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Hi, new to this forum, thank you for having me! I have recently moved house and we seem to have much less storage space for outdoor type things such as golf clubs, tents and our lawnmower. There is one existing shed on the property but it is not really sufficient for all our needs. I am thinking of installing a metal shed, perhaps an ABSCO shed, but we are not spoiled for choice of location. We had thought of putting a long thin shed down the side of our house but have read that in NSW (we are in ku ringai shire) you need to keep sheds 900mm from the boundary and this would not work as our side pathway is only maybe 1800mm wide. There is another area in a C shaped space on the south side of the house where you could perhaps put a skillion roof shed with the roof sloping away from the house wall. I will provide a photo. This area as you can probably see is not flat, sloping down towards the wall of the house, and so if I used gravel and skids as the foundation I would need to compensate for this with timber sleepers or concrete blocks or something like that. Or use a sort of planter box like structure and fil it with gravel? I have a few questions: 1. Is it possible to make this work in this location? 2. Should a shed be off the wall rather than touching it? And by how much? 3. What would the best foundation be given that I don't want to put a slab of concrete here? (Ultimately we might not have the shed there forever). Thanks, hope my idea is not too silly!
Hello @jonathan_d
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your shed.
It’s great that you’re thinking through the best way to maximize your storage space. In NSW, including Ku-ring-gai, small sheds can often be installed without council approval if they meet certain standards, such as size limitations and boundary setbacks. Since your side pathway is only 1800mm wide and NSW generally requires sheds to be 900mm from the boundary, it may not be a suitable location. However, the C-shaped area on the south side of your house could be a good alternative, as long as it meets the necessary regulations.
When it comes to positioning the shed, it’s generally best to keep it slightly away from your house rather than directly against the wall. A gap of at least 50mm is often recommended to allow for air circulation, prevent moisture buildup, and make maintenance easier. Checking with the Ku-ring-gai Council would be wise to ensure compliance with any local rules.
Since you don’t want to pour a concrete slab, I can only suggest a timber frame foundation, it is simple, effective and can be built heavy enough to anchor the shed in place. If the slope is significant, using sleepers or concreted blocks to level the area could work well. Before proceeding, it would be a good idea to confirm the specific requirements with the Ku-ring-gai Council to ensure your shed placement and foundation choice comply with local regulations.
Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
Hi @jonathan_d
I would go with a Skillion roof shed within that pictured C-shaped area with the high-point to the right. If you allow a reasonable space between it and the house wall, you could use that for storage of garden tools to save shed space.
If you level the area out, then 75mm treated pine sleepers would provide a good base to fasten the shed down to on all four sides. Its a cost effective DIY solution I have done several times.
Nailbag
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