Free expert advice on how to proceed in purchasing your new Outdoor Structure

Here at Online Home Improvements, we are here to give you the best free advice available to make your decisions educated ones for purchasing high quality outdoor structures. There are several things to consider before making your purchase. We are one of the best UK suppliers of affordable ranges of Sheds, Garages, Garden Rooms, Storage, Greenhouses, Arbours, Arches, Gazebo’s and more…….

Let’s now look at the advantages and requirements of your new outdoor structure:

Key Aspects:

Some obvious aspects of this process include the size and cost, appearance, and maybe the colour or style, but don’t stop there. An outdoor structure can be an important investment. Whether you’re looking for an attractive Arbour, a serious need for a new office or gym, or that all important new carport.

Next is the visual appeal, quality of product and longevity of its usage are also key factors. This may be a new style you’re trying out short term or a product you invest in to last the next 15 or 20 years or more!

Asking yourself the right questions at the beginning will ensure you make the right choices for your Online Home Improvement.

Manage the budget and match the quality

The price of any new purchase, even with helpful finance packages is a consideration or even concern. It may be your main determining factor. Please use the advice we give you in this article to carefully choose your new purchases.

Now balance your heartfelt wishes, current tastes, and style with the blending of surrounding areas and garden spaces. The practical requirements, planning aspects (where applicable) and then your budget also need consideration. Next it is absolutely time to choose, buy, deliver and install TODAY! Buy with confidence. Take pleasure from your new High Quality Outdoor Structure:

Make a start and order when you are ready to get your delivery date confirmed and improve your home with a new high quality outdoor structure!

Sheds advice point 1:

Outdoor storage sheds with higher-quality materials and solid construction last longer and look better than a cheaper option. Paying just a few hundred pounds more for an outbuilding is usually a smart investment.

If budget is a primary consideration (it so often is), focus on simple, well-built sheds. Built with basic materials rather than those with fancy detailing or premium materials can give alternatives.

Design planning considerations for your new Shed, Storage or Garden Room and outdoor features

High quality outdoor structures are absolutely not just about simply storing seasonal or cluttered items. The practicality, appearance and scope of your new outdoor structure can affect the overall appearance of your property. No matter what you choose, try to ensure what you choose complements the style of your home.

Keep to styles & Features to enhance your surroundings:

If you have a traditional style home, your outdoor features will benefit from having a more traditional or rustic design. Decide if your homes style is more contemporary you may wish to select an outdoor product with formal, clean lines and features to match. Where possible you can try to match specific features of your house, such as an arched window or doorway to Arches. Try Arbours or Canopies on walkways and seating areas.

Advice for Sheds point 2: Materials to be considered when choosing a new Shed or Outdoor Structure:

We have three main material options for Sheds & Storage plus most of our High Quality Outdoor Structures: Wood, Metal, and Plastic.

(excluding House extensions, full self builds and versions of garden rooms):

Woodsheds:

Typically have stud-framed walls or insulated panels, much like a house or garage. They can be covered with plywood siding or alternative cladding for larger projects compared to Shed & Storage. Woodsheds also have wood roof frames and standard roofing materials, such as asphalt shingles. You can also improve the styles of these with add on’s of window baskets, wind vanes and decorative features.

Metal:

Sheds typically have a simple metal framework covered in a skin of factory-painted or vinyl-coated metal for both the walls and roof. The benefits to these can be the limited maintenance, along with ad on’s such as pre-made tool holders. Shelving systems and store units are also often designed as fast fix items for metal and plastic sheds and garages.

Plastic:

Plastic sheds often are vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC) or another type of plastic. Their colour is inherent to the material so there is no paint or coating to worry about. Both plastic and metal sheds come in kits designed for do-it-yourself assembly.

Advice point 3: Maintenance advice:

Woodsheds need maintenance (repainting, repairing damaged or rotted parts, and refastening loose parts). Plastic and metal sheds do not need general re-painting and require truly little maintenance. Metal shed materials will corrode if their paint or protective coating is scratched or damaged. Additionally metal doors and other parts wear over time.

Plastic sheds generally need the least maintenance of all and tend to be the product of choice by many of our customers. If you are garden conscious, wish to continue with a traditional garden feel and are happy to look after your outbuildings then a woodshed is for you.

Whatever you choose, make sure you have considered the size and space you need first, then appearances. Place your order today for a fast delivery from Online Home Improvements.

Blend your Sheds & Storage within your landscapes to enhance your surroundings

Advice point 4: Stay in keeping with your surroundings:

As we mentioned in the materials section, choosing your material type of shed should firstly be considered on:

Firstly the amounts of maintenance you are prepared to carry out.

Secondly the visual considerations.

There are ways to blend a shed or storage unit into your garden by planting climbers. Be sure to check what to plant that will not affect your foundations. If out of a pot then consider if the climber will have the ability to damage any panels, doors, or windows when its growth takes hold!

Think about how you might integrate your outdoor structure into the surrounding landscape.

Plant and create bedding areas around a shed and plant them with annuals and perennials. If your shed has wood side panels as mentioned above, you can install trellises up against the walls to grow vine planting. This will provide a safety factor to your shed ongoing maintenance.

Using decorative features is also a way of enhancing your outdoor structures appearance. Many of our units for sale either have features as standard to dictate their visual appeal or have extras which you may purchase which will help.

Advice point 5: Practical Walkways:

Installing pathways, patios and seating areas around an outdoor structure often enables you to improve their use. Appearances and blending of your new building or storage unit will benefit from these improvements. Whatever you choose, enjoy your outdoor structures, and improve your home today!

Building & Planning Regulations for your Outdoor Structure

Before buying an outdoor structure of any size, consider your surroundings and if you require a planning permission for the installation. Within the UK, Sheds & Storage units plus Garden Rooms can be installed with and without a permit subject to certain rules. To assist you in understanding the differences, we have provided you a (LINK HERE) which will assist you in knowing the differences.

If your plans or ideas do require a planning permission, then do not worry!!

Simply contact us TODAY HERE (LINK) and we will be able to provide you with a specialist who will guide you through the process of your application and beyond.

Questions to ask yourself for your permit requirements:

The general rules to consider within the planning regulations are:

1.Do you live in a listed building?

Listed buildings are objects or structures of historic importance. They have been judged so by: Historic England and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, for reasons of architectural or historic interest. All these structures, once approved, feature on a dedicated register called the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.

There are rules around listed buildings. As such any garden building or outbuilding that is to be placed within the:

‘curtilage’ an area of land attached to a house and forming one enclosure with it. e.g., “The roads within the curtilage of the development site of a listed property will require planning permission”.

Consider to go one step further and check requirements of a structure to be built and attached to a listed property. You will need both listed building consent AND planning permission (although this is a service that Crane does not offer).

2.Do you live on designated land? (Conservation Areas, National Parks, the Broads, World Heritage Sites, or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty)

Perhaps you live in a national park and or World Heritage Site, the Broads, or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. If so the maximum area to be covered by garden buildings that are positioned more than linear 20m from any wall of the house is limited to 10m2.

You may still have a garden building larger than 10m2 in your garden if your plans demand it by simply obtaining a planning permission which OHI can assist you with by contacting us TODAY (LINK).

Note: If you live in designated land and have said no to this question, then you must live in a conservation area.

3. Will the building be situated closer to a road or public highway than the original house itself?

Outbuildings should not be closer to a road or public highway than the ‘original house’ itself.

The term ‘original house’ means the house as it was first built or as it stood as of 1 July 1948 (or if it was built prior to this date). Any extension, even if completed by a previous occupier, does not constitute as the original house unless in place prior or by 1 July 1948.

4. Is the building to be placed less than 2 linear metres from a boundary of the property?

If so it can have a maximum overall height of no more than 2.5m from existing ground level.

What roof type will you require? The shape of a roof may have an impact on the planning application requirements and approval. Our specialists can advise on this when and if required.

The general concern in this matter is does the roof shape and dimension encroach on or affect a neighbouring property and does the dimensions affect any height or overall restrictions?

Please read our QUESTIONNAIRE on our OHI-Self Build Page (LINK) which is free to download to get a greater understanding of the roof shapes i.e., Pent, Apex, etc

5. Do you require the building to be more than 3m (10ft) in overall height?

If a garden building is to be placed more than 2 linear metres away from the boundary of the property, the building can have a maximum Eave height of 2.5m. There is a maximum overall height of 4m for a dual-pitched roof and 3m maximum overall height for a pent roof.

6. Will the building have an aerial or antenna, or be used as self-contained living accommodation?

As you would expect, there are many reflective, applicable, and none-applicable requirements when it comes to the need of a planning permission. To assist you in getting your idea in place we have provided a link here directly to the government website for initial advice.

We do however suggest that you contact one of our Planning Specialists TODAY (LINK) and let us assist you in taking any of the hassles or grief out of your process and get your planning applications moving today!

Foundations, Pads & Floors

These days sheds will or can include a floor while others do not. We have both available for you and you can choose to suit your requirements subject to the foundations and location of the installation.

Types of foundations required:

Woodsheds typically have standard framed floors with plywood flooring. With most metal and plastic sheds, flooring is sold available separately from the shed structure.

You can opt for a manufacturer’s floor system or build your own. In any variation, a floor can add cost to the budget and is tailored to suit. If you’re choosing a Garden room, you may wish to consider:

Floor and additional flooring heating

Skirtings to cater for your current taste…. Shop at leisure and choose well.

Regardless of the floor type, it is best to install a shed on a foundation that keeps the shed off the ground. This may be wood or concrete blocks. Fast fix Foundation pads or simply a bed of compacted stone or gravel. An elevated or well-drained foundation will go a long way to help prevent damages, rotting or corrosion of the shed materials.

Installation: Carrying out the work yourself or hiring a professional?

If you or family member are confident and potentially proficient to give it a go yourself then why not!

There is always a sense of success and pride in a self-build project. Perhaps you have a busy lifestyle and find it simpler to get someone with experience to carry out the task and the work be done for you.

You are now able to select an outdoor structure from Online Home Improvements today. Why not ask that it be delivered and assembled by one of our available professional installers or suppliers?

Budgets can always control a choice so considering a purchase with a self-installation may just give you that extra pocket money to buy a larger or upgraded unit. Outdoor storage building kits come with assembly instructions making it understandable and more straight forward.

Metal and plastic sheds are now designed for easy assembly and can be built by a homeowner in an acceptable time frame.

Adequate Access

Make sure the entryway to the unit is wide enough to accommodate your largest piece of equipment, such as lawn mowers, scarifiers, BBQ’s etc…

There should be plenty of room to spare to be sure of a safe access. Most standard outdoor buildings tend to be on average  8ft x 10ft. Optional features are usually double doors, which if available make a great benefit to practicality.

If your building sits off the ground, you may need a ramp or steps to get into it? Consider the access you require of any heavy tools or garden equipment in addition to your everyday foot fall.

Decorative Detailing

Small touches make all the difference for practical and visual benefits. Some outdoor buildings come with French doors, patios, colour matched panelling, heating, skylight windows to name a few.

You can also add personal touches, such as window planters, shutters or colour coded roof felt. Remember that you will have to look at your new outdoor building every day for the foreseeable future so make it count.

With a bit of thought and some simple planning you can really make a difference with decorative detailing.

Additional Garden Rooms, Sheds & Storage

If the stacked-up storage in your home is making you feel that your current small shed is not enough. You may wish to supplement your existing shed with a less expensive smaller model or expand out to cater for ALL your needs and not just some.

You may even consider one of our new garden rooms with built in storage lock ups, office and or multi use spaces. Take a look now at our garden room options. If you do not initially see what you are looking for then simply contact a member of our team now and we can provide you quickly with an entirely bespoke designer garden room and quotation.

However if you are considering a new or extra Garden Shed or Storage Box then there are three main types of units:

Corner sheds:

Made to fit precisely into a corner:

Standard Sheds:

Available in numerous sizes, styles, materials and dimensions to suit your exact needs

Storage Boxes:

Designed to provide outdoor storage to those of us with either very limited outdoor space and storage needs. You can add to your current storage shed or room with extra room for such items as furniture cushions, bean bags etc. A Key benefit being your wish to weather proof.

Another option is to go for a slightly larger shed with a storage loft space saving the need of a second shed. If you need a place for firewood but do not want to give up interior space for storing it.

You can build a lean-to shelter attached to the outside of one of the shed walls or purchase one of our purpose-built wood storage or outdoor storage units. Choices are endless so choose wisely and enhance your use of space and design with Online Home Improvements today when you choose one of our High Quality Outdoor Structures ….