Things to Consider Before Designing Your Smart Shed

Building a new storage shed is exciting, but what’s the best way to use it? There are many things to consider before making a smart shed, and we want to point you in the direction of shed-building success.

Here, we’ve compiled some helpful questions that will be useful to ask yourself at the beginning of any new shed-building project.

We’ve come up with these questions after years of building Smart Sheds and know they will be helpful to your cause.

How Big Should It Be?

This is an obvious consideration, but it’s an important one. Before we make a design, we need to know what you want to use the shed for.

Nothing would be worse than building your shed and realizing that it is not big enough for you to maximize its utility.

If you are considering building one of our amazing sheds, we encourage you to wrack your brain for all the possibilities of what it can be used for.

If you’re looking for a helpful hint: in our experience, bigger is better.

How Do You Plan to Use Your Shed?

What is the shed for?

Sheds come in many shapes and sizes. Having a clear idea of what you want to do with yours will help the design.

Is it for overflow storage? Is it for transporting equipment or livestock? These are critical questions to ask yourself.

Do you plan to work inside the shed? Does the shed need a height that can accommodate a worktable, shelving, etc.?

We can build a shed custom to your needs no matter what you plan on using it for—we just need to know your plan first.

How Much Time Can You Devote to Design?

The design phase is the most important part. It’s where we set your design in stone, and that’s why we doubly emphasize the point about considering the shed size you need. Once we’ve locked the design in, there’s no going back.

How quickly do you need your shed built? How much time do you have to focus on a project like this? What’s your budget? These are very important questions to ask yourself before embarking on a project like this—each one affects the shed’s design in many ways.

If you don’t have a lot of time, we have many prefabricated designs for you to choose from. If you have the time to focus on a custom shed, you should take it—it will be worth it in the end.

Where Will It Stay?

Our sheds are portable. You’ll be able to move them wherever you want them to go, as often as you like.

In our experience, many people wind up keeping their sheds in one or two locations most of the time. If that’s how you will use your shed, be sure to take careful measurements at the locations you plan on keeping it.

What Kind of Flooring do You Need?

The flooring in your shed is an important consideration as well. What you use the shed for will impact your flooring decision.

Concrete is the right option if you are storing equipment that gets wet often. You might consider a custom floor covering if you plan on working in the shed. If you plan to use your shed as a portable office—tongue and groove flooring is always a favorable option.

What Kind of Roofing is Best?

Our prefabricated shed options have ready-made roofing systems that can easily be attached, but if you are building a custom, there is much to consider.

Some roofing options will cater to your needs; others will cater to your tastes. Getting the best of both worlds is the goal.

Consider the typical weather patterns in your area as a starting point for choosing your roofing type. Bring your findings to our team, and we’ll help you make the right choice.

Will you Include Windows?

How secure is your shed intended to be? Very few to no windows are ideal if your shed is to be a fortress.

If you plan on spending plenty of time in the space, you’ll want to have windows to look out and enjoy natural lighting.

Do you have equipment that can potentially break windows? There is plenty to consider here.

What Kind of Doors Are Ideal for Your Shed?

This question again involves what you are using the shed for. If you need to roll a tractor into your shed, you might consider a lifting garage door or battened barn doors. Sliding doors are also a popular choice. Having a ramp is also very useful for heavy equipment storage.

Sturdier locks and doors are available if you need boosted security for your shed.

How Often Will You Move It?

If you plan on moving your shed often, a Smart Shed is a great choice.

We build sturdy sheds for that very purpose. But can your vehicle handle it? Can the places you plan on bringing your shed accommodate its size? These are important questions to consider when thinking about how often you want to move your shed as it will impact the shed’s design.

Do You Have a Storage Plan?

Once the shed is built, the next thing to do is organize the space. An organizational plan is always an asset, especially during design.

We can provide tips on how to use shelving, wall hooks, cabinets, multi-level sheds, etc., which will ensure the items in your shed stay organized.

Without the proper considerations about the organization of your shed, it could quickly devolve into a cluttered mess. We will help you avoid that situation.

Form or Function?

Sheds can be beautiful, they can be functional, and they can be both. It all depends on what you want and how much time you can dedicate to planning your design.

We have prefabricated options to choose from, some more beautiful than others. When you design a custom shed, you’ll have more say in how the shed looks and functions. If you build a shed with us, we want you to love it for years to come.

In Conclusion:

The more time you spend considering all the facets of shed design, the happier you’ll be with the result. It is important to consider these things on your own time, but if you decide to move forward with building with us, we will make sure you think of everything throughout the consultation process.

The central question for perfect shed design is: “How do I want to use the shed?” If you can roundly answer that question, the ideal Smart Shed is mere steps away.