There are all sorts of benefits to investing in a big garden shed at home, whether it’s to increase your living spaces, have a bolthole you can escape to for some peace and quiet or simply because you need somewhere to store all your outdoor furniture and gardening tools.
But you could also consider setting up a business for yourself in your new shed, a venture that could prove particularly lucrative, according to a new study carried out by Starling Bank.
Apparently, those of you already working exclusively from a garden shed or similar kind of outbuilding are contributing nearly £17 billion to the economy – but not only that, you’re also saving yourself £8,738 on rent, food expenses, commuting and other overheads.
Some 29 per cent of sole traders and microbusiness owners are now using their sheds as offices at least occasionally, while 1.85 per cent use it exclusively. Interestingly, it was also found that shed workers are four times less likely to feel stressed than office workers and are more likely to say they enjoy a good work-life balance!
The average amount spent on a shed is £3,343, which includes construction and renovation, as well as other must-haves like kitchens, meeting rooms, flatscreen TVs and gym equipment.
Benefits of working in this kind of environment were cited as avoiding the stress of commuting, juggling work and family life more effectively and being able to spend more time with pets, but the biggest benefit of them all was found to be getting more peace and quiet.
Katrina Murrel, a Northampton-based psychotherapeutic counsellor, now runs her business from her garden shed and had this to say on the matter: “All I needed for my practice was me and a room. I had experienced counselling rooms during my training; I found them cold, impersonal, and expensive.
“With the support of family and very little money, a DIY ’shed’ was purchased, built in my garden and furnished with second-hand furniture. It was a risk. Would this work? Would clients come? Would it be worth it? My practice has grown consistently, with up to 20 clients a week. My home-based business has allowed me to flex my working hours and achieve my parenthood dreams.”
Of course, you need to make sure that your outdoor areas are properly prepped and ready to accommodate a garden shed, so take a look outside and see if anything needs to be done before you can start considering launching your own at-home business.
If you think your grass is looking a little bit tired and you know you’re unlikely to have the time to care for it properly, what about artificial grass installation instead? This kind of lawn is both beautiful and low maintenance, so ideal for anyone who wants their garden to look lovely throughout the year but who lacks the time to ensure it stays that way.
