Having a shed in your backyard makes it cozy yet functional. Most of us would hire woodworkers to build them.

While they can give you lots of good building plans, they can cost you a fortune.

With a little bit of knowledge and preparation, you could create and customize one of our own.

Before you start to look up tutorials, there are a few things about the process that you might find useful.

Type of Shed You Want

Before you begin putting up poles for your shack, you need to know what you’re going to use it for.

There are many types of sheds, each serving a different purpose. The common material is wood, but depending on what you plan on putting inside, it can vary.

• Storage: These are small and easy to build. You can find DIY instructions online or even at a local Home Depot. A single person can get this done in a day with little woodwork experience.
• Den/Cave: If you want a personalized space outside of your house, this is the type of shed you want. Much larger, and you can equip them with electricity to turn them into a playhouse or office.
• Property: Similar to storage shed, but bigger. Build one of these to store your bikes, boats, or other fancy toys you might have.

You can build any of the above by yourself. Prices may vary depending on the size, but they all will cost much less than hiring someone else.

The Must-have Tools

Anyone can nail a wooden board to a wall. Building a shed requires a set of specific tools that you can’t do without.

• You’ll need a pair of goggles and work gloves. These prevent small objects from splintering into your hands or chipping off into your eyes.
• Make sure you have a regular saw and a jab saw. The latter you’ll use to cut debris from building materials. While a chainsaw can make powerful cuts, it’s not necessary since you’re only dealing with thin wood.
• Purchase a hammer, drill, and various fasteners. You’ll need something to connect your wooden boards. As for the screws and bolts, consult a woodworker at your local Home Depot for your specific type of shed.

Decorate and Maintain

A shed is like a mini house inside our home, so we need to keep it in good shape.

The roof requires the most maintenance and care if you’ve built a playhouse. Check for leaks and chipped paint.

Try to keep the design and exterior of your shed complementary to those of your house.

It’s not as easy as you think to remove paint from wood. When your home gets a new coat of color, you will need your shed to match it.

Make sure you look up careful instructions on how to remove your old paint, before applying new.

Last but Not Least

Also, take into account when building your shed the location of it.

You want to have easy access from your house. Consider paving a pathway to it and keep it away from the lawn chairs and grills.

Depending on the general climate of where you live, you may have to build gutters and drainage around your shed.

In rainy regions, you will need to keep the wood dry and free of fungi.