Right now times are tough, and most people will be wanting to opt for a more inexpensive shed. Don’t worry though, inexpensive doesn’t have to mean you’ll be having to make due with a tiny, low quality shed that looks atrocious. If you look in the right places and utilize the right methods you may be able to save hundreds of dollars!
First, you’ll likely have to forgo prefabricated sheds and custom built sheds from a contractor. Instead, go with a pre-cut wooden shed kit or build the shed yourself (if you have adequate carpentry skills that is). If you choose to build one yourself, here’s how to go about it cost effectively:
1. Buy Inexpensive Wooden Shed Plans Online
You can find cheap shed plans online on sites such as Amazon.com, or through a quick Google search. I recommend going with Amazon, however, because you can read reviews from other people that have actually purchased the plan book. Here
2. If Possible, Borrow Tools
You may not have the proper tools to build a shed and some tools, such as saws, can be quite expensive. If possible see if you can borrow these from a friend who may own them. Offer to buy a new blade when you’re done. This goes for other tools as well, such as nail guns and saw horses. Remember to ask the person you’re borrowing from for proper instructions on how to use the tools so that you don’t injure yourself! It’s pointless to save money on your shed, only to spend it on hospital bills instead.
3. Recycle Materials
If you have an opportunity to recycle old lumber and other building materials, go for it! This will shave hundreds off of your bill and is good for the environment as well. So if you have an old door or window you have sitting around, now’s the time to put it to use.
Well now you should have somewhat of an idea of how to save money when building your yard shed!
You may be asking yourself, “Why should I buy a wooden yard shed when I can get a plastic Rubbermaid shed for so much cheaper?” and that’s definitely a good question. Luckily for you, I have answers.
1. Wood Looks Better
Wooden sheds are much easier on the eyes than comparable sheds of plastic and metal. I mean think about it, having one of those plastic yard sheds is akin to having a permanent Rubbermaid container siting out in your yard. A quality wooden shed will match your home and look like it belongs.
2. Increase Your Storage
We all have storage issues. Not only can your shed be used to store yard and garden supplies (such as riding lawn mowers). Many people store old knickknacks and mementos that they don’t have room for, but don’t want to throw out in their wooden yard sheds.
3. Make A Playhouse
Sometimes people choose to convert a wooden shed into a nice playhouse for their children. It can get some of their bulky toys out of the house, and provides an excellent place to play. You can even let your children take part in the shed building process. Maybe give them a say in the plans, or let them in on some of the aesthetic decisions like painting and trim.
4. Keep Animals In Your Shed
Depending on where you live, you can convert a large wooden shed into a sort of makeshift barn. I know of people who installed heat lamps and have raised chickens for 4H in their shed. Granted these folks lived outside of city limits, but it’s definitely an idea!
5. Convert Your Shed Into An Outdoor Office
Some people even convert their sheds into outdoor offices. They install insulation and a carpeting, and get an electrician to hook it up to the grid (or you could just an extension cord temporarily). A variation on the outdoor office shed is the music studio shed. You could easily add noise reducing panels to the walls and roof you of your shed to make it soundproof and use it as a nice recording studio that won’t anger the neighbors.
If you decide to have a custom shed built by either yourself or a contractor, you may want to consider downloading a decent set of plans online. A quick Google search pulls up a list of websites which offer plans for the three most popular shed types: gable, barn, and saltbox.
Two of my favorite sets of plans are available for free from the Popular Mechanics website (here and here). They provide rudimentary instructions for building two variations of the American colonial style, and the results look pretty impressive. Expect to pay about $2000 for materials if you plan on following these sets of plans.
Other sites offer wooden shed plans for download, but charge a fee.
Other Ways To Acquire Shed Plans
Offline you have some great ways of finding building plans for your garden shed. The most obvious places are local lumberyards and large home improvement stores. These retailers will often sell plans and sometimes even have them available for free on the assumption that you’ll be shopping at their store for the materials.
The benefit of going to a brick and mortar store to make your purchase is that you know what you will be getting for your money. If you’re planning on hiring a contractor to do the actual building, try asking them to come up with the plans. Often contractors who have experience building sheds will have some idea of where to acquire a quality set of plans.
If all of this plan hunting sounds a bit too daunting, you’d probably be better off just purchasing a kit (which include the plans), buying a prefabricated shed, or hiring an architect to design it. Check out my post on the differences between these different types for more information. It can be found here.
All endeavor calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil. The fight to the finish spirit is the one… characteristic we must posses if we are to face the future as finishers.
- Henry David Thoreau
