If you have a tiny house but are running out of room, especially for tools, exercise equipment, and the like, it’s helpful to add a storage shed to your property. These additions can make a world of difference to how organized and settled you feel at home and how well-protected some of your valuable items are. 

Here are a few tips on how to add this type of construction to your home.

Determine the Need for Permits or Other Approval

For starters, check to see if you’re allowed to add a shed to your property. You’ll likely need to submit an application for approval of the structure construction and wait for an answer before beginning any building work. Look at your municipality’s website to see if you can find relevant information or call them up, go into the office, or otherwise inquire to see the rules and regulations around local zoning ordinances. 

When it comes to adding a storage shed to your property, it's worth considering shed kits as a convenient option. These sheds are designed to maximize storage space while seamlessly blending with your home's aesthetics. With a variety of sizes and customization options available, these sheds provide a practical and stylish solution to keep your tools and valuable items organized and protected.

Each municipality tends to have different restrictions related to sheds and other property additions, with most having criteria about the size of structures you can add and how far these can end up being from your property lines. Many counties in the United States allow up to 120 square feet without a permit, but don’t assume this is the case, as it could be different in your area, and you may need a permit for even a small shed addition. 

Also, most counties say that structures must be at least three to five feet away from the property line, but again this can vary, so always learn specifics first. The last thing you want is to build a new storage shed and then get told you must take it down, rebuild it, or pay a hefty fine because you didn’t get approval for it earlier. 

Set a Budget

Another step in investing in storage sheds for properties is to set a budget before you get too far down the path of creating them. Once you start looking at potential options, it’s easy to get excited and spend far too much on the structure. Determine a total budget you feel is right to spend for your family and then work back from there.

Allocate funds for various elements of the project, such as potential demolition and disposal of any old materials or structures currently on the site where you want to add a shed, municipality permit fees, and potential costs of hiring engineers, surveyors, builders, or other contractors. You may have to cover delivery fees of pre-built sheds or the materials to make your own, as well as for power tools or other supplies, among other things.

Determine the Right Size for Your Needs

Another step in adding a storage shed to your property is determining its dimensions. While your budget will significantly impact the size of what you build, you don’t want to go to the effort and cost of adding one for it to be too small to hold everything you want to put in it. 

By the same token, you don’t want to invest too much money into a huge shed that is more than you’ll ever need and that overwhelms your property and destroys its look. To help you work out what size to go for, consider your spending limit and permit factors, as well as your goals for the space, now and into the future, the size of your yard, and if there are other things you need to fit into the outdoor areas.

Consider Materials and Construction Types

The next step is to consider the materials you might create your storage shed out of and your construction options. For example, you might like to utilize high-quality materials that, while a bit more expensive, are likely to save you time and headaches and last longer. For example, you could build a shed from plywood, vinyl, galvanized metal, or other materials. 

As for types, also decide if you want to purchase an off-the-shelf product that’s affordable and purchased quickly at a home depot or other store, or prefab sheds that come partly ready-made, are often ordered online and can be customizable in some ways. 

Another option is a custom shed that you design yourself or hire an architect or other specialist to design. You can then build this from scratch or hire carpenters or other contractors to put it together for you. Custom sheds can be made specifically for your needs, so these are a great option if you have a tricky site to fit a shed into or other special requirements, but they do, of course, cost significantly more than the other products. 

Other steps before you build your storage shed include choosing a suitable level site for the shed, preparing this site, and considering any extras you might need to factor in, like storage shelves, sliding doors, skylights, electricity, lighting, etc. 

In conclusion, adding a storage shed to your property can provide you with valuable storage space, improve the appearance of your yard, and even increase the value of your home. Whether you use it for gardening tools, outdoor equipment, or as a workshop, a storage shed is a versatile and practical addition to any property.

Additionally, a tiny house can greatly benefit from a storage shed as it allows for additional storage space for items that may not fit in the limited square footage of the tiny home. By following these tips, you can ensure that your new storage shed meets your needs and enhances your property for years to come.

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