Garden Storage
Buying the most cost effective shed is quite some task. There are offers galore over the internet. The starting price would seem to be about £120 for a very basic 6' x 4' and I found some for £3,000 - blimey I'd use that to live in !
If you have a small amount of space, or just a patio, the two pictures on right illustrate what is available. These come in either plastic or steel usually and do the job, although some are a tad unslightly.
Tucked neatly up against a wall, they're OK for basic garden tools, maybe the odd fold up chair and a few other bits.
The Chest type would seem to be better as with the higher ones, you tend not to get enough shelves and there's a lot of wasted space.
However, the chests are more easily made untidy.
They start at around the £50 mark and go upwards.
An alternative would be to look at some concrete coal bunkers which are more or less in the same sizes and more attractive, in some cases, to the eye.
When you come to sheds, you come to the old "What do I need it for and how large".
I would without a doubt go for one size bigger than you think you need. Just go around other peoples houses and see the clutter in them with a mixture of tools, kids toys and cat baskets etc.
Buy the shed first, put your things in it, then see if you could do with some extra shelving.
If being used for both storage and a Potting Shed / Hideaway, it's a good plan to search around for an old kitchen work top out of a skip or somewhere. This will give you a nice easy clean and strong surface to do all your tinkering about.
You could also think about building one, but you need to be pretty carpenter friendly and in a lot of cases, big companies can buy the wood in bulk, cheaper and produce them for more or less the same price as a DIY job. Then you've got to weather protect it and buy roofing felt etc.
Wooden sheds are still the most popular and they are indeed more attractive and traditional. They're pretty easy to erect and you can also perhaps, build a porch type extension to make it your own little refuge.
Steel sheds offer the value of low maintenance and are known to be secure and sturdy. The disadvantage is they are not so attractive to look at and can be a bit noisy.
Taking all things into account, as long as you maintain them on a regular basis, the wooden sheds win over.
A nice looking shed will enchance your garden and in the summer when the leaves are rich and plenty, it's like a little chalet placed there.
The Traditional
Above and below
'Storage Sheds'
Modern Potting Shed
But personally,
I prefer mine!
If gardeners will forget a little the phrase, "watering the plants" and think of watering
as a matter of "watering the earth" under the plants, keeping up its moisture content
and gauging its need, the garden will get on very well.
- Henry Beston, Herbs and the Earth, 1935
With the right security, you can use a shed as an Office. As long as you are not running abusiness from it, there should be no problems with the local authority.
This will free up valuable space in your home and a 8' x 6' Shed would not be difficult to light and heat, so could save you money.
Cost effectiveness, saving money, reducing expenditure in the home and at play
