So, you need a shed to store your garden tools and whatever else too. Should you go the easy route and just buy one, or should you get creative and build one from scratch? Let’s talk about the advantages and disadvantages of buying a shed vs. building a shed.
Building vs. Buying A Shed: Factors To Consider
When it comes to whether you should build your own shed from scratch or just buy one, there are seven main factors for you to consider. Let’s talk about each of these real quick.
Gathering Materials
If you plan on simply buying a shed, you don’t have to gather any materials at all. Simply buy a ready-made shed and have it delivered to your home, or buy a shed kit and have a pro put it together for you.
However, if you plan on building your own shed, you are going to have to do some serious planning. You will need to make your own blueprint, make a list of materials, and collect them as needed more or less. You need to be sure to buy the right materials for the job, which can be easier said than done.
Time and Labor
The next thing you need to consider when it comes to building vs. buying a shed is the time and labor involved. When you buy a shed, whether it comes whole or you have a pro build it for you, there’s no time and labor involved on your end.
However, if you plan on building your own shed, you are the one doing all of the work. This means creating a foundation, cutting and erecting walls, making a solid floor, a roof, windows, doors, a ramp, and everything else. Chances are it will take you a few days to build a shed from scratch.
Cost
One of the biggest deciding factors in terms of building vs. buying a shed is the cost. Generally speaking, gathering and buying the materials on your own is going to be much cheaper than buying a shed that is ready to go. Building anything by yourself is usually always way more cost effective than buying a ready-made product.
However, there is a big IF to consider here. Building your own shed is going to be more cost effective IF you already have the required tools. However, if you also have to go out and buy hammers, drills, power saws, and whatever other tools you need, chances are that buying a shed may actually be cheaper.
Your Skill and Complexity of the Shed
Whether or not you want to build your shed may also depend on your own skill level, combined with how complex you need the shed to be. If you have previous carpentry and general labor skills, you can probably manage to create a pretty complex and high-quality shed on your own.
However, if you have never touched a power tool or worked with lumber before, building your own shed may be beyond your current skill level. If you don’t have the required skills and knowledge, it may be better to buy a decent shed than to attempt building one that may end up not being functional, stable, or good looking.
Customization
One of the big reasons why you may want to build your own shed is because you can build exactly what you want. You can add doors, windows, storage shelves, ramps, and make it whatever size suits your needs. However, if you buy a shed, it’s going to come in one of a few standard configurations and you probably won’t be able to modify it very much. If you want a truly custom shed, you will have to make it yourself.
Warranty
Another big advantage that comes with buying a shed is the warranty. Simply put, if you buy a shed and something is wrong with it, whatever the case, if you have a good warranty, you can get it fixed or replaced free of cost. This is certainly not the case if you build your own shed, as homemade products just don’t have a warranty.
Worse comes to worst, if you do something wrong, you may have to tear the whole thing down and start over, which will cost you money.
Your Pride
On the other hand, if you are somebody that gets a sense of pride and accomplishment from creating something on your own from scratch, then yes, there is no better way to go than a DIY shed that you built with your own two hands, sweat, and tears.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are pros and cons to both building and buying a shed. You should carefully consider all of the above-mentioned factors we have discussed today. This should make coming to a final decision a bit easier.