Before signing on the dotted line, make sure you’re not buying yourself a nightmare.

A shed is a BIG investment and something that should not be rushed into. A shed if built correctly is something you should only have to do once unless you add to it or relocate. There are a number of critical decisions that should be made prior to purchasing a shed. Unfortunately, all to often we hear stories of people rushing into purchasing a particular shed due to buying on price alone, an impeding price rise or a big sale only to have regrets after the dust settles.

Whilst your budget should be part of your decision making process, it shouldn’t be the only thing considered! There is a number of critical things that everyone should consider prior to purchasing that if not thought about can make the process very stressful & end in disappointment, this is something many shed suppliers wont tell you.

There are many people with the opinion “that all sheds are the same” which is just not true. Many people with this opinion will buy the cheapest shed kit, struggle to get council approval themselves, hire the cheapest concreter or do it themselves, hire the cheapest builder or try build it themselves then after all the stress, costs & drawn out the process, they end up with an disappointing average shed that is riddled with defects & problems.

Things to consider

Like any big project, planning is the key to minimising stress & achieving a great end result. Things that need to be considered before purchasing a shed are:

• Shed design: is the design exactly what you want? Does the sales person know what they are talking about? Have you got the correct size, shape, BAL rating, height, sheeting profiles, doors & windows etc
• Placement on your property: does the position meet local regulation for approval? Is it in a useable position?
• Colours: Have you got the colour scheme you want? Does it match your house or the environment?
• Material Quality: Is it Australian Made? Are the products made to stand up to the Australian conditions without fade or corrosion?
• Engineering: Is the structure engineered to suit its proposed location, terrain & wind rating?
• Structural Warranty: The shed should come with an engineering structural warranty (Should be 20 years)
• Material Warranty: The materials should have warranty. If like Upspec the use of BlueScope steel comes with a 20 year warranty against fade & corrosion.
• Building Approvals: This is not a straight forward process, if in doubt hire a professional as it can turn out to be a long expensive process if done incorrectly.
• Certifier: Who are you using to certify the project? There must be a certifier to check the job at critical stages including steel up, framework completion & final inspection (maybe be others depending on the project).
• Home Warranty Insurance Or Owner Builder: In many states a Home Warranty Insurance certificate is required to get a construction certificate. This can only be supplied by an eligible licensed builder (and a lot of shed builders aren’t eligible). The only other option is to get an Owner Builders Certificate which involves more expense and sitting through courses. Many shed suppliers will not tell you about this.
• Project Manager: Who is going to manage your project? There will be a number of trades and professionals involved in the project, for the project to go correctly there needs to be one person that can over see the project.
• Excavation: Who is going to peg out & excavate the area where your shed to be built? Do you need a surveyor? Do you need geo tech report?
• Concreter: Who is placing your concrete? What strength of concrete are the using? what thickness mesh? are they doing door rebates? (Highly advise they do this)
• Builders: Who is building your shed? Are they licensed? Are they professional? Have they included plant & equipment? Is this price going to change as the project progresses?
• Workmanship Warranties: Does your builder warrant the job? This should be for 2 years from completion and only covers things like leaks or jamming doors etc not materials.
• Plumbing: Who is connecting your storm water? In most cases you will need your new shed downpipes connected to a tank or into storm water to get the shed occupation inspection sign off.
• Electrical: Who is running the power & lighting in you new shed? Are they licensed? Are they using quality products?
• Landscape: Is there landscape requirements as part of the approval? Who is undertaking this? Who is doing the final site trim/clean up?

Whilst the list is quite long its important all things are considered before purchasing your kit. Some shed suppliers will just sell you a kit, give you a list of builders to call & wont make you aware of what is actually going to be required to complete the project. Unfortunately, if the kit is purchased before all things are considered it can turn the project into an expensive & stressful exercise. If the thought of all this seems like too much hard work or overwhelming, you’re probably best off using one company to look after the entire project for you. This mean less stress, a more enjoyable experience, someone to manage the project for you, minimal paperwork & one single company to deal with.

“Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.” –Aldo Gucci.

Speak to the professionals when you want to build your shed

Upspec have a variety of options for you to choose from with design, colour and the type of shed you need. Council approvals and all applications are sorted for you making the process so much easier. We specialise in undertaking projects from approvals to handover.

For more advice or to book in a free design consultation you can call us on (02)7209 4210