Buying a garden shed...points to consider

Garden sheds are ideal for a number of different purposes including storing garden furniture, tools, clutter from your house and using as a workshop or office etc. You may think that choosing a garden shed is an easy task; however there are hundreds of different types and sizes of sheds available and therefore the following points should be considered before purchasing a garden shed.

Points that should be considered include:

• The material used to construct the shed - will it rot or rust and therefore have to be replaced in a few years. Does it come with a guarantee?
  
• Is it difficult to assemble, are lots of tools required?
  
• Are all the components included in the shed, such as the floor?
  
• Is the shed waterproof?
  
• Does the shed require yearly maintenance/treatments?
  
• What size shed will fit comfortably in your garden? Will you require planning permission?
  

Is planning permission required for a garden shed?

Generally speaking in England and Wales planning permission is not required to put up a shed in your garden as long as you follow these rules:

• Your shed must not cover more than half of the area of your garden.

• If the shed is built out of a combustible material for example wood, then it should be at least 2 metres away from your house.

• No point should be less than one metre away from any boundary.

• It is only used for domestic purposes, it should not contain any sleeping accommodation and the floor area does not exceed 15 square metres.

• It can be no more than 3m in height for a flat roof, or 4m for a ridged roof.

• No part projects beyond any wall of the house that faces any highway.

• The shed is for use only by those who occupy the house.

For more information about planning permission please click on the following link - http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/genpub/en/1115315233173.html

Exploring the uses of a garden shed....

Garden sheds and workshops are the perfect solution for garden storage to stow away summer garden furniture or kids' paddling pools, or simply to keep your garden equipment organised under lock and key. Many people look at these types of buildings as an extra room and the perfect place to use as a hobby room.



Also available on the market are arches, arbours, pergolas, summerhouses, planters and other timber products which all create an interesting and attractive garden perfect for relaxing in.

Future outlook for garden sheds

The general economic view of gardening is that its procession into the future appears resilient. The variety of sheds now available for different purposes (including garden storage and workshops) has caused an increase in their popularity. A contributing factor causing this impact is the number of people now working from home has increased over the years and therefore many people require a seperate work space. The garden shed market is a good sector to be in as the UK's shed market is currently at around £91m.

The sale of both sheds and other garden products has moved towards internet sales over the past couple of years. This is due to the ease of purchasing via the internet and therefore the increase of people frequently buying items online.

Three of the top online suppliers of sheds within the UK include:

• Shed shop - http://www.shedshop.co.uk/
• Buy Sheds Direct - http://www.buyshedsdirect.co.uk/
• Garden Centre Direct - http://www.gardencentredirect.co.uk/