Garden Shed Plans

Kris Schmandt asked:




Building a shed house is a very intriguing concept to me. I have always liked the idea of small spaces built for specific uses. The idea of a shed house to me seems quite unique. Now when I say build a shed house, I don’t mean build an eight-by-ten storage shed and live in it. My vision is a small outbuilding built with the expressed purpose of being livable or usable for some purpose that requires finishing. Think guest suite, detached office, sewing room… the list could go on and on.

You might ask what the point is. If you want to build a guest room addition to your house, think of all that is involved. You will likely need an architect, contractor, foundation, building permits and inspections. I didn’t even mention the huge cost and mess you have to deal with when doing an addition. All in all, this is a huge undertaking and an inconvenience. With a detached “shed house”, however, you save on many of these steps. You may still need to pull a permit for some of the wiring or plumbing, but you certainly won’t have near the headache.

I first had the idea of this concept when my company was servicing a campground. They had probably twenty very small cabins that were brought in and set on blocks just like a mobile home. They were finished inside usually with only a bathroom and sleeping quarters. They made a neat little get away. This gave me the idea of doing something similar, only as a guest house on my own property. A conventional foundation may not even be necessary and thousands of dollars can be saved because of this.

The great advantage to having a separate guest house is the privacy that is afforded to both you and your guests. They will have their own space and you will have yours. I mentioned the cost difference earlier. You can purchase a shed at your local box store or you may have a local dealer. Depending on the quality and size, these can range from under one thousand dollars to several thousands. The problem you will run into is that generally speaking these sheds won’t be quite big enough. You could finish them out with insulation and drywall, but without room for a small bathroom I feel it defeats the purpose. The obvious answer is to build your own!

What you should include when you build a shed house is simple. You need a living/sleeping space. These can be one in the same. Two chairs and a bed do quite nicely, and a folding couch is also an option. You will also want a small closet and bathroom. I recommend including only a small shower and not a full bath. The last amenity that I will suggest, and is quite optional, is a mini fridge and microwave. This can be done in about a three foot square area. Use a small table or section of counter mounted over the fridge to hold the microwave. Finish off the “kitchenette”, if you can even call it that, with a single wall cabinet above the microwave for a little dry storage.

This layout will provide a very livable guest suite for a very minimal cost. Here’s the best part-I mentioned building this yourself. You might not feel that it’s something you can take on because of limited experience. The answer is to get plans and instructions. If you have done any looking at all, you have probably seen shed plans for sale online. The kicker is that if you want to finish out your space you will also need some guidance in the area of wiring and plumbing. While you may choose to hire someone to do this part for you, it will be much cheaper to do it yourself.

shed planning permission