Building a Shed - 10 Case Studies So That YOU Can Learn From Others Experience

When it comes to building a shed experience counts, though not perhaps in the way that you think. Listening to the pro's is all very well but they have probably forgotten more than the average shed builder will ever know.

So what are the mistakes that first time shed builders make?

We all make different blunders but by reading the experiences of a range of first time backyard shed builders you will get a sense of what you are in for. How to prepare, what to expect and a host of other tips that will save you time and money.

It's great to read about the theory in the shed books

But what really works is to hear about the personal experiences of others who have just been building their first shed. Learn from the mistakes of others who I have interviewed and written in to share what they learnt, whilst building their shed. The highs as they start to achieve, the lows as they realise that they have made a mistake then the joy as they find a solution and move on to the successful conclusion of their project.

Before we dive in to the detailed case studies

Here are a couple of articles that I wrote after I built my first 'proper' shed. There are ten main points that I cover and I expand on these in a bit of detail.
Shed building tips 1-5
Shed building tips 6-10

Building a storage shed looked easy to Don Lemna

The project started well enough with some great savings on the concrete shed base. Things started to get tricky though when it came to the siding.
Don's storage shed....

David Ford had a beautiful summerhouse

Davids' only regret was that he had not built it himself. When he retired the first project on the list was to redress the balance, get his hands dirty and build a storage shed.
Davids retirement shed

Ian Douglas built his shed out of concrete blocks with a timber roof structure.

This type of construction is not very common but this great series of pictures will give you a good idea of how the project went.
Ians masonry wall shed - Part 1
Ians masonry wall shed - Part 2

Tim Brummett built a great looking gable shed.

Take a look at at some of his initial plans and a super result.
Tims classic gable shed

Building a school storage shed

The school that Andrew Ross' daughter went to needed a new storage shed, but budgets were tight. Could Andrew build them a new storage shed for their tiny budget?
Find out more at the school storage shed

A cabin in the wilderness is a dream for some

The wide open spaces and the natural beauty. But what are the challenges for building a shed in the rugged Cascade mountains of Washington State.
Find out more about the Yonderosa shed.

What if building a shed from scratch is not for you?

If you don't want to build your shed from scratch there is always the option of building a cabin from a kit of parts. There are a wide variety on the market but the Croatian Cabin is one of the best quality that I have come across.

Before you read the rest of the case studies at the bottom of this page

Let me say that starting a shed building project is a great decision and the time from starting to completion may take you several months. To keep you on task (!) I have a monthly newsletter that you can subscribe to (its FREE). Just pop your contact details in the box below and you will get a downloadable shed on your desktop as a bit of fun to keep you going until the next issue is out.

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A big thanks to all those who have written in so far

Great stuff.....without a doubt building a shed is a landmark in any diy career.

What have you learnt?

What would you tell someone about to start their first, second or more shed building project?

Would you like to share your shed building experience?

Have a think through your project.
What would be three things that went really well?
Did you make any mistakes? (how did you get over them)?
What one piece of advice would you offer to someone building a shed for the first time?


Please up load as many pictures as you can, these really help to explain and visualize your project.

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