Outdoor sheds have the ability to add immense value to any home by providing some much-needed storage for all the items that have no proper place within the home.
READ: 8 garden shed conversion ideas
From potting soil to lawn mowers, folding chairs and ladders, golf clubs, and bicycles, the humble shed can save any household from drowning in their own clutter.
Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, says that “storing these bulky items in a designated outdoor shed can free up the internal living spaces, which could lead to greater enjoyment of the property. Beyond this, following the pandemic, some homeowners also saw the need to upgrade a simple shed into a fully functioning outdoor room that could be used as a home office or playroom,” he shares.
Whether the intention is to create some extra storage or extra living space, adding a shed could be a valuable addition to any home. For a quick fix, homeowners could opt for the small (often plastic) pre-built options from local hardware stores, which tend to be the most affordable of the various options.
However, if the hope is to add value to the home, Goslett says that homeowners would have to opt for a more permanent, built-in solution. “If something is not considered as a fitting or a fixture that will form part of the sale when the home is sold, it cannot really add value to the home,” he explains.
READ: 3 value-adding renovations that don’t require planning approval
While nothing will add value in quite the same way as a brick-and-cement full room addition, Nutec rooms or wooden Wendy houses could be a more affordable solution to adding a permanent structure to the home. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, Nutec is a modern man-made building material that has become a low-cost, durable solution to building outdoor rooms and modular homes.
Before going ahead with any permanent additions, Goslett warns homeowners that garden sheds bigger than 3m2 will require planning approval from the local council. “If you are unsure whether you require planning approval or not, it is always better to contact your local municipality before going ahead with the addition,” he recommends.
“It could also be valuable to contact a local RE/MAX Agent to find out which outdoor solution will add the most value to the home. As area experts, real estate agents will know what buyers are looking for in that area and can guide homeowners towards making sound decisions that have the best chance at increasing the resale value of the home,” says Goslett.
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