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There should be enough height inside the hutch for your rabbit to stand up on it’s back legs and stretch upwards, enough length for your rabbit to lie down fully stretched out, and enough depth to let them retreat to the back of the hutch if they want a bit of privacy or to get out of sunlight.  Shop bought ones are only a temporary solution, build a big hutch (or get someone locally to build one for you), the bigger the better and include a run. 

Make the environment as stimulating and exciting (and safe!) as possible, this is your bunny's home, this is where your bunny will be confined to quarters for the rest of it's life which could be up to 10 years or more!  Can you imagine doing nothing, just eating and sleeping in a tiny cage.  If you are considering doing this to your rabbit, then you ought to be ashamed of yourself!

There are many different designs and ideas thought up by other bunny owners, if you have an original and effective hutch/set-up, why not email a picture of it to me and I'll post it on here.

Have a look here for some more ideas:

http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/donate/rabbithutch.asp

http://www.mrbuns.co.uk/hutches.htm

click here and here to see the best hutch and run set-ups we have discovered so far

Use weldmesh on the front of the hutch and run, chicken wire isn't strong enough, rabbits can sometimes chew through chicken wire and foxes can certainly tear through it.

It’s a good idea to have sliding bolts on the doors not just the twist-round catches. Dogs, cats and foxes can paw at the doors when nobody is watching, this opens the doors and then they can reach in and kill your rabbit.  We've also noticed that other rabbits can 'chin' the catches, allowing the door to swing open and let the occupants out, this could lead to unplanned mating!  It's also not unheard of that children unwittingly (or otherwise!) play with the catch and let the rabbit escape.

The hutch must be covered up at night with something like a bit of old carpet and, if possible, waterproof sheeting. Rabbits can get frightened very easily and can cause injury to themselves, some even die from fright. Make sure your rabbit’s hutch is covered up at night and safe from harm.

There should be loads of hay inside the sleeping quarters as this will keep them warm, especially in the winter, and it will give them something to nibble on. Rabbits need to nibble all day like they would in the wild. This keeps their teeth in good condition. THEY MUST HAVE UNLIMITED HAY AT ALL TIMES.

Rabbits are usually very nosey and active when they are happy. They should be let out to play either outside in a secure and safe garden (under supervision at all times), or in a covered rabbit run, or indoors in a bunny-proofed room. They enjoy human company and can easily be trained to use a litter box like a cat does. Some rabbits like to sit with you and watch the TV.  If you let your rabbit run about indoors, make sure there are no electric wires or cables they can reach as your rabbit will likely chew on them and get seriously hurt or even killed, and make sure they know where the litter box is (put newspaper in it and some of their droppings).

Ideally the hutch should be placed inside a secure run, or alternatively have a secure run attached to the hutch.  This way, your bunny can come and go as it pleases and get lots of exercise any time it wants.

Also, if you place the run on grass or a soft surface, be careful because some buns like to dig at the edges of their run, but if you place mesh on the ground along the bottom so there's some on the inside and some on the outside then they can't dig though it and other animals can't burrow in.  The grass will grow through the mesh and it will disappear from view.

This 'bunny shed' belongs to Mandy's buns Benji and Bluebell: