Most of us find we don’t have enough room to store all our possesions. If this is your problem, you are certainly not alone. We always seem to be acquiring more “things”, and as our family expands so does our need for more more storage space.

In my own case, we ran out of room to store firewood. We had always stored the winter firewood in the garage, but this space gradually became taken up with bikes, toys and other stuff that you accumulate when you have kids. It even got to the stage where we couldn’t fit the car in the garage, there was so much stored in there. I decided we definitely needed more storage room.

Storing the firewood we would need during the cold months ahead became a priority once winter started approaching.

After researching all kinds of shed plans online, I decided that the cheapest and easiest solution to our wood storage problem was to build a shed from some lean to shed plans that I found. The great thing about a lean to shed is that it can sit snug against the side of the house and if you build it from similar or complimentary materials it blends in really well. A lean to shed also stores items close at hand which makes it easier and more likely to be used. Nobody relishes trekking down to the back of the yard during a snowstorm just to fetch more wood!

I was surprised at just how many different types of lean to shed plans there are. It all dpends on what purpose you want your shed for. Some lean to sheds have doors on the front, securing them from the weather and making them safe to store fertilizers or sharp garden tools. This keeps both your kids and your pets safe. There are plans for lean to garden sheds, lean to wood sheds, (which need ventilation) or even lean to potting sheds.

After a bit of searching, I finally found a lean to shed plan that, with a bit of adaptation, I was able to modify to fit exactly what I needed. I wanted a simple shed that I could attach to the side of the house. I also wanted plans that were easy to follow and gave a precise measurement of how much lumber I would need. The plan I chose even had two versions, a free standing lean to shed and a fixed wall plan, which was important because the structure of a free standing lean to shed needs to be stronger a certain areas. The plans also came with instructions on how to insulate and waterproof my shed the right way - an important factor in ensuring a shed is built to last.

We all love having the extra storage space, and it’s great to be able to park the car in the garage again. It was a really enjoyable experience being able to build my own shed. In fact, I’m already planning my next project! I saved a bucket load of money doing it myself, and I learnt a lot too. It’s really easy to build a shed youself, so don’t hold back, find some plans and start planning and preparing to build your own shed this weekend. Just think of all the extra storage room you can enjoy!