Storage sheds can fulfil a number of different purposes. You may need somewhere to store your garden equipment or family bicycles, or you might want a place to keep DIY tools and equipment. Whatever the reason why you are considering buying a storage shed, it’s important to select the right one.
Shed Options
Here are the main things to think about when buying a storage shed:
How large does your shed need to be? Consider how much stuff you plan on storing in the shed. The more you have, the larger the shed will need to be.
How secure does the shed need to be? Theft from outbuildings is a problem in some areas. Sheds are not as secure as garages and homes, so an opportunist thief might take a chance and break in, hoping to steal a few items he can sell on quickly for cash. Items like bikes, lawn mowers, power tools, and gym equipment are easy to get rid of online or in-person.
What storage options do you need? – From racking systems for larger items to plastic containersfor smaller accessories and DIY supplies, think carefully about how you want to store the contents of your shed.
How much insulation do you want? If all you need is some additional storage space, extra insulation isn’t an issue, but if you have plans to use the shed as extra living space or somewhere to house your pets during the day, it will require more insulation. The downside is that extra insulation is more expensive.
What material does it need to be made from? Sheds are most often constructed from timber, but that isn’t your only option. Metal sheds are stronger and more suitable for storing vehicles and expensive tools. Plastic sheds are weather resistant and will last longer than a timber shed.
Shed lighting is important if you plan on visiting the shed at night, perhaps to retrieve a tool or park your bicycle. Solar lighting can be used anywhere, but if you need wired in lights, the shed will have to be located within range of a power source, or you’ll need to run a steel armour cable from the main house and connect it to the ring main (which is a job for an electrician).
Choosing a Shed
Once you have your shopping list ready, decide what style of shed you want. There is plenty to choose from, including traditional apex roof sheds and pent sheds, which look great when positioned at the side of a wall or fence.
Shedstore has a large range of storage sheds. There is also a useful buying guide to help you select the right model, as well as shed accessories.
Pick the Right Location
Location is important. Your shed is best located near the house, as this is more secure, but it really depends on what you want to use it for. Choose a level site or be willing to adjust the level of a slope. A shed needs to be sited on a firm, flat base. Ideally, this should be concrete, but concrete pavers will do. If a wooden shed is in contact with soil or grass, it will rot from the ground up (this is not an issue with a plastic shed).
Be careful not to position a shed too close to a tree or shrub that might grow, as this could cause damage to the shed.
Build Your Own Shed
Anyone with a decent set of tools probably has the capability to build their own storage shed for the garden. There are kits available that can be assembled from the individual components or if you like a challenge, why not try building a shed from pieces of raw timber?
Unless you are a professional builder or carpenter, some of the terminology and skills may seem like a foreign language to you. There is no need to fear because any DIY sheds will come with a guide to walk you through what you need to do, step by step, in the order in which you need to perform each part of the project. From a materials list to general instructions and bonus tips on each page, you will find just what you need to know to get your shed built.
Read the Instructions
It is recommended that you read through the instructions all the way to the end before you pick up a single tool, nail or piece of wood. This will help you to visualise how the shed is to be constructed and why one step follows another. If not completed in the order instructed, you could run into some problems along the way that could significantly delay the completion of your storage shed. Once you have read through it, it is time to begin an inventory of the materials and tools you will need to begin
construction.
The first thing you might be asking is why there are so many lists of materials. Although this might seem a bit confusing to you, remember that each stage of the construction requires having the materials needed at hand along with any tools you might need to complete the task. It is suggested that you keep that page on hand as you follow the directions. Before hammering the first nail, make sure that everything you need for that portion of the building is right there at hand. There is nothing worse than reaching for a nail or a precisely cut-to-size piece of wood only to find that you don’t have it on hand.
Pay Heed to the Tips
Look for tips at the bottom of each page. These are given to help clarify exactly what you are doing and why you are doing it. For example, when you are on the final stages and are assembling the roof, it is important to understand why the roofing felt is overlapped by a few inches. Once you understand that it is the overlap that helps ‘waterproof’ the roof, you are likely to be more careful when laying it down underneath the roofing material.
Sheds are remarkably useful, and if you subsequently decide to move home, there is no reason why you can’t dismantle yours and take it with you!
Children are constantly growing, changing, and evolving – much to the despair of parents, who find themselves in an endless cycle of purchasing new school shoes and trainers, only to find out that their child has grown out of them in just one half-term! Just as their bodies and personalities continue to grow, so do their tastes, wants, and needs.
The child who absolutely loved spaghetti Bolognese one day will suddenly have discovered a newfound hatred of the meal and turn their nose up at it every time it’s placed in front of them; the Spiderman-obsessed fancy dress connoisseur will go from wanting to wear their costume on the daily to never even wanting to see it again; and the child who absolutely adored all things Disney may decide that the whole thing is just a little too juvenile for them to partake in anymore. With all these changes in fancies and whims, parents can have a hard time keeping up and may also feel frustrated at having funded such passions, only to have their child fall out of love with it as quickly as they fell in love with it.
This is even more frustrating if your child absolutely begged for their bedroom or playroom to be decorated according to these fleeting tastes! You spent days and hours painting their room and purchasing matching items, from bedcovers and rugs to curtains and posters, only for them to decide they now hate anything related to their prior love. So, guess what?
You’re going to have to spend time and energy redecorating.
There are, however, ways to avoid to such pitfalls and save yourself both time AND money in the long-run. Want to know how? Read on to find out more.
Neutral Expanse
The mistake that many dedicated parents make is to give in to their child’s every whim and desire, kitting out a whole room in patterns and colours that reflect their current favourite television programme or film franchise. But, as children mature and grow, their tastes change. Pokémon may well have been their favourite programme and computer game for a number of years, absorbing all of their time and attention, but it’s possible that they’ll grow out of this fandom and move on to something they consider more mature, or that is more in line with their friends’ current favourites.
We aren’t saying that you have to rule out ever allowing your child’s immediate environment to reflect their love of certain things – particularly when you can hardly walk through a shop without there being something decorative related to said thing – but what we are saying is that there are ways to balance this in the decoration of your children’s bedroom or playroom without letting it take over completely, especially if you anticipate that, just a few months down the line, your child is going
to change their mind.
One good way of balancing the two is to decorate the vast bulk of your child’s space in neutral colours that can be paired with an array of different, brighter tones. Shades of beige, cream, white, and grey can all be effectively used as base colours that dominate the room – bed clothes, rugs, walls, and furniture – and then your child’s individual preferences and tastes can be added in to the room via accessories such as lamps, blankets, wall art, and teddies/toy collections. That way, if they
change their mind, there are only a few minor changes that need to be made to reflect this!
Investing in high-quality bedroom furnishings, like a made-to-measure set of vertical blinds in a neutral base colour from a company such as Make My Blinds can also help you to save money, as they are durable, well-made, and long-lasting. Or, if they don’t take your fancy, you can always try a different style of blinds to furnish the room instead!
Colour Schemes
Another way of incorporating your child’s tastes into their bedroom or playroom in a tasteful and functional way is to choose a colour scheme based on their favourite programme, football team, film, or pop star, without dedicating yourself to purchasing a range of items that are specifically tied to that interest (you’ll also find that this is a much cheaper alternative).
Is your child mad about Disney princesses? You can always take the colour palette related to their favourite Disney princess film and replicate it across their room. Take Merida from Brave, for instance; you could take the greens, browns, golds, and oranges (basically, autumnal hues) that tie the whole film together and dot them throughout the room in homage to your child’s favourite film/character.
Huge football fan who’s mad keen on Liverpool FC? You can incorporate reds throughout the room to reflect their love of their team, without spending an extortionate amount on branded bedding and other accessories. You could even paint the team badge in the odd place around the room – a lick of paint will cover that up nicely if they decide they no longer want it.
Themed Scenes
If your child is adamant that they want to reflect their love of a particular interest or thing in their space, it’s possible to compromise without feeling that you’re giving in to their every demand. You could choose an area of their playroom or bedroom to have as a themed space, which they can decorate as they like with as much décor and memorabilia related to their interest as possible. This way, when they inevitably want a change or they forget about their obsession, you only have a small area to transform.
Multi-Functional Furniture
As children get older, they grow out of not just interests, clothes, and shoes, but also furniture. The small bed that they happily slept in for 6 years may suddenly become too small, or they may require a desk now that they’ve started sitting in their room to complete their homework or sit on the computer.
To allow for this, you can instead choose to fill their room with multi-functional furniture right from the off, saving you time and money in the long run. A cabin bed is a great way to save space whilst also creating an area that can be used as a secret den when they’re little, and then repurposed into a study area when they grow out of wanting a secret den – the possibilities are endless!
Of course, you want your child to feel that they are listened to in your home, and you also want to respect the things that they love and enjoy, but it’s all-too-easy to give in to guilt and constant nagging to fulfil their every want and need, whilst simultaneously sacrificing your time and money to pointless endeavours. These easy-to-implement ideas help you to find a balanced compromise between allowing your child the freedom of individuality, whilst also helping you to keep more of a
tight rein over your purse strings.
Even better, you and your child can spend quality time together collaborating on the room design and planning it out so that their ideas are incorporated, respected, and appreciated, which benefits you both and makes them feel valued – something that all children need and crave from the caregivers.
After 12 months of spending far more time than usual within our own four walls, we have probably all spotted things about our homes that we would like to change and improve. I am certainly no exception to this. Spending the entire year working from home without having the luxury of a spare bedroom or home office, we now have a long list of home improvements we would like to make to enhance and improve our home surroundings, particularly given the fact I am now likely to be working from home on a much more permanent basis.
Home improvements don’t always come cheap however and with the COVID pandemic also having a huge impact on our families income and earnings over the last 12 months, we have been looking for some simple and practical ways to save money on our home improvements and modernise our home without breaking the bank. If you are looking to renovate, redecorate or improve your home in the near future, here are some hunts and tips to help your home improvement budget go that little bit further.
Check out what others are gifting
First up, before going out and buying large furniture, especially pieces like desks, bed side cabinets or even bed frames, do not underestimate the amount of things people are willing to give away for free. Whether its Facebook groups and Facebook Marketplace, or websites such as Freecycle and Gumtree, lots of people are happy to give things away if it means that they get collected and taken away quickly, as it saves them the hassle of having to pay to dispose of it. My local Zero Waste group on Facebook sees people gifting a huge number of items, often in really great condition. It is always worth a look before you hand over the cash!
Rethink the carpets and flooring
Updating your carpets and flooring can make a huge impact on a room, instantly transforming and breathing new life into your surroundings. However, if you have young children, the thought of spending huge amounts on a carpet that is going to have to withstand more than it’s fair share of spills, crumbs and high energy heavy foot fall is not particularly attractive. If you are looking to buy new carpets online, Designer Carpet is a great place to start – the UK’s leading supplier of high quality carpets, carpet remnants and made to measure rugs at discounted prices. With many of their bargain price remnants being large left over cuts from a full sized carpet roll, you can easily carpet smaller spaces at a fraction of the RRP.
Time your purchases well
If you are going to invest in some new items for your home, particularly larger furniture items, white goods or electricals – time your purchases well. For furniture like sofas and living room furnishings, Easter and January are often when many of the larger sales take place, or where you may get a better interest free offering, allowing you to spread the costs interest free across a number of years. For electrical and white goods, it may be sensible to wait for the Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals or use cash back sites when purchasing, providing an instant cash back amount when bought through sites such as Top Cashback and Quidco.
Don’t accept the first quote
If you do need to get tradespeople in, for example, fitting new windows or having work done on your soffits and fascias, don’t accept the first quote you are given. It is recommended that you get 3 quotes from different tradespeople, and then review their offerings before making a final decision. Being upfront about this with your potential tradies not only highlights their need to be competitive, but ensures that you aren’t ripped off or mislead by unscrupulous candidates!
Do it yourself where you can
Whilst it can be tempting to have someone in to do jobs for you, if the time pressures allow, you can save yourself a fortune by doing some jobs yourself. Whilst some jobs such as electricals and plumbing are best left to the professionals, other tasks such as painting, tiling and grouting can easily be done yourself with a bit of effort and the help of an online how to guide! You can even order items like DIY shutters where you measure and fit yourself and receive a big discount for the benefit.
Think of the long term savings
Don’t forget that sometimes you have to speculate to accumulate as the phrase goes! Home improvements such as smart heating and loft instillation may mean a significant upfront cost, however can save you a fortune on energy bills in the long term. It’s also important to review what you are paying at least annually, checking switching websites to make sure you aren’t paying too much on your gas and electric.
Whatever your plans are for your home over the next 12 months, I hope you find some of these ideas helpful!
It won’t be long now until the summer months are upon us and with this, many people within the UK love to spend their days and evenings in their garden. Specifically, with the recent restrictions on Covid-19, people are spending a lot more time in their own gardens and investing time and money into upgrading them to be something a little more special.
Making improvements to the garden does not need to be expensive and there are a lot of simple activities that can be completed that need little money and little time which can make a difference.
Don’t forget, of course, that planning your exterior design strategy with a firm like Kingshill Property Solutions may also help you work on the foundational structure of this space, such as through coherent landscaping.
Below are some of these tips that you could consider.
Outdoor Structures
Depending on the size of your garden, you may decide to build an outdoor structure like a porch, bar, or seating area. Many people are now being very innovative around this field and all sorts of structures are popping up. The Wooden Door Canopy Kit from Armstrong Supplies could give you some food for thought in terms of a starting point where a wooden door canopy could be the entrance to either your garden itself or some other structure you choose to build.
In the last few years, we have a seen a massive increase in the amount of outdoor garden homes being built and some people will use these are seating areas or even bars. These innovative structures are all shapes and sizes and are usually quite easy to build. As long as you have a flat base, this is usually the main criteria to start with. If you do not think you have the D.I.Y skills to tackle this on your own, then there will be plenty of joiners around who would be able to support from your local area. Inside these structures, it is up to you what you put in them and you could easily connect these to the electricity and allow heat sources to be connected also.
Hot Tub
Something else that is continuing to increase in popularity are the use of hot tubs. These are not only for the summer months but can be used all year round. Hot tubs can be purchased at quite expensive rates where these then become almost a permanent fixture in the garden or they can be portable and be moved around as you feel fit. If you choose to install a hot tub that is fixed in the garden, then make sure you have a think about the height and also direct sunlight contact.
In terms of the height, people will dig the base out for these so that there is not a large step for people to go up when entering the hot tub. Alternatively, they can create a wooden structure so that there is some stepping leading up to it. In terms of the direct sunlight, it is important to bear this in mind. When people are sitting in the water, they sometimes become oblivious to the direct sun that is pounding down on them and it could give them sun burn or sunstroke quite easily.
As a result, people usually place some sort of cover over this which could be in the form of a gazebo type cover or other more permanent structure.
Decking
The installation of Composite Decking is also another activity that is popular within the UK and if done correctly can add a lot of value to the home. Decking is great for people as it will allow them to place tables and seating areas on it. It is also very easy to walk on and can be used all year round. The installation of decking can be done by people with some basic joinery skills and is not too hard to do but usually it will take a pair (2 people) to do this due to the weight of the materials.
The upkeep of decking is also pretty easy but as soon as the initial elements are installed it is important that you treat the decking. This is a coating that will protect the decking from the rain and ensure that the lifespan of the decking is high with little damage incurred. It will also make the decking look a whole lot shiner and attractive. The materials for decking can be purchased easily from any typical D.I.Y store therefore after measuring out the area you wish to place the decking on, the local store or tradesman will be able to advise you on what amount of material is needed.
Summary
With garden use continuing to increase, making sure that this area is as nice as can has now become more of a priority for people. Making thee types of improvements to a garden will not only give you peace of mind and joy when using the facilities, you will indirectly be increasing the overall price of the property.
Let me set the scene. You’re tucked up in bed, and so are the kids – or so you think. You should be having a restful night’s sleep but instead, your luxurious double bed is taken over by tiny people.
Is there a way to reclaim your adult-sized bed and help kids sleep better in their own rooms? Well, clever bedroom design can definitely help. Keep reading for my top design tips.
Pick Your Colours Carefully
Choosing a colour scheme isn’t all about style – certain colours are also thought to have an effect on mood, too. To turn a kid’s bedroom into a slumber paradise, consider opting for light, pastel shades as they will be more calming.
My favourites include:
Blue – the colour of the sky, the ocean and our blue planet. Blue is associated with calmness so this is a perfect choice to promote better sleep.
Yellow – think happiness, sunflowers and summer. Pale yellow can really brighten a room.
Green – associated with health, serenity and nature, green is really on-trend, both for adults and kids.
If you pick a neutral, calming shade like one of the above, it’ll look great – and with any luck you won’t have to re-paint any time soon, either! Pastel shades are versatile and great for kids of any age.
Create Different Zones
Separating out spaces for play and relaxation is a really good way to help kids associate their beds with relaxation and sleep. Use different colours to help mark the difference between areas – such as blue for sleeping and yellow for play. Or, you could add decorative additions like rugs and play mats.
Make a Little Magic
Your children see the world a little differently to you – it’s a more exciting place, so their bedroom should live up to this. Forget plain white walls and sad carpet. Instead, hang some inexpensive fairy lights over the bed, add some squishy cushions, some bunting and maybe a fluffy blanket or two. Transforming your kid’s bedroom into a place of magic and wonder will make them excited to spend time there. So, it’s worth the effort! A calm and comforting nightlight like that on the Yoto Player can be helpful for those who may be scared of the dark. They can also pick some of their favourite yoto cards to listen to in order to help them switch off and relax their mind at bedtime.
Get them a Comfy Bed of Their Own
If your bed is miles softer and more cushiony than your child’s, it’s no surprise they’ll want to be in it. So, if you haven’t already, invest in a sturdy, well-built bed that looks and feels good. There are loads of different kinds of kids bedsto choose from, but whether you’re looking for a practical storage bed, a bunk bed for sleepovers, or a spacious mini double so they have room to stretch out, quality is key.
Getting the bed right is really the most important step in all of this, so have a good browse before you buy. And, if you involve your child in the choosing process, they’re be infinitely more invested!
2020 has been a long and challenging year for all of us. As we approach Winter, we are heading to another 6 months of unknown, unease and ongoing restrictions and all of us will be spending a lot more time in our own four walls, including working from home, where we can, for the foreseeable future. After spending so much more time at home than normal; many of us are reaching that stage of ‘lockdown fatigue’ right at the point that we need to follow it the most. It’s really hard to stay positive, but stay positive we must.
Thanks to Desenio, I recently bought some messages of hope into our home – a little reminder that we can cope with whatever 2020 still has in store for us. Back in March if you’d have asked me whether I could adapt to 6 months home schooling my children whilst working part time and simultaneously running my own business I’d have laughed in your face, yet here we are – we came out the other side and proved that we are far more resilient than we give ourselves credit for!
Here are some of my favourite (hopeful quotes) from the Desenio range of prints and posters.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]All you need is love [/perfectpullquote]
If the last 6 months have proved anything it is that when it comes to the crunch, love is really all you need. No fancy holidays, no days out, no big expenditure or fancy meals in fancy restaurants – just the people you love together under one roof. And even when we can’t physically be with the ones we love, that love never goes away, we just have to find other ways to show it. The Zoom Calls, the food parcels, the card with a hug in just to show that we care. Love really is the most important thing in the world.
After such a long amount of time it can be hard to stay positive, particularly at times when it feels like we take 3 steps back for every 2 we move forward; but just like our ancestors navigated their way through the Spanish Flu in 1920, we will do the same. We have to stay hopeful that good things are yet to come, and remember these little things when life does return to ‘normal’ – whatever that new normal may look like.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Some day everything will make sense[/perfectpullquote]
It’s fair to say that 2020 has been somewhat confusing at times. Stay at home, go out, stay in, go to the office – the bombarding of messages has come thick and fast, and the reasons for the decisions and their timing isnt always entirely clear.
This particular print sums up all of my emotions at the moment. I am hopeful that one day, in the words of that very wise snowman Olaf, absolutely everything will make sense, but for now, we need to trust that everything happens for a reason and take the time to care. Love really does conquer all.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]We will get through this together[/perfectpullquote]
Again this is a PERFECT quote for 2020 – it’s not as simple as looking after No.1 – our actions, our risks and our decisions affect everyone around us, and we owe it to those more vulnerable than ourselves to work together to fight this virus. We will get through it, but we have to work as a team to do so.
Creating a Gallery Wall of Hope
Desenio have lots of great inspiration for how to create a fab gallery wallin your home – you can even use their gallery builder tool to mock up exactly how this would appear in your surroundings. With a huge range of frames and hangers to make your pictures stand out and be a focal point for your home. If you want to create some messages of hope in your home, you can check out their full range of prints at Desenio.co.uk.
Hi, I’m Lucy, a thirty something mum of two from Birmingham. A memory maker, tradition keeper, stationery addict and Mr Men fanatic. HR Advisor by day and sleep deprived Mama by night!
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