In most cases we will talk about using the shed as a home office. It’s not uncommon for companies to use sheds as well, but the companies will probably outsource the design and solution taking process to a construction company. Unlike that, people who work from home (maybe you are one of them?), will most probably be looking for a simple affordable solution. Some will ever want to build their shed themselves.

The Reasons To Have An Office Shed

The main reason why you would want to work from a shed is lack of space. If you don’t have a special room in your house for your home office you probably have to work from the bedroom or the living room. That’s not good at all - besides the fact you are going to lack space, you are going to have a lot of distractions. I know this from experience - working in the bedroom it’s quite tempting to go to bed instead of doing some work.

Another reason to build an office shed is that you just want to work outside, closer to the nature in the backyard. A nice wooden shed with a couple of windows will let you feel much more comfortable than sitting in a basement.

Office Shed Requirements

There are no special requirements for office sheds except it to be wooden. Plastic or metal will not let you feel comfortable and be productive. There are some other recommendations that I wrote about earlier.

One thing I have missed to say is that your green office will probably need an internet and phone line. The best way is to use wireless connections, but in case you want to use land lines, make sure you don’t cut them when working in the garden. It’s very easy to forget about the phone cable when digging around a bush.

Don’t be afraid to just go ahead, buy or build a shed and give your new home office a try. Even if you decide not to use it later, you can always change its purpose to a guest house or storage space.

…Or do you have another option?

Sure, you can have an economical storage shed. But how? Let me share some ideas:

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?

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.

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.

The Different Shed Materials

The factor which probably has the most importance for the outdoor storage shed’s quality is the material used for building it. If the shed is built with low quality materials chances are it will be of low quality too.

The metal outdoor storage sheds are cheap and robust but rare look as good as the timber sheds. The later are more expensive, but are very beautiful and are excellent for green houses. There are many outdoor sheds made of plastic or fibreglass. In most cases they combine the positives of the metal sheds and wooden ones.

Sometimes you can see sheds made of bricks, panels, rammed earth or even straw.

Types Of Sheds Depending On The Purpose

The outdoor garden sheds may have different purpose. Most people just want to store tools and stuff inside, that’s why we most often call them storage sheds.
However, you could want your shed to serve your kids as a green house or a house for games. Many other people use the sheds as a green office.

The purpose of the shed often will determine the material and the shape as well. If you want to use the building just to store things, you can go with cheap and tall metal shed. If your target is a green house or office, then wooden will be best.

Shed Kits, Shed Plans And Finished Sheds

I have written about this before. Most people don’t purchase ready sheds because there is not enough variety, transportation is harder and the price is higher. That’s why the most preferred way for buying outdoor storage sheds is as shed kits.

The kits require some work on your side. Usually it’s going to take few days to build a shed by using a kit. But the huge advantage to select between many models of sheds and buy even overseas is well worth it.

Some enthusiasts like to build shed entirely on their own. They just buy shed plans and materials and start working. Building a shed this way can be a long process if you have no experience with do it yourself projects. For someone who knows what they are doing it’s a one week work in most cases. If you choose this route, I can recommend this online shed plans store, because they have good variety and decent prices.

Getting a shed is not a big deal and you don’t need to spend months planning. But at least you should make sure that you know about the different types of outdoor storage sheds before going further and purchasing or building one.

This doesn’t matter. If you want to build a shed, you can do it. It can be easy or hard - it all depends on how you would like to do it.

Can you design and build a shed from scratch?

Sure, you can. Hopefully you have experience in architecture design, because you will need to create good sketches of the shed. Then you’ll have to print them out and start your work.

While designing your shed you should have in mind its size, the space in your yard, the cost of actual building, the materials that will be used and that the final look should match the look of your house and around. When you are the shed designer, everything is in your hands, so you take all the risks.

Can you at least use a ready design?

Of course, and that’s what I recommend you, unless you are an architect. You can purchase paper plans or download shed plans online for a small amount of money - usually $20 - $40. There is a great choice of plans available so you should not worry about not finding the one that is right for you.

Building a shed with a plan has the advantage that you are building some proven design. You don’t have to worry if the walls and the door will match. This is probably the most cost effective way to build outdoor storage sheds - you should skip the plan purchase only if designing yourself is something you enjoy.

Doing it easier - using a shed kit

Building a shed with shed plans is fool proof in the sense that you can’t go wrong if you follow the plan. But it’s quite time consuming and requires hard work.

If your reasons to want to build a shed yourself are less about cost saving and more about not being able to find the right outdoor shed design, then buying a shed kit is the best option for you. Why is that? Mostly because there are thousands of shed kits stores available online and they can ship you your kit in a matter of days.

One of the greatest advantages of using a kit is that building a shed with it is easy - you can finish it in 2-3 days. At the same time you’ll have much better choice compared to when you want to purchase a ready garden shed and you’ll pay less.

If you want to build a shed yourself, don’t be scared. The above three options allow everyone do it depending on their experience level. Just go ahead, estimate your skills and start work!

Customizing A Ready Shed

For people who don’t have much experience in do it yourself project, don’t have much free time, or just don’t want to get their hands dirty, it’s most recommended to purchase pre-built outdoor storage sheds or at least shed kits.

What can be done to customize such storage shed? Here are few ideas:

• Painting. Putting your custom paint is a great way to give uniqueness to your outdoor storage shed. If you have fantasy, you could combine different colors, drawings and more.
• Isolation. If you are planning to store expensive items or things like food in your shed, you may improve it by adding custom isolation. Doing this is very popular for people who use their sheds as greenhouses.
• Customize around the shed. The pre-built sheds don’t allow you to change much in the shed itself. But you can customize the things around it - the pathways, the vegetation around it and many more. Imagine what a great combination you could achieve with a good timber shed, a pergola and beautify green pathway to it.

If that is not enough, maybe you are one of those people that prefer to do things themselves. If so, read below.

Customizing Shed Plans

The best option for people like you is to buy shed plans, preferably online, and build the storage shed yourself. The plans usually come with instructions what materials should be used, but here is the first place where you could be creative. Once you have the plans, you can use them for almost any other material - of course, with small adjustments.

Working with plans gives you one more advantage about customizing your shed. You can just make adjustments to the plans and see how the shed would look before you actually do anything. That’s why I suggested you to use downloadable plans and not paper ones. You can find the ones I like most here. Using a design software you can see how your adjustments will effect the shed without wasting any materials!

Design Your Own Shed

Of course, the most straightforward way to the shed you dream about is to design it yourself entirely from scratch. If you have never done any sketches and never worked with software like AutoCad, you will need first to learn how to do that.

If you already have more experience, be careful about several common mistakes that enthusiasts do when designing their first shed:

• Don’t forget the costs. People who want to design their dream shed often do wonders in the software design programs and then realize the shed is too big or too hard to build in the real world. Don’t forget that there are materials and actual work involved in building your shed - a design may look great on the screen, but can you really implement it?
• Match the design of your house. You may be very creative when doing your design but if it is not compatible with your existing house and yard, that will be waisted effort. Of course sometimes you can achieve great result by making the outdoor storage shed stand out with different design, but that requires much more experience and talent in design than most people have.
• Functionality is most important. Of course your outdoor storage shed must be beautiful but don’t forget that the most important is its functionality. When designing, think well what you are going to store in your shed, are you going to stay there yourself and where it will be placed.

Outdoor storage sheds give everyone the ability to customize them to their needs. Just decide what level of customization you need and go ahead with some of the options I suggested above.

1. Do the designs match?

2. The shed price

I didn’t put this at first place, but clearly it’s a very important thing. You should balance between price and quality so you buy a quality storage shed without going broke. Most “standard” outdoor storage sheds do not exceed few thousands dollars in price. If your budget is lower, you may think about buying a shed kit.

3. Shed material

The material which is used in producing the shed determines a lot of the quality measures and of course the price. I recommend you to check the timber sheds vs metal sheds article before taking decision on the material.

4. The Size

Of course bigger sheds cost more, but the most important thing is your shed to meet your need. So first decide about the shed’s purpose and then calculate what size will be enough for you. If you are going to just store things inside, a tall and narrow shed will do a great work and will come cheaper. If you plan to use your shed as a greenhouse, you’d better plan your funds for a large wooden shed.

5. Ready shed or a kit?

If you are handy, like to build things yourself, want to save money and want to have bigger choice of outdoor storage shed designs, you may prefer to buy a kit. It takes some time to build a shed from kit, but that’s a cheaper and more creative way to obtain such a building.
Some people go as far as just buying shed plans and doing everything themselves. This is an option only for these who like and know how to build things themselves.

6. The place of your shed

The choice of the shed design and size depends also on where you are going to place it in your garden. Of course, if there is no much space there, you should select a small and tall shed. On the other hand, if the shed is going to be situated under a tree or electricity cables, it can’t be too tall. If there is a lot of Sun on the shed’s place you’d better select a timber one. If there is a lot of water - prefer a plastic shed. I think you got the idea.

What Shed Is Most Appropriate For A Green Office?

The answer is short: wooden! No other material is as nice, healthy and beautiful as wood. If you have read about outdoor storage sheds before you probably know that they can be made from different material. But if you are going to use yours as a garden office, forget about that - only timber shed will do the work.

The second important requirement is of course large. If you are going to stay inside with a computer and chair, you need your shed to be at least as large as a small room. 8′ x 12′ sheds can do the work, but I would recommend you slightly larger one especially if you are going to keep various stuff inside.

Other Requirements For The Green Office

The use of outdoor storage sheds as office is quite common, but still it’s not their default purpose, so you may need to think a little more. First and most important is that you will need electricity to be connected to your shed. Water is not that important as you can always go outside to the house or the garden sink.

If you are going to spend long hours in the shed, think also about additional isolation. You may get addicted to staying there so making it more sustainable on very hot or colder weather can help you feel comfortable. I do not recommend putting air condition in the shed, but a simple fan may not be a bad idea.

Finally, people who create home offices want them to be beautiful, so same is valid for the garden office. Pick a good looking design for your shed so you can be really proud of your green office.

If you decide to build your office shed yourself, make sure to start with high quality shed plans.

Advantages Of Timber Sheds

The garden sheds that are made of wood are known for their great look. If you really want your shed to be beautiful, a timber building can hardly be beaten.

The timber sheds are also very good for isolating what’s inside from the weather conditions. The wood is a great insulator so it keeps cool air inside even in the hottest Summer days. In the Winter the temperatures inside are several degrees higher than outside without any heating.
If you want to change something on your shed, you can just get the saw and do it yourself.

Disadvantages of Timber Sheds

There are not many disadvantages of the wooden sheds. The main issue with them is their price, which sometimes can be quite high. Even if you buy a shed kit, it will be higher than the price of a plastic or metal shed.
Another problem is that your shed can become a victim of woodworms if it is not well treated against such pests.

Advantages of Metal Sheds

If you want an inexpensive outdoor storage shed, consider getting a metal one. They are very affordable for everyone. A metal shed can cost 30% - 40% less that a similar model timber shed.
Another positive thing about the outdoor storage sheds made from steel is that they are very robust. If you keep your steel shed properly it can stay intact for many years.

Disadvantages of Metal Sheds

Unfortunately the steel sheds don’t look as good as the timber ones. They are typically used for storing garden tools and other stuff, but you would never see someone taking rest in his metal shed.
Another reason for that is metal’s high conductivity. In a hot day the temperature in such a shed can become very high especially if it is not in shady place. In the Winter it’s freezing inside and can even be dangerous to touch the steel with hand.

As you can see both types of sheds have their positive and negative sides. Carefully examine each of them before taking your decision to buy.