ex VAT) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XPandaStore | 2m–4m × 2.1m | No | £1,197 | General site storage |
| Insulated XPandaStore | 2m–4m × 2.1m | Yes | £2,015 | Valuable / sensitive stock |
| BikeStore | 2.5m × 1.4m | No | £1,520 | Secure cycle storage |
| XPandaCabin | 2.3m–4.3m × 2.3m | Yes | £3,045 | Site cabin, changing room |
| XPandaOffice | 6m × 2.3m | Yes | £5,284 | Offices, meeting rooms, classrooms |
| XPandaChem | 2.4m–4.2m × 2.2m | No | £2,290 | Chemical storage |
| Security Post | 1.2m × 1.2m | Yes | £2,700 | Guard / access points |
Trade prices, exclude VAT and delivery. Optional extras (linking kits, electrics, glazing, shelving) quoted separately.
Before you order
It depends on the size, siting and how the building is used — many storage installations of this type fall outside standard planning consent requirements, but this varies by property and local authority. Check with your local planning department or ask our team if you're unsure.
A single unit can typically be delivered and installed in a day. Larger or linked installations take longer and are usually scheduled around a site visit first — get in touch for a current lead time.
Yes — that's one of the main reasons businesses choose them over a permanent structure. They're designed to be demounted and moved if your site or requirements change.
The insulated version adds thermal panels, which matters if you're storing anything sensitive to temperature or damp — electronics, chemicals, perishables. For general tools and equipment, the standard range is usually sufficient.
Yes. Several commercial customers, including the National Museum of Wales, use linked units to create one larger space rather than ordering a single oversized building.
No — trade prices are ex VAT and exclude delivery. Delivery and installation costs depend on your location and site access, and are quoted alongside your building spec.
A few terms worth knowing
- Flat-pack building
- A prefabricated structure delivered in panelled sections and assembled on site, rather than built from scratch.
- Galvanised steel
- Steel coated in zinc to resist corrosion — the base material for every building in the range, whether left bare or finished in colour.
- Powder coated
- A durable colour finish applied over the galvanised steel, available in a range of colours — an extra layer on top of galvanising, not an alternative to it.
- Insulated garden room
- Common search term for what we call an Insulated XPandaStore or XPandaCabin — an insulated, galvanised steel building used for garden storage or workspace.
- Insulated panel
- Wall and roof panels with a thermal core, used to regulate internal temperature.
- Demountable
- Designed to be taken apart and relocated, rather than permanently fixed to one site.
- Linking kit
- Hardware used to join two or more units together into a single larger space.