I have received questions from several readers asking what I think about office sheds. Several times before I have written that you can use your outdoor storage shed as a garden office, and I have written about office shed too, but now it’s time to explore this idea a bit more deeply.

In most cases we will talk about using the shed as a home office. It’s not uncommon for companies to use sheds as well, but the companies will probably outsource the design and solution taking process to a construction company. Unlike that, people who work from home (maybe you are one of them?), will most probably be looking for a simple affordable solution. Some will ever want to build their shed themselves.

The Reasons To Have An Office Shed

The main reason why you would want to work from a shed is lack of space. If you don’t have a special room in your house for your home office you probably have to work from the bedroom or the living room. That’s not good at all - besides the fact you are going to lack space, you are going to have a lot of distractions. I know this from experience - working in the bedroom it’s quite tempting to go to bed instead of doing some work.

Another reason to build an office shed is that you just want to work outside, closer to the nature in the backyard. A nice wooden shed with a couple of windows will let you feel much more comfortable than sitting in a basement.

Office Shed Requirements

There are no special requirements for office sheds except it to be wooden. Plastic or metal will not let you feel comfortable and be productive. There are some other recommendations that I wrote about earlier.

One thing I have missed to say is that your green office will probably need an internet and phone line. The best way is to use wireless connections, but in case you want to use land lines, make sure you don’t cut them when working in the garden. It’s very easy to forget about the phone cable when digging around a bush.

Don’t be afraid to just go ahead, buy or build a shed and give your new home office a try. Even if you decide not to use it later, you can always change its purpose to a guest house or storage space.