Humble Box To Garden Retreat: 5 Steps To Upgrade Your Backyard Shed

by Sheddy Bloggs | Jun 17, 2024 | Lifestyle, Sponsored Content | 0 comments

If your shed is a jumble of tools, rope, half-used bags of soil, boxes of old photos, and a mysterious black sticky substance that has somehow leaked over the floor, you are not alone! ‘Hideous mess out back’ may as well be the dictionary definition of ‘garden shed’ for many people.

While the idea may seem impossible, your shed has the potential to be much more organised than it is at the moment and be a place you actually want to spend time in. Read on to find out how to achieve shed-based serenity in five steps.

Clear out and clean up

A typical shed is overflowing with garden tools, broken appliances, photos that haven’t seen the light of day for 20 years, and the ubiquitous ‘bits and bobs’ that accumulate over time. If this describes your shed, it’s time to clean up.

The first step is simple enough: pull everything out and categorise as you go. Collect a bunch of camping equipment over here, boxes of old memories over there and, most importantly, a pile of rubbish. Use a same day rubbish removal service to make sure you get rid of your trash as soon as possible.

You don’t always need to go all Marie Kondo and bin everything, but getting rid of little-used, damaged or broken things will free up a lot of space, making it easier to organise your shed and ensure it stays in good condition. You might be able to repurpose some things for shed storage, such as a hanging wardrobe organiser, while other items will be best given or thrown away.

Fix any damages

Depending on the shed set-up you have, you might find that repairs are needed. It’s best to make structural fixes while the area is completely clear.

Seal gaps and cracks to keep the shed waterproof and to improve defences against pests, especially rats and mice. Adding a whirlybird or other turbine vent removes hot air, which helps especially if you plan to use your shed as a workshop or leisure room, or want to store heat-affected items like vinyl records there.

Flooring surfaces in sheds vary, from concrete to crushed stone and plain old dirt. Many floor types can become uneven over time, so be sure to check before hauling everything back in. Now is also the perfect opportunity to deep clean the floors, walls and ceiling.

Plan improvements

Plans can be time-consuming and can sometimes feel unnecessary, but in the case of improving your shed, they save you loads of time and effort down the road.

Some questions to consider during the planning process include: do you want to remove any structural elements? Are you adding windows, improving insulation, and/or installing cladding? Does your shed have electricity? If so, does it conform to the safety standards? Do you want to install solar panels on the roof to power the shed? Do you intend to build gutters to channel rainwater into water storage areas? Most importantly, what is your budget?

After answering these questions, plan out where you will store different categories of items and how they will be kept safe in your shed for the long haul. If you are planning to create a leisure area, home office, or building workstation, think about the shed’s access to power points and lights, and consider heating and cooling options.

Organise your shed for easy access

Once you have your ideas planned out, decide on your shed’s storage infrastructure. There are an endless number of ways to organise your shed. For example, you can hang tools from peg boards, store boxes on shelves with heavier boxes close to floor level, and large garden tools can stand upright on a rack in the garden section.

When packing boxes, make sure they’re not so full you can’t cover them with a lid. Properly shutting your boxes decreases clutter and allows boxes to be stacked neatly on top of each other. Hang oversized items from the ceiling or walls, or stand them in buckets so they don’t overbalance. Be smart about how you use your space, as every open space is a potential storage opportunity.

Add the finishing touches

Possibly the most enjoyable part of a shed makeover is adding the final details that transform your unassuming shed into a beautiful yet functional feature of your backyard. After improving your shed’s structure and organising its interior, you can finally enjoy the fruits of your labour by decorating it according to your tastes.

Depending on the purpose of the shed and your personal aesthetics, you can paint the interior and exterior, replace or modify the existing light fixtures, install curtains, add a welcome mat and a floor rug, create a flower bed around the exterior, and much more.

The only limit to decorating your shed is your imagination, so have fun with it!

Upgrading your backyard shed might seem like a monumental task, but you can simplify the process by breaking it down into the 5 simple steps we’ve just gone through. Before long, you’ll have a shed that’s better than new.

Remember that no two sheds are exactly alike. You want to tailor your shed upgrades according to your visual preferences and what you want to do with the shed. If this article has stoked your excitement, make use of that energy and get started on your shed upgrades today.

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