Shed Buying Guide
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Things to Know Before You Buy ANY Storage Structure
We’ve been in the shed business for so long that we sometimes forget what it’s like when you’re getting your very first storage shed. It may seem like a simple procedure but so you can make the most out of your investment, read through Our Beginners’ Guide below to make sure you’ve covered all your bases.
Most of our past customers don’t wake up one day and say “Hey! I’m going to get me a storage shed today…”
Instead, they first notice they seem to be collecting a bit too much stuff. Their garage may be getting harder and harder to park the car in. They’re afraid to open the closet door because all the things crammed in it may landslide out on top of you.
Whether it’s to clean out the garage or the basement, getting your own storage shed is like getting a brand new room with over 200 square feet overnight.
If you’re a property owner, you know first hand how much lawn and garden equipment you need to keep your curb appeal fresh. Riding mowers, push mowers, potting soil, rakes, shovels….all that needed equipment takes up space. So rather than trying to squeeze them into your garage, or down stairs in the cellar where it’s hard to get to, a Storage Shed positioned just where you want it can make your own landscaping all pleasure and no pain. Make sure you ask as us about the specific options we’ve created just for lawn and garden equipment.
The do it yourself carpenter, craft booker or sewer who truly enjoys their hobby almost always gets their money out of a storage structure when they use it as a workshop. Instead of having to keep your tools and supplies packed up and dragging them out each time you want work on it, a storage shed used for a workshop will let you leave your supplies out so you can come and go as you please. Hobbies are supposed to be fun, right? By having a separate designated area for your workshop or hobby room, we’ll be you’ll be more motivated to work on your crafts.
Rather than a costly construction project, one of our pre-made storage sheds can be a faster, more affordable way to add another room to your home. We’ve seen folks use their storage sheds as home gyms, an office, or a secret get away. By choosing the right options (we’ll talk more about that later), you can create an exterior and an interior that won’t look or feel like a shed at all.
Investing in your own storage shed can pay for itself in a matter of months. And after you stopped paying money on storage locker, then your shed is actually saving you money! And just think how simple it would be to walk a few steps to the back yard to get your treasure rather than spending gas driving 20 minutes to your local storage shed locker.
Shed Secret #1: Buyers’ Remorse In Shed Buying
By far the most common “complaint” we get from our customers is “I should have listened to you and gone with something bigger.” There always seems to be more stuff you want to put into your new storage shed than when you originally thought. It make sense- by the 2nd or 3rd weekend, when you really start appreciating you can park both cars in the garage again, and you get use to having a neat and orderly home because you have everything organized in your storage shed, you probably will think of other things you want to store in it.
How Much Space Will You Need?
After you know what you’ll be using your new storage shed for, make sure you have a good idea of what you’ll be putting into before you go shopping. Try to have an idea of how much you will be storing so you can make sure you will enough space. The eye can play tricks on us- what you “think” will fit into your new storage shed may not all get in there. To combat this, create a list of everything you’ll want to put into your new shed and compare that to our “Guide to Square Footage” below or bring your list in with you when you come to our Display Lot and we can advise you on which space will meet your needs.
Guide to Square Footage
Square Footage Range
96 square feet to 120.
Good for storing
Garden Tools, Push Mower and a Snow Blower, a little bit of boxed storage.
We Recommend
8’ wide x 12’ long good for small back yards, don’t need a lot of storage. A Riding mower here would be a tight fit. The smallest structure- a 6’ wide by 8’ long are less than 50 square feet.
Square Footage Range
140 square feet to 180 square feet.
Good for storing
Lawn Tractor and push mower and snow blower. Still room for a small workshop. Use wall space for garden tools. Space leftover for box storage.
We Recommend
10‘wide x 16’ -160 square feet works well for nearly all our customers. Most popular size. Fits all the important items but not a lot of room to walk around. Pay special attention to where you will you place your riding mower.
Square Footage Range
240 square feet to 280 square feet.
Good for storing
Law Tractor with the attached bagger, and push mower and snow blower. Longer walls mean more hanging space for garden tools. Still have room to devote one end for 8’ x 12’ workshop.
We Recommend
12’ wide x 20’ long is the best seller in the large shed category. If extra space to walk around is important, or you want some left over room for a functioning workshop, going with this larger size won’t disappoint.
Square Footage Range
280 square feet or higher.
Good for storing
Vehicles- autos, trucks, small hobby tractors, ATVs, classic autos, boats, and all the items listed above.
We Recommend
14’ wide by 28’ long are the dimensions for our popular 1 car garage model. Two car garages can be as large as 24’ by 36’.
What Style Do You Like?
You’ve spent all that money and time on making our home a real show place. And depending on where you place your new storage shed, it could get just as much “curb time” as your home. Make sure not to detract from the appearance of your home and property by not paying attention to the appearance of your structure. You can select from over 11 styles to compliment it in a truly unique way. Match roof lines, materials, door and window combinations- make sure you know all of the free choices you have to select a beautiful storage structure. For a full range of choices, check out the list on the left side of the home page.
A Frame or Cottage
Description
Named for the Roof line, Limited overhead storage, Most popular style.
Ideal For
This style is our “can’t go wrong” pick. Good storage capacity with a fresh look.
Dutch Barns
Description
The most overhead storage of any style.
Most functional and best value for the money.
Ideal For
Combination equipment and boxed storage. Consider a Dutch barn if you have a lot of smaller boxed items that can fit on a loft.
Classic Cottage
Description
Top of the line in appearance.
Higher pitched roof sets it apart in looks from other sheds.
Ideal For
When the appearance of your structure is just as important as its function. Wise choice when the shed will visible from the road.
Dormer
Description
Sometimes called a Victorian, the only style that has the third gable on the front above the door.
Comes standard with double doors and 3 foot front door.
Ideal For
Easy to match the roof line of your home with this style. Double doors make it easy to drive your lawn tractor in and out.
Garages
Description
Free standing garages pre built and delivered to your site for a lot less than having one built. Comes in 1 or 2 vehicles sizes- tons of free options.
Ideal For
The Single vehicle garage can be set up on your property to store the extra car sitting in your drive way. Many of our customers purchased a single vehicle garage to store their classic car or boat. Able to add a full sized work area to the length of all sizes.
Quaker
Description
A full 15” overhang on front gives this style a more finished look. The sloped back roof line does limit the head room in the back of the shed.r pitched roof sets it apart in looks from other sheds.
Ideal For
Our customers usually buy Quakers for the look; other styles give more storage space.
Mini Barns
Description
Simple appearance; more popular because of its usefulness and not necessarily its look.
Ideal For
Fast and simple storage, when appearance is not as important as function.
Hip Roof
Description
The only style with 4 sides to it with a cathedral ceiling feel on interior.
Ideal For
Matching homes that have the same roof design.
Economy
Description
Our lowest priced style; most space for your money. No windows and limited options to customize it.
Ideal For
When budget is more important than looks. Because of it’s plain look, you can get up to a 10 x 14 for less than the other styles.
Select Your Color Combinations
Once your style is selected, review the many choices you have for the different parts of your structure. Start at the roof and work down: different shingle choices in either our 25 year warranted or upgraded architectural shingles; select from painted wood color choices or vinyl sided selections.
Interior Decorator Will Hapeman, known as “The Decorating Coach” advises you try to match the roof/shingle colors as close to your home as you can. “It may not be an exact match, but from the street- try to get something that is close. Whatever you do, avoid going with a roof color that is clearly a different color- like tan colored house shingles and black colored shed shingles”.
When selecting the siding for your structure, the first thing to choose from is a WOOD structure or a Vinyl Sided Structure. Click here for an explanation of the differences between Wood and Vinyl
| Difference | Wood Structures / Painted Wood Structures | Vinyl Structures |
|---|---|---|
| Range of Sizes | no difference | no difference |
| Style Choices | no difference | no difference |
| Shingles | no difference in choices | no difference in choices |
| Ability to Customize | no difference | no difference |
| Maintenance | repaint every 7 years | None |
| Color Choices | Ability to match any color | 14 |
| Trim Color Choices | Ability to match any color | 14 |
| Price | Can run about 15% below Vinyl | Can run about 15% above Wood |
The Decorating Coach Will explains how to choose a siding color, “You can either match the siding on your home to the vinyl siding on your storage shed, or you can coordinate it.” Matching is pretty easy- you may want to go down to their retail sight and take along a small sample of your house siding to eyeball it up. Then match the trim and shutters up to your shed exactly. For example a nice, classic white sided home with black siding/shutters probably would be best suited with a storage shed that is in the same white color with black accents.
For a full range of the color choices you have, check out Designing Your Shed/Options next.
But if you want to coordinate the shed and your home, you have a few choices. Coordinate the trim or the shutters on your home to the siding of the shed. Then maybe pick a complimentary color for the trim on your shed. A simple and sharp look is to switch the colors of siding and trim. For example, a Taupe sided home with brown trim could look great with a storage shed that was “flipped”- brown storage shed with beige trim.“
And if you get stuck, just ask us and we’ll be happy to let our years of experience doing this work for you when you stop by our Display location
Remember that most likely your storage shed will stay with your property should you ever decide to sell. Skimping on the looks of it could come back to haunt you come “selling time”. Let alone what the next door neighbor will say if you put up something cheap looking. (And imagine what they’ll say if you put up a fresh, smart looking hand crafted structure!)
For all the color choices, click below.
What Options Do You Want?
Shed Secret #2: You CAN Create Your Own Structure
A lot of first time shed buyers (and returning ones too) don’t realize that your selection is not limited to what you see on our Display lot. We encourage you stop by so you can get an idea for the square footage and see the different styles, colors and options you have. BUT if you don’t see something you like- you can create your own. Work with our trained team and we’ll help you create your own- 1 of a kind- storage structure made just for you. And most of the times, customizing a standard storage shed doesn’t cost one penny more!
Since you decided on the function in step 1, now you can go back and match up the options that will let you get the full use out of your investment. We talk more about this in the tab “Design Your Own Shed/Options”
Storing gas or paint cans? Then our ridge vents and end vents for example will give you that much needed circulation. Storing a riding mower? Make sure to measure the full width of your tractor against the opening in the doors. And make sure to ask about the ramps we offer. And if your structure is intended to do double duty- like part storage and part pool changing room- at least find out how much a partition or wall would be.
We can guarantee you’ll be surprised when you learn what choices you have that are included for FREE with your storage shed. And for a few dollars more, you can get some really functional options added to your structure to make it your own- like shelving units installed at the time we make your shed for you.
Thinking about adding your options yourself? We applaud your great intentions but just make sure you will eventually get around to doing them. We’ve seen so many sheds with everything heaped on a pile in the floor because the well meaning home owner never got around to installing those simple shelves or that overhead loft to create more storage. So when shed shopping, at least find out what these “must have” options are going to cost.
Decide Between In Stock or Custom Order
You’re now ready to go shopping! As mentioned above, we encourage you to stop by our site so you can see first hand what the different sizes, styles and colors are like. Then you can stroll through our display to see if you find anything that matches everything on your list.
Remember anything from our big assortment currently in stock can be delivered quickly.
Don’t see what you want? You can really have a 1 of a kind structure by custom creating one. There’s never an extra charge for custom ordering a standard structure. There could be a few week wait, but we’ll need some time to hand build your shed exactly the way you wanted it.
Want to download the “Beginners Guide Workbook” that goes with this?
Select Your Location on Your Property
While you wait for your shed to be delivered, make sure you to put some thought into where on your property your new shed will go. Consider how your property will look with your new addition, balanced between how close (or how far) you’ll want it from your home.
Make sure you speak with us about some important preparation work that site needs before we can deliver.
Your New Shed is Delivered!
We normally can deliver and set up your new shed in a few hours, so be ready to clean out that garage and attic and reclaim some space! There- you just added square feet to your home in one afternoon.
Free Bonus Guide: How To Clean Up That Garage and Set Up Your New Storage Shed
Since you followed the instructions in our Beginners’ Guide, you should be ready to play ball.
After the shed is delivered, put up any additional storage savers like shelves or lofts. Trust us- if you don’t do this first, you run a good chance of never getting to it and your new shed will be another unorganized mess. (Another reason to choose some of the cheaper organization options is that you’ll be ready to start using your new shed minutes after our delivery truck pulls away.)
Using post it notes or labels, indicate what each shelf or loft will be used for. Pay attention to the spaces that will be easier to get to- those should be the new home for the items you’ll be using on a more routine basis. Seldom used items- like Outdoor Christmas Decorations should go in a harder to reach area of your new storage shed. If you are storing lawn and garden equipment, consider putting them along the interior walls to take advantage of every square inch. Fill up the smaller spaces along the wall and overhead first before moving in your larger items like pulling in the lawn mower and snow blower. You’re going to need the space to move around setting this part up.
Now work on the garage or closet or basement.
The first thing you need to do is throw away any junk that is laying around that you never use. Only keep the items that are absolutely necessary! Adopt the rule that it if hasn’t been used for 12 months, it is probably not needed (except for very expensive equipment or if you have been too ill or work-swamped to get to a hobby).
Go through all of your stuff and organize it into piles. Decide which sections or piles will go into your new storage shed. For example, tools, Christmas ornaments, collectables, etc. Be methodical, as the more things that you can place together in related groups, the easier it will be to see what you want to keep, what you have in duplicate and what you no longer want or need.
Move the piles that will go into your new shed. You may want to consider some of those oversized plastic storage containers if you have many smaller items.
Your garage (or closet or basement) should instantly look better! Now might be a good time to get the broom and hose for a thorough cleaning.
Lastly, take the unwanted items to donate to charity, to a recycling center or to the garbage dumpster. Or use your garage to have a garage sale! Let someone give you money to take your unwanted stuff and put it in their garage.
The Beginners’ Buying Guide to Storage Sheds lets you answer these questions and keep all your wishes and wants organized in one place.
….bring this in with you and we can direct you to the perfect shed in no time…