Is a DIY shed kit or a custom made shed right for you?
When it comes to creating that dream backyard, you often think about tidy and practical outdoor spaces to live and entertain in. A garden shed is a great storage solution to help declutter your home and outside areas. Garden sheds keep everything neatly tucked away inside, giving you more space to enjoy your outdoor area.
However, not all garden sheds are built equal. Depending on your budget, storage requirements and space available, there are a variety of sheds available on the market.
There are DIY kits which can be easily bought online or in store at all good hardware stores, prefabricated sheds which comes with some components ready to go, or you can get a custom made shed.
You will also want to consider what material works best for your climate and storage needs. Garden sheds are generally made of either steel, plastic, or timber. They also come with a few different roof types which will be important to consider, particularly if you have a tight space to work with.
DIY shed kit or custom made
The most popular choice for garden sheds is DIY kits. They are in general, more cost effective and widely available, making it a no brainer for homeowners. Many large hardware stores will carry a small range of garden sheds in store and most of the colours and sizes you are looking for can also be bought online. Often, accessories can also be bought to enhance the functionality of your garden shed, such as skylights, windows, ramps, hooks, and shelving solutions.
Another advantage of DIY kits is that are normally much quicker to get set up as everything ready to go. As the size is predetermined, you don’t need to wait around for your shed to be custom built and then for an installer to come out. Depending on the size of your garden shed kit, it can be constructed within a day with a help of another person to hold panels up.
Custom made garden sheds are great if you have a particular size and style of shed you are after. However, as with any custom-made item, they are usually far more expensive. You will be able to choose your size, colour of your exterior, roof, number of doors, gutters, windows and much more. Anything you can dream up; you will be more than likely able to create!
Generally, if you plan to spend a lot of time inside your shed be it as a man/she cave or a workshop, you may want to consider a custom made shed so that you can customise all the little things that may make it more comfortable. However, if you are looking for some additional storage for your gardening and other household items, a DIY kit will likely do the job just fine.
What material shed is best for a garden shed?
Steel garden sheds are a great low maintenance shed. You can easily hose and wipe them down when needed. Furthermore, steel garden sheds generally have a longer life if installed correctly. They are also generally the cheaper option compared to other garden sheds.
Timber garden sheds look great and can be customised to any colour you like. However, they do need more maintenance both in the initial set up and ongoing. You will need to treat the timber regularly, as the elements may cause damage to the wood. Over time, you will need to check the timber shed for any wood rotting and address it immediately to prevent issues. Timber garden sheds are a visually attractive choice but tend to be the most expensive and labour-intensive.
Plastic or resin sheds are another choice if you are looking for a DIY shed kit. They are generally easier to assemble as they largely come prefabricated. They are also quite easy to clean, rust resistant and durable in Australian weather conditions. Pricing sits in between a metal shed and a timber shed.
Why buy an Absco Shed kit?
Absco Sheds has been manufacturing garden sheds for over 55 years and is Australia’s number one shed kit manufacturer. Our garden sheds are available in a large number of stores Australia wide and can also be bought through online retailers. They come in a variety of sizes from 0.8m through to 6m wide, colours and roof types: skillion, flat and gable. We’re sure there’s one to suit your requirements.
We believe in the quality of our BlueScope steel and manufacturing standards, that most of our range comes with a lifetime warranty. Most of the garden sheds also come wind rated to N2 standards, so you can rest assured it will be safe in Australian weather conditions.
To minimise the number of screws needed in constructing your garden shed, Absco Sheds come with the patented SNAPTiTE assembly system that locks panels into place without the need for as many screws. SNAPTiTE also gives more strength to the panels without the need for added bracing.
Overall, picking the right garden shed comes down to your individual requirements. If you’re looking for something cheap, reliable and readily available for purchase, an Absco Shed might be for you.
