Build a Homestead Garden Shed

Do you ever feel like you don’t have enough outside storage space?

Have you ever considered building a shed?

It was only a few months into our homesteading journey, when we realized we needed much more storage space for our gardening and outdoor tools here at our suburban homestead.

We immediately added a garden storage shed to our short-term goal list. Then, ever practical and frugal, my husband Mike sat down at the computer to research our options for building a long-lasting shed.

There are many things to consider when building a shed.

Here is a list of important things to considered before making any purchase:

• What is the Purpose for the Shed?
• Where will the Building be Located?
• What will be the Building’s Attributes?
• How Much will it Cost?
• Who is Building the Shed?

Purpose for the Shed

What are you going to use your shed for? What items do you need to store in it?

The primary purpose for our shed was to be a garden shed. When we first moved to our current home, we had made plans to turn the flowerbeds into vegetable garden beds. Because the entire back yard was fenced, it made sense to have a shed out there, instead of carrying supplies from the front of the garage around to the back.

The secondary purpose would be the future use of the shed. In a couple of years when we purchase our new homestead, we will build a larger garden shed. This first shed will then become a storage place for swimming pool supplies and other backyard accessories and tools.

Other purposes you might consider for a shed could be a chicken coop, workshop, office, or playroom for kids. Knowing how you’ll use the shed will help determine the other factors listed below.

Building Location

How close will the shed be to the main house? Will it be easy to access? Will it block any views? Do you need to run electricty or water to the building? If so, what is the most efficient way to run electric wiring or plumbing?

The most obvious place for us to put our shed was along the north wall. It’s a shady place where most plants won’t thrive. This area had also been covered with landscape fabric and several inches of landscaping rock. Other location factors included:

• The location would be close to the garden for easy access to tools.
• It didn’t take away from our planned garden space.
• It would look nice in that spot
• We placed it where we could eventually move it off the property.

Your building location should be convenient, on a good level surface, and contribute to the look and style of your property.

Building Attributes

Once you determine the purpose of your shed and where to place it, you’ll need to choose a size and style, select specific attributes, and purchase building materials.

Choosing the Size

The location we chose was just over four feet deep between the patio and the fence. We determined a four-foot by eight-foot shed would be a good size. It would be large enough to store a lawn mower, plus garden tools, flower pots and other gardening items. We wanted it about six to seven feet tall so we could stand inside, plus store taller items.

Choosing the Style

We wanted a wood-sided shed with a double door to easily move items in and out. Mike did a lot of research on the internet looking at shed designs and floor plans. We also shopped a few local shed suppliers including some of the big box brand stores. Eventually, we settled on a lean–to shed design from icreatables.com. Disclaimer: I have not been compensated in any way by Icreateables.com for mentioning them in my blog. I am only referencing them as the product we used to help build our shed.

Selecting Specific Attributes

When choosing the floor plan, we considered the following options:

• Outside dimensions of the shed to fit the location
• Building material
• Roof pitch and roof materials
• Door opening and size
• Windows
• Ventilation
• Plumbing or electricity
• Shelving
• Floor type and strength
• Exterior color

All of these attributes were selected (or not) based on the purpose of the shed.

For example, we chose the roof pitch that would allow us to stand inside. It would slope front-to-back so water would drain away from the entrance. Later, we could set up a rain barrel at the back corner of the shed.

When you take time to consider these attributes, you get the most efficient use of your money and time.

Building Costs

So how much will all this cost? Consider not only financal cost, but time and labor costs as well.

Before we bought our floor plan, we estimated the cost of materials needed to build it. We had to make sure it would fit into our budget. We also checked to see what tools we might need to purchase.

Those material costs were a bit high, but we considered other costs as well. We considered the longevity of a building we would construct ourselves versus purchasing a shed made with cheaper and lesser quality materials. Any tools purchased could be used for future homestead projects. Also, we were learning a new skill that we could do ourselves instead of paying someone else. Which leads to our last consideration:

Who is building the shed?

Will you build this yourself? Do you need to hire someone to help or perhaps do the whole job from start to finish?

Neither of us had built a shed before. We had both assisted others with building projects, but never completed a building from start-to-finish by ourselves.

It was a challenge we were eager to take on!

When you take on a project like building a shed, you have to consider your skill-set. Is this something you can already do? Is it something you want to do? Would you rather pay someone to do it?

The Finished Project

After all that planning and hard work , our garden shed turned out great!

Final thoughts…

• Are you ready to take on your own garden shed, chicken coop, greenhouse or other outbuilding?
• Where will you put it?
• What will it be constructed of and look like in that location?
• Will it fit into your budget?
• Is it a DIY project or something you’ll hire done?

I hope we’ve inspired you to get creative with your own outbuilding projects. Check out our gallery below to see how we built our shed from framing to finish.

Happy homesteading!

Alisa