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Why do we have a shed in the garden?
According to the dictionary the word shed, when used in the garden shed context, is a noun with a nice simple meaning “a small building normally made of wood to store things.“ The word probably originates from the word ‘shade’ and came to be in the late 15th century.
So far so good but why? What about the cupboard under the stairs, or the spare bedroom, or the garage, what makes the shed storage different and why do we want it?
Most of us would not be that keen on having the contents of our shed inspected. Nearly always ‘sorting out the shed’ is on a to-do-list somewhere, full of things we don’t know what to do with. i.e. bikes that the children have grown out of, broken roller skates, odd wellington boots, broken tree loppers, old half full paint tins that have gone solid, a paddling pool with a hole in it and, of course, the essential tin of WD40 … the list goes on!
Well, the simple fact is that we all have “shed stuff.”
Clearly the shed does need a sort out, some things can be given away to a deserving recipient, some sold on, some just thrown away but there is still a large amount which are legitimate things that go ‘in a shed’. These things are all needed at various times and cannot be stored anywhere else; lawn mower, car washing stuff, garden tools, rake, spade, snow clearing shovel, etc. This is ‘shed stuff’, we need it but have nowhere else to put it.
There is then another set of stuff that might become ‘shed stuff’. it is probably currently blocking up the garage: bikes, golf clubs, roof box for car, skiing stuff, summer garden games, garden furniture. These things might be welcome in the shed if it was secure and weatherproof enough, allowing the garage to be used for its intended purpose, the car! Or possibly the freezer….?
So, the shed has a real purpose as a storage area and should be loved for what it is, useful space.
Once we have established that several thoughts come next
- What size do we need? i.e. how much stuff do we want to put in it
- Where should it go? It will not be useful if we can’t get to it to retrieve our stuff or what should we do if our garden is on a slope?
- How can we make it secure? Some of this stuff is desirable and needs protecting.
- How can we maximise the available storage space in the shed? We wouldn’t have a kitchen cupboard or wardrobe without shelves or hanging space so why have a shed without the means to fully utilise the available space?
- How do we keep our space dry? What precautions can be taken and what is a realistic expectation for a wooden building in a wet climate.
- Could it be used for other things?
- Will I need planning permission?
See our other blogs where we explore these topics further