Garden Sheds - Women Take Over

Sheds (or “scead” – meaning “shade” – to give it its true Anglo-Saxon name) used to house flower pots, garden chairs, BBQ’s and creosote and were regarded as a retreat generally used by the male of the household to get ‘out of the way’ for a few hours.

However, the traditional shed is under threat. With house prices on the rise and space at a premium; the option of an extension often pricey, coupled with the hassles of planning permission and building regulations, a garden shed is an appealing and cost effective way to create another room for the family.

Last year the UK purchased 1.5 million sheds. Women appear to be taking over them and using them as their personal retreats from the stresses and strains of work and family life, transforming them into gyms, hot-tub spas and yoga studios.

Other uses include offices. With more and more people working from home, it’s a great way of storing paperwork, fax machines and computers without cluttering the dining room table. Prices for a shed can start from around £200 to £20,000 for a bespoke office designed and installed to the highest standards.

Jane Dodson, Manager at Lawson-West Estate Agents commented:

“Having a well maintained shed can add up to 5% on the value of your home. If
you’re thinking of selling; why not take a look at your shed to see if there are any improvements you can make to make it more appealing to would be buyers.”


5 Quick Shed Facts

1. British boffin Trevor Bayliss came up with the prototype of his famous clockwork radio in his garden shed.

2. Roald Dahl wrote many of his books in his garden shed.

3. The Zoological Museum, now part of London’s Natural History Museum was begun by Walter Rothschild at the age of seven in a garden shed.

4. In 1995 the authorities in a small town near Detroit discovered a teenager attempting to construct a nuclear breeder reactor in his parent’s potting shed, for his Boy Scout merit-badge.

5. The shed of composer Benjamin Britten was recently made into a grade 2 listed building by the Department for Culture Media and Sport.