So you finally decided to take the plunge and purchase a storage shed for your home. But what size building do you actually need for all your ‘stuff’?
Here's what we tell our clients about selecting the size of their new building:
1. What items you have to store? Mark an area in your garage or backyard with the size of the shed you think you need. Once set up, start filling it up with the intended items you need to store. Keep in mind; hand tools and boxes can be stored in lofts, on shelves, or hung on the walls. Also remember, items like a riding mower or an atv should be placed where you wish the double doors or an overhead door positioned. This allows easy access in and out.
2. Where are you in life? Do you have children or are you thinking about having children? With these little bundles of joy, comes more and more ‘stuff’. New and growing families tend to keep accumulating more and more items that require extra storage space. Do you have items in your home now that will need to be stored for use again in the future as your family grows? Think ahead about any future buys as well such as bicycles, toys, pool accessories, and other items that may need to be stored in your building.
3. Anticipate future purchases. This is the one area that many people fail to explore. If you have a push mower and know that you want to upgrade to a riding mower in the next few years, take that into account. If you are a handyman with many tools, consider how many more you may acquire over the next 5-10 years. If you enjoy decorating your home, consider all the boxes of seasonal decorations you have now and how this collection may grow over the next few years. Are you planning on adding a swimming pool to your backyard in the next few years? You'll need space to store pool toys, chemicals, and other maintanence equiptment.
4. Would shelves and lofts maximize the space inside your building? Depending on the items you need to store, adding a loft or a few shelves may be a cost effective way to add extra storage space without requiring a bigger footprint in your backyard. The cost per square foot of lofts or shelves is often less than the cost per square foot of the building. A loft can add roughly 40 square feet of extra space. Lofts are ideal for items you don’t need to access daily and free up precious floor space for items like lawn mowers and bicycles. Shelves can also add extra storage space for small items and boxes. They make organizing these items easy. Pegboard is also an inexpensive solution for storing and organizing items like rakes, shovels, and other tools.
When storing items you need to be organized and efficient, as well as diligent about placing things back where they belong later. Being in the storage industry for over 35 years, we hear the same sentiment from customers time and time again..."I wish I went with a bigger shed." Don’t allow yourself to fall victim to this error when choosing the size of your new building.
Ready to start designing your new shed or garage?
See all the building styles available at Pine Creek Structures!