ShedBuilder’s Outdoor Storage Sheds

Build Yourself

One of the best way to save a lot of money is to build your outdoor storage shed yourself. Of course if you choose this route you will trade money for time and efforts. But most people who have built their sheds will tell you it’s more fun than efforts - and I would agree with that.

You can find economical plans, pick materials and even use ones from an old shed. If you have the basic woodworking tools (assuming you are going to build a wooden shed), you should have no problem to get your small garden building up there in a week or two.

If you want to know more, read how to build a garden shed.

Get A Small Steel Shed

This is what most people on budget do. They just go and pick the cheapest shed they can find - usually those are small 4×4 feet steel sheds. This is an acceptable option - finally you will have a shed for just few hundred bucks. If you just want to store some things out there, it’s fine.

However I am not a big fan of this idea. The shed may be a simple building, but it’s still a building. Moving and replacing are time and money consuming actions and are you sure you will still like this shed few years later? Chances are you will need a bigger one or will at least want it a better looking. So, unless you are in a hurry to have a shed and are very short in money (and cannot build yourself), better don’t buy the smallest and cheaper one.

Spend More Time Researching And Less Money Buying

It sounds very simple and yet most people skip doing it and rush into buying the first shed they liked. There is a huge difference between the prices of the sheds, the quality and the design. A careful research will let you pick the optimal shed for you.

It’s very important to know that some shed are designed to be economical. They may be better in storage and functionality than other more expensive sheds, but still be cheaper. This is possible, because they are designed with less bells and wishes but also less waste of materials. The construction of such sheds is simpler therefore they are easier for building for the producers, which leads to the lower price.

So if you want an economical shed but still want it good and functional, the best thing to do is to find plans for economical sheds (such plans will let you build easier and with no material waste) and built it yourself. Are you game?

The plastic outdoor storage sheds were not very popular in the last few years mostly because people didn’t know much about them. Now you can see a vinyl or fibreglass shed pretty often in people’s backyards. Now enough gardeners know about the plastic shed advantages so they no longer avoid this materials.

Plastic Outdoor Shed Advantages

One of the best things about this kind of sheds is the easy support. They are absolutely maintenance free - besides some cleaning, nothing else is required. They don’t rot or rust, don’t get dark with the time and don’t lose strength due to the weather condition changes.

The fibreglass storage sheds can even keep good isolation from the outside temperature so your stuff doesn’t get too hot or cold when weather changes.

These sheds are looking great and usually are cheaper than similar timber sheds. On top of all said above, plastic sheds are very light so they can be moved easily and don’t need very robust foundation.

Plastic Outdoor Shed Disadvantages

There are really very few disadvantages of the vinyl and other plastic storage sheds. Maybe the most important one is that they are not appropriate for large models that you want to use as green house/summer office.

For anything else plastic or vinyl is a very good choice for material. Not much to argue here.

Where To Find Good Plastic Outdoor Sheds And Shed Kits

If you go to Google and search for “plastic outdoor sheds” you will find thousands of results. The problem is you won’t get the best ones on the first page. Finding really good plastic shed requires some research. Here is what you must have in mind:

• The shed price. Don’t pay more than several hundreds unless the shed is really large and cool. Some plastic sheds cost a bit more than a thousand dollars, but these are only the large and complex ones. You can find a simple small plastic shed for $200 - $400 or even less.
• Processing time. No matter if you purchase online or offline, it may take some time to get your shed delivered. Don’t buy from stores that take a month or so to deliver. I’ll show you a store which does it faster.
• Seller’s reputation. Willing to save some money, sometimes we buy very low quality products. Don’t buy from store that you never heard before. Pick a reputable provider like Amazon and you won’t regret.

I already mentioned the most reputable supplier. Amazon is the best place to buy plastic storage sheds or plastic storage shed kits - just pick some and go ahead.

No doubt adding a shed increases the value of your property. No doubt it makes it look better. No doubt one outdoor shed will be a very useful addition.

Is it really no doubt?

Plan The Shed Location

Location is one of the most important factors that you need to consider. Your outdoor storage shed should not stand in the way to your home, neither it should get the best piece of land that could be used to grow interesting vegetables. You will probably want the shed to be in the sight from your home, but some people prefer to put it in some garden corner.

When planning the location, draw your entire yard with all the trees, buildings and accessories. This is vitally important if you are buying a new house and the garden is not yet arranged. The shed should not disturb the growth of the trees, should not throw shadow on your flowers and so on. A lot of things to think about - that’s why you better draw the entire garden on paper or using a landscape design program.

Plan The Shed Size

Don’t shoot for the largest possible shed. It may look tempting to have a shed almost as large as your house is, but there are many disadvantages. The large sheds are a lot more expensive, take valuable space from your garden and may require a lot of support.

Plan the shed size accordingly to your specific needs. It’s recommended again to make a sketch of what you are going to arrange inside and how. This will help you figure out the exact size you need. If you don’t plan to make the shed fit to live in, but are going to use it only as a storage, pick a narrow and tall design.

Think About The Shed Type

Once you figure out the location and size, decide on the shed material. We have an article discussing deeply the different shed designs and types. It’s recommended that you read it to understand the complexity regarding the different types of outdoor storage sheds.

Just don’t forget that selecting the right design and material comes after you have planned the location and size, not before that. Most people first choose a specific shed and then plan where and how to place it. This is more impulsive way of acting and rare has good practical outcome.