Uncovering the Real Value of the Traditional Wood Garden Shed

You’d be forgiven for thinking the garden shed is only for gardeners. Truth is, it’s far from it. For those with the garden space, the shed becomes an extension to the living space. A place where odds and ends around the home can be put for safe storage; where mandatory gardening tools are stored, and somewhere for the kids bikes, summer garden accessories such as trampolines to be stored during the rough windy winter and given the right conditions, the shed can be used as living space for small animals like rabbits in hutches, or if you’re feeling generous, the entire shed can be converted into one monstrous size rabbit hutch.

The possibilities of the shed are endless. And get this, with the right type of garden features, according to propertywire.com, Brits can boost their property value by a whopping 20%. Why? Because the garden space is living space. It’s where we spend our summers, host barbeques, spend quality time as a family and the vast majority of home buyers see the garden as an extension to the home. The shed is an even bigger extension as it becomes an extra room…

An extra room that can be converted into any type of room.

  • A home gym
  • Equip the shed with electrics and you have the makings for a games room for teens
  • Provided the size is right, it’s possible to fit a pool table in some sheds
  • For most though, it’s a workshop – of sorts. With the added advantage of extra storage for things you really don’t want being brought in and out of the home.
    • Gardening tools
    • Fertilisers
    • Kids bikes when the wheels are all muddy from riding over grass, through puddles and picking all sorts of grit in the tyres.

The shed is the place to store anything and everything. Provided, that is, you have it organised in a way you can actually fit everything you need to store in your secure wooden outhouse.

How to organise your shed for maximum storage space

Install a worktop

You don’t need to be using your shed for a workshop to benefit from a worktop. Secured to the studs of solid wood sheds, you can make the most of wooden countertops by installing some simple to DIY wood runners under the worktop to store plastic bins – drawer style.

Don’t like the look of everything stored under there? …

To the front of the countertop, you can seal it off with a single piece of curtain wire and some fabric.

Concealing storage with colourful fabrics

Remember back in the day when sink-skirts were used instead of cabinets? You can fit the same skirt system under your worktops to hide all the items stored under there, helping to keep your items out of sight, making your shed look much more presentable.

Adding vinyl to your floors

Adding vinyl to your shed floors makes keeping it clean much easier. Clean it like you would your kitchen floor. This is an ideal floor covering for sheds used for storing bicycles and for kids playhouses because of the cleaning simplicity.

Pegboards

A single sheet of MDF with some pegboard stapled over it gives you tremendous storage capabilities because you can hang much of your smaller equipment up so they’re easy to find when you need them, rather than having to fumble through tool boxes and storage containers to find the small pair of gardening sheers or a trowel every time you need it.

Shelving

Shelves can be used for storage, but they can also be used to add a touch of personalisation. For the avid gardener or wood worker who spends a lot of time in the shed, photo frames or artwork could be put on display, or to display something like a Corgi collection of Stobart trucks. Whether practical or personal, shelving systems are always a welcome addition to the garden shed.

Hooks and twine

To make better use of the storage space, while keeping your gardening tools organised, give your walls purpose. Hooks can be inserted into the wall studs, then some wire or twine strung between them and all of your tall upright tools will stay upright, out the way until you need them. It’s the simplest storage system for keeping your spades, hoes, and garden rakes organised.

With a little creative thinking and a little DIY, sheds can become that extra storage room many an average-sized family home needs.