With one of the biggest selections of garden storage online, WhatShed works with almost every major brand and retailer of garden storage in the UK. We appraise & review each garden storage unit using an impartial and objective 0-100 Expert Score developed by industry experts. This helps you compare the market to find the best garden storage for you, at the right price, from the right retailer. If you are new to garden storage and you want to find out what sort of things our experts think you should be looking for when choosing one then you might want to check out our “Garden storage buying guide”.

WhatShed aims to help you find the ideal garden storage unit to suit your needs, whether that’s a waterproof outdoor storage cabinet, a lockable garden storage box, or some other type of outdoor garden storage. We rate and review countless outdoor storage units for sale in the UK today, providing the most detailed reviews on all of the most popular and best-selling garden storage UK. With our help, you can find the perfect waterproof outdoor storage for your needs.

Garden Storage Buying Guide

By Richard     A 10-minute read.

If you’re in search of a garden storage unit but have no idea where to start, you’re in the right place. In this garden storage guide, we’ll address all aspects of the buying process. We start with the necessary preparation and important pre-purchase considerations, before moving on to the various construction techniques used and stylistic choices made by the top manufacturers. We conclude with some tips to help you keep your new storage unit in perfect condition long into the future.

Here, we share all you need to know about garden storage in this article.

What will it be used for?
Planning permission
Foundations
Assembly
Maintenance

What will it be used for?

Many different types of garden storage units exist and understanding what you are ultimately wanting out of it will help you decide what sort of garden storage will best fit your needs.

If you are looking for something that will require very little maintenance then metal or plastic would be a good fit. If however, you are looking for something that can blend in with an existing structure then wood typically offers more flexibility with style options and finishing materials that can be used.

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Planning permission

We have yet to come across a garden storage unit that the general public would typically use that requires planning permission. 

The most likely cases where regulations apply would be in the following circumstances:

• The structure is more than 2.5 meters tall and is less than two metres from one of your property’s boundary walls.
• Your property is in an Area of Outstanding National Beauty or is a listed building.

However, with regulations subject to change, it is always best to check the latest on the UK government’s website prior to any purchase.

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Foundations

Of all the garden structures we cover garden storage is the only one where a foundation might not be needed. If you have a smaller form of garden storage, such as a small garden storage box or a garden storage bench then typically a foundation is not needed.

If however, you have a larger structure, such as a tool store or a storage cupboard then typically a foundation is needed. Often just using your common sense is enough to work out if the particular form of garden storage you have will need a foundation or not.

When you’ve considered all of the above, if you think a foundation is needed then the most common types are paving slabs and concrete, each with pros and cons:

Paving Slabs: They are the most common form of foundation for most garden storage. They provide good drainage and a solid, level grounding for the structure. You can anchor a metal base directly to paving slabs to provide additional support.

Concrete:  Like slabs, concrete will create a solid, level grounding for the storage unit and anchorage points can be included too. That said, concrete does not drain anywhere near as well as paving slabs will.

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Assembly 

Of all the different garden structures covered garden storage products are typically the simplest to assemble. 

Metal: Typically the most fiddly of all materials used. Often the biggest issue we find with metal structures is that they are more fiddly to assemble. This mainly consists of the fact that the sheeting used is often more flexible due to its thin nature. This makes aligning the pieces together more tricky, this coupled with the fiddly nature of putting the nuts on the bolts can mean assembling a metal storage unit can be quite frustrating. This frustration is often outweighed by the superior strength and security that such material offers. 

Plastic: Generally regarded as the easiest material to assemble plastic is often the best option if you want a quick assemble low maintenance option. Plastic garden storage units typically have a ‘click n connect’ type of construction method that makes assembly the fastest and most simple. Unfortunately, this ease of construction is often outweighed by the reduced security that such construction methods offer. 

Wood: If you have a wooden garden storage unit then we recommend reading our “Garden shed buying guide” to get some tips for assembling wooden structures.

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Maintenance 

A plastic or metal storage unit can be maintained by just giving it a powerwash with some soapy water. Due to the hardwearing nature of the material, this will usually be all that is needed to keep things looking clean and in good condition. 

With a garden storage unit made from wood, we recommend reading our “Garden shed buying guide” to get some tips for maintaining wooden structures. You will need to give an annual treatment and unlike plastic or metal, you will need to be much more careful if cleaning with something high powered like a pressure washer.

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