Ok, this post doesn't have any inspiring DIY projects, or great before and after photos, but it does have some practical, reality-of-not-living-in-a-mansion thoughts about how to make our house work for us. Maybe a few of you out there can relate?
I may have mentioned before that our home has a small one car garage. As in, pretty much fits the lawn mower and Christmas decorations, small. I constantly find myself navigating the balance between my desire to not collect stuff that I don't need (i.e., lets not fill this house to the brim before we add kids to this situation!), and being able to organize and get to the stuff I need.
I would show you a picture of what our garage looked like, but honestly, i can't shame myself that much on the internet. Just know that it was full, and ugly. I started thinking about the possibility of adding a shed to our backyard, mainly to house the lawn mower and other lawn tools, but hesitated because, well, sheds aren't exactly cheap. One day I was walking through the neighborhood, and it dawned on me that all of our neighbors have similarly sized houses and we were the only ones without a shed. So, a shed seemed much more justified, and necessary, once i realized that everyone else was in the same boat.
Our next decision was whether to buy or DIY. I have explained my thought process with decisions like this before (like here), but basically it's a matter of whether we have the skill set to take on the project, and from there it's cost vs. time. I felt like we have the skill set at this point to build a shed, maybe with a little help in a few critical areas. However given my long list for the summer, and the fact that I wanted the shed to be in place sooner rather than later, we ultimately chose to buy the shed. There is a place down the street which builds them, so delivery was easy, and their sheds are of good quality. It did end up costing more, maybe 25% more than if we had built it ourselves?
Side note: working with an Amish outfit turned out to be a really entertaining way to go, and the amount of options for this shed were pretty impressive. Sad to say we passed on the rooster cupola...
Friday was delivery day, and I was home to watch the action...
And here it is on its new pad in the backyard:
I at least got a start on moving things out of the garage/organizing (exciting only for me, I know):
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Maybe once we get everything in, I'll do a post about what we were able to fit with the size shed we purchased... you know, if you can handle the excitement of another shed post!
If you don't have a shed builder within walking distance of your house (although I think the one near me delivered within 25 miles for free), I did see some kit options through the major home improvement stores that might be a good compromise between full DIY and having someone build for you. You lose some customization options, but it seems fairly straightforward.
Also, if you are planning for a shed, make sure you check with your township for if/where one can be placed in your yard, and if the work requires a permit (ours did).
Now that we have this shed, there's a chance i could park my car in the garage in the winter.... what a luxury! ;)
Have a great week out there!
~Amy
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