Shopping for a storage shed can be akin to shopping for ice cream in a grocery store. Hundreds of different brands, styles, varieties, and opinions about which one is the best.
Although not quite as simple as an ice cream selection, we believe it to be just as exciting. Let’s dive into the types of storage sheds, sizes, where to buy a shed, and how to choose a shed right for you!
Before Shopping: Create Your Dream Shed Profile
Before we can dive into specific shed types and features you need to understand your own shed preferences and create a dream shed profile of sorts. Try asking yourself these simple questions to get started:
- What will I use my shed for?
- What size shed do I need?
- What features are important to me in a shed?
- What is my budget?
Creating your dream shed profile will give you a good starting point to make informed decisions during the shed buying process.
How To Choose a Shed: Sizing Guide
One of the most common shed buying mistakes is purchasing a shed that is too small for its intended use. Our advice? Purchase a shed that is one size bigger than what you think you need so that you have space to grow into it.
Below are some of the general shed size descriptions to help you decide which size is best:
- Small: If you’re looking for a storage solution to hold smaller gardening and lawn supplies and a push mower, we recommend you stick with the 8×8 to 8×12 range or small shed.
- Medium: Sheds in this size range from 10×10 up to 12×14 and are perfect for larger equipment like riding lawn mowers and bulkier lawn and garden equipment. This is the most common backyard shed size.
- Large: These are your 12×16 to 12×24 sheds perfect for equipment as large as a tractor or ATV. This shed size gives you room for your equipment while still leaving you with plenty of storage space.
- Extra Large: Sheds in this category range from 12×30 all the way up to 24×40. With a shed this large, you could store items as large as cars and still have room for a workbench and tools.
Design Considerations
This is often the most exciting part of buying a shed. This is where you get to decide the physical attributes of your new backyard beauty. Do you want windows for natural light? Metal or wood? Maybe a shed with a porch? You decide!
Keep in mind that roofing and siding materials play a part in how your shed will aesthetically look but they are also key factors in determining how many years your shed will remain looking good. There are some good wood products on the market that hold up very well and they are easy to paint. One that we have seen used a lot, and recommend investing in, is LP Smartside. LP Smartside is considered a renewable siding product and all our LP Smartside products are made from wood fiberboard material and come with a 50-year warranty.
See how LP Smartside sheds compare to other wood sheds here.
Do I Need a Permit?
It’s important to know whether there are currently any code requirements for sheds in your area.
Building codes tend to vary depending on location but in many cases, sheds under 120 square feet do not need a permit.
But building codes aren’t the only thing you need to be aware of. Yes, we’re talking about HOA. Many HOAs require your shed to match the roof, siding, and color of your home and many community HOAs have stipulations about the size of the shed as well.
Usually, it’s as simple as submitting drawings and pictures of the shed you want to buy to your HOA. A good shed company will have all of this information ready for you in a nice professional packet. If they do not have all the information organized for you, the company likely does not have experience working with HOA management companies.
Final Planning and Buying
There’s not a one size fits all answer but with years of experience helping South Carolina residents in Greer, Summerville, and its surrounding areas we would love to be of service in helping find the right shed right for you.
Some people choose to build a shed. This approach can allow for more unique designs for a shed, but it can easily add thousands of dollars to the project.
There are several attractive designs that are manufactured or pre-built. This is the most cost-effective way to buy a good shed. You can stop in at one of our two locations or browse our full inventory list. If you don’t see a shed that’s right for you on our website, use our design tool to create your dream storage shed.
Shed Delivery
Delivery is an often overlooked but extremely critical aspect to consider when choosing a shed dealer.
Most shed companies use third-party contractors to deliver and install sheds. This can be a very hit-or-miss experience for the customer. Does the delivery crew have the right equipment? Is there equipment properly maintained? If the third party tears up your yard, or damages your shed or your home, who will fix the problem?
When you buy from a company that has its own equipment and full-time delivery crew:
- Deliveries can get done faster since the crews are full time
- If something goes wrong, or something gets damaged the full-time crews can easily and quickly get back to your home to get things fixed correctly
- Full-time crews are more apt to have proper insurance due to the company owning all the delivery trucks and equipment
When you purchase a Cool Shed, you can have peace of mind that our full-time crew will see your order through to a proper and successful shed delivery.
Have questions about how to buy a shed, the best time to buy a shed, the types of storage sheds we have on our lot, or getting a quote for a custom project? Contact us today.
