Whether you’re installing a new shed from scratch or upgrading an existing structure, there are plenty of ways to maximise its use and your enjoyment
WORDS VIVIENNE HAMBLY
Hours can slip away in a good shed. Repositories of tools, garden furniture, packets of seed, compost, jars of screws and other bits of hardware that might be useful one day, they are more than the sum of their parts. In a quiet corner of a garden, sheds offer an escape from the bustle of home life and provide a place to gather your thoughts – even if you’re not doing very much.
Sheds are unlikely to need planning permission, although councils do impose varying restrictions on their location, the proportion of the garden they’ll take up, their height and their ultimate purpose – which should be secondary to the house itself. For peace of mind, it’s worth checking the parameters set out by your local planning authority or looking at planningportal.co.uk for specific direction. Listed properties may also need special permission.
Generally available in a set range of sizes, sheds range from 6ft x 4ft (1.8m x 1.2m) to 12ft x 8ft (3.6m x 2.4m), and there’s a strong case for buying the largest model you can fit in the space available. Beyond this, a range of styles awaits. Potting sheds have large, slightly angled windows, the better to let in light early in the year. Lean-tos are ideal for small gardens, and corner sheds maximise space. Single doors and a steeply pitched roof will add a classic cottage-garden look. By contrast, a sloping pent roof on a near-black shed will look more contemporary.
Look to DIY stores and Forest, Malvern Garden Buildings (malverngardenbuildings.co.uk) and Crane Garden Buildings (cranegardenbuildings. co.uk), for a broad selection. The Cosy Shed Co (thecosyshedco.co.uk), The Garden Trellis Company (gardentrellis.co.uk), Border Oak (borderoak.com) and Free Range Designs (freerangingdesigns.com) offer more individual designs. Try Wickes (wickes. co.uk), Shedstore (shedstore.co.uk) and sheds.co.uk for less expensive metal models.
Above all, ensure the shed base is perfectly level and slightly raised – ideally on a concrete setting. This way it should last for many years to come.
