Planning and Building a Storage Shed

In my conversations with investors I have found that most people who are interested in real estate or rental property investing are also interested in storage units. They have a great return on investment and generate a lot of cash flow. Why do they do so well you might ask?

Our society loves stuff. We all accumulate it, some of us never let go. Most people have so much stuff that they end up storing it sometimes for years. This can cost hundreds of dollars a month depending on you location the amount of space you need.

Save your money and build a storage shed of your own. Depending on the building you may even be able to complete the project in a weekend. Usually building a storage shed will pay for itself in a year or less. There are many advantages to building your own storage shed. For starters you get to make all the choices, how it looks, how big it is, where it goes, how well built will it be.

These are all things that get a little more difficult when purchasing a kit or a pre-fab building.

If you want your project to go smoothly the first step is planning. Find a good set of storage building plans. Buy plans with a materials list included. This will help you determine what to get before you start building. Take your materials list to different suppliers, not just the big box stores. Often an independent supplier will match a box stores price, deliver for free, and answer building questions. If you build a relationship with your sales rep you will be shocked at what a great resource they will become.

Pick your location. Depending on what you plan to store you will want the building in a different location. If you are storing frequently used house hold items you will not want to have to carry them far when they are needed.

For outdoor items such as a mower or yard tools you may want it farther from the house. If you work on cars you will want it accessible from the driveway. Once you have picked your location and know your needs decide on a façade.

When designing the exterior of your storage shed there are several things to keep in mind. Most people just buy a pre built shed and plop it down somewhere in the backyard. If you give it a little thought you can make your storage shed look quite nice and really have it fit in with your property. Consider mimicking the design of your house. Pick the same façade or one that complements the main house. Add a few windows to make the storage shed look more like a small house than a utilitarian building.

With a good set of plans to follow and some planning the actual process of building your storage shed should go quite smoothly. You will get an end result that far exceeds that of a pre constructed building. If you have limited or no construction experience I recommend getting a “how to” guide that will walk you through the construction phase step by step. Several online sources for storage building plans include a “how to” section or entire book/e-book dedicated on educating you in the art of building. Choosing a set of plans can be a lot of fun and is a good first step then take it from there. Enjoy.