You’re going to build a shed – Don’t do anything until you have read this.

Get professionally designed plans. It’ll save you time and money!

Professional plans don’t have to cost you a lot of money an in fact will save you a lot of money as you’ll know exactly what you need before you even start your build.  If you decide to build without a plan, you can expect to have to make adjustments along the way.  Anyone who has built anything will tell you that making adjustments often means spending more money.

Pro plans for building sheds are easy to follow, give you all the information up front and you get an illustration of exactly how to put it all together.

So Simple – Don’t build castles.

With huge quantities of shed plans available, it’s easy to want to complicate your project with shutters and siding and such things.  Remember that this is just a shed, a storage space and if that’s all it is, then don’t waste money on things that won’t make it more functional.

Don’t do anything until you’ve thought the process through.

When you are planning your project, you’ll want to mentally go through the entire process before you get started.  What tools you are going to need to complete the job and what do you have available right now.  At the end of your project, what is going to be inside your shed and how big are the items and do they match the size of your shed.

The best plans will also include a cut chart and if you take this to the lumber yard, they’ll cut your wood for your ensuring that you don’t have to worry about cutting it yourself.

Planning permission granted or not?

Your final task before you start is to find out if you can build your shed.  Most small sheds don’t need building permits, but check before you start.  There is nothing worse than building a shed only to discover that you weren’t allowed to and now you have to take it down and pay a fine.

My Second Shed – What I have learnt

In the building of my second shed, I picked up some real tips.  Before I got started, I double checked the plans.  I also realised that building a bigger shed was neccessary.  Building a little one first was great, but the more space you have the be

tter.

My second shed was also on a better piece of land as far as drainage was concerned and I was beginning to lay slasto tiles around the front of our new house, so I thought that it would just be easier to put up the next shed on that.

Foundations are so important,  so you want to find the best land to build on.  Drainage is vital and it’s been raining here a lot lately, so we have a lot of damp ground to content with.

Take that into consideration when building your own sheds.

In this shed building project, I chose a different foundation arrangement.  There are a lot of options available, some are more expensive and if you know what kind of soil you are having to deal with, then you can find alternatives that suit you and your budget.

My First Shed – Some Mistakes I Made.

This was the first shed I built.  I used wood that I found at a used lumber yard.  It was really cheap and it worked really well.  The foundations were really important at this part of the property as there is a lot of water.

The property is terraced as are most properties in the area.  The trenches are not so good at this part of the property, so there is a lot of water here.

Here are a few of the pictures we took last week.

As you can see this was my first attempt at building a shed.  I’m pretty happy with it, but the finished look is not the very best.  If you are going to build a shed, you might want to check through the plans before you get started.  I didn’t and although it all worked out fine, the end product is not as professional as my other sheds.

Shed Building – The First 5 Questions You Need To Be Asking Yourself

For anyone who is thinking of building themselves a shed, there are a lot of different factors to take into consideration, but before you even start this project, you are going to want to ask yourself five key questions.

Functional & Effective

Shed building will cost you a lot of money if you don’t plan your project, so here are the questions you need to ask:-

Key Question #1.  -  What do I need my shed for?

This may sound like a really stupid question, but too often I have had emails from people who started their project and suddently discovered that they needed more space or they needed ventilation, or the entire project was based on wanting something but needing something completely different.

When you know how much space you are going to need and what exactly you are going to be using it for, you can then start looking for the plans to suit that particular need.  If you are going to be storing items that don’t need access to light or fresh air, then you could eliminate the need for windows, alternatively if you are going to be using this as a man space or work shop, then you will want ventilation and a reasonable area.

Key Question #2.  What Materials Are Going To Work Best?

Sheds can be built from a variety of different materials.  You should not limit yourself to just wood construction .  Using PCV has become extremely popular in the construction of various sheds due to it’s longevity and durability, but you will have to consider what climate you live in and what conditions your shed is going to experience.

Taking into account what type of soil you will be building on is also a factor to consider and the amount of rainfall or snow will also have an impact on the materials you use.

Key Question #3.  How Much Space Do I Have?

The main reason that most people need to build sheds is because they require more space.  Sometimes having adequate space outside for the shed is a challenge in itself.  Shed designs are so diverse that you are now able to build sheds in any shape or size, but bear in mind that building a double story shed has it’s own limitations and regulations to consider.

If space is a concern you may want to consider a portable shed, that can be erected and dis-assembled as you need it.

Key Question #4.  How Much Money Do I Want To Spend?

The bottom line is very important when deciding to build a shed.  You don’t want to be wasting unneccesary money on expensive materials when you can source them cheaper elsewhere.  Knowing what your budget is and being able to assess at the start whether your project is going to be obtainable for the money you wish to spend is vital.

Key Question #5.  Where Do I Find The Right Plans?

Finding the right shed plans will make light work of your shed building project.  There are thousands of plans available online and we have the most comprehensive collection available for you right here.