The humble garden shed has made a comeback. But they're no longer just a place to stash gardening tools.
From cosy offices to garden rooms, high-tech workshops and even pubs, people are transforming their sheds into all kinds of spaces.
Here's how to start converting your shed into the extra room you've always wanted:
- Seal up the cracks in your shed
- Give your shed a lick of paint
- Wire in your shed
- Brighten up your shed
- Insulating your shed
- Securing your shed
- Decorating your shed
- Insuring your shed
Seal up the cracks
Sheds aren't often built for sturdiness. You may find little gaps in the wood where rain, wind and bugs can get in. To keep creepy crawlies out, get your caulk gun and fill in any gaps in the roof and walls. And for extra weatherproofing, treat the timber.
Give it a lick of paint
Painting your old shed will instantly give it a new lease of life. Either keep to a neutral colour palette to blend in, or go for a brightly coloured design to really liven up your garden. Choose waterproof paint for added protection against the elements.
Wire in your shed
If your shed isn't already hard-wired, call an electrician out to run some wiring to it. This will save you running extension cables from the house, which can cause a whole host of hazards.
Think about how many plug sockets you'll need – if you're turning it into a home office, you'll need at least two. If you want to transform it into an outdoor kitchen you might need more. Tip: go for USB plugs so you can easily charge your devices.
Brighten up your shed
Most sheds only have one small window – or none at all. Install a skylight or windows to make the most of your garden's natural light. This works a treat if you're transforming your shed into a yoga studio or office but might not be necessary for darker environments, like workshops or games rooms.
Insulating your shed
Sheds are draughty places, even with the cracks sealed. An insulated garden shed feels more like a real room and will stay cosy in winter. Put up some insulation and chipboard walls.
Using your shed to start a band? Or planning on gaming in it long into the night? Some thicker noise-cancelling insulation will keep you in the neighbours' good books.
Securing your shed
If you'll be keeping expensive equipment inside, it's important to have a good and sturdy lock on the door. Install some shutters for your windows, so prowlers can't peek in, and store valuables out of sight of the windows.
Decorating your shed
Once you've got the bare bones of your new room in place, you can turn it into whatever you want. But before rushing out to buy furniture, it's a good idea to sit down with a piece of graph paper and plan your room properly.
Insuring your shed
Whatever you're planning to do with your shed, be sure to let your home insurance provider know. That way you can make sure everything’s covered.
At AXA, we know that sheds aren’t just structures in the garden – they’re part of your home. Sheds are covered as standard as part of our buildings insurance, and their contents are covered with our contents insurance offering. However, the cover you have will depend on what type of policy you have with us.
All of our policies cover the contents of your shed, with varying levels of protection:
- AXA Premier Home Insurance covers up to £4,500
- AXA Plus Home Insurance covers up to £3,000
- AXA Home Insurance covers up to £1,500.
See our home insurance policy details for more information.
