Jump to:
One of the great things about shopping for a shed is the many possibilities for how you could use it. While most of our customers end up using their shed to store their lawnmower and other garden tools—or perhaps as a workspace for occasional DIY tasks—even those purposes come with plenty of options to make the shed just right for you. But how do you choose the right one?
First of all, when it comes to customisation potential, nothing beats a wooden shed. Wood is an incredibly versatile material that allows your shed to be shaped to the exact layout you want—not to mention unlimited options for painting, decorating, and customising.
Custom Shed Layouts
This video shows how wooden sheds can be given a custom layout thanks to the choice of door and window placement. This doesn’t make the sheds any more complex to assemble, as they come in prefabricated panels that can be erected quickly. (Note that this does not apply to log cabin sheds.)
When choosing where to position your doors and windows, here’s what you need to consider:
- Ease of access – Do you want to be able to walk directly into the shed without having to go around the side? If your garden has a path, you could position the door directly in line with it.
- Moving items in and out – When taking out the lawnmower, think about how to make it as easy as possible. You don’t want other items in the shed blocking the way, and you don’t want to be backing out straight towards a wall.
- Light and shade – If your shed has windows, position them to allow plenty of natural light—but not too much. You may not want the sun blazing directly onto your shed windows on a hot day.
The best part? You don’t have to commit to a particular position until you actually install the building.
Customising your shed layout also allows you to add shelving and hangers, install electricity, or even turn it into a bar shed. It might sound surprising, but this means a prefab shed can offer an experience very close to a bespoke shed—without the extra design costs.
If you’re concerned about people being able to see what’s inside your shed, you can also opt for a windowless shed.
Shed Sizes
Before choosing your layout, you first need to select the right shed size. The key factors to consider are how much room you have in your garden and how much storage space you need.
Our guide to shed sizes explores this further, covering everything from planning permission to how the size affects what you can do with your building.
Another customisation option to consider is wall thickness. Tongue and groove shed walls are typically available in 11mm or 15mm thicknesses. That extra 4mm can make a huge difference to your walls’ weight-bearing capacity—especially if you plan to hang large items. Floor thickness is even more important. The more weight you put on the shed floor, the thicker the floorboards need to be. So if you’re planning to lift weights in a gym shed, an 11mm floor won’t cut it. Be sure to choose a building that offers a floor thickness upgrade.
If you need more help choosing a garden shed, check out our shed buying guide.
