One in five Brits hide from kids and partners in the shed

One in five (20%) Brits admit they hide from their partners and children in the garden shed, according to a survey carried out by garden shed experts Shedstore.co.uk
Do you seek solace in your garden shed?Do you seek solace in your garden shed?
Do you seek solace in your garden shed?

We also store a lot of valuables in our sheds, with an estimated £10 billion worth of possessions hoarded in Britain’s sheds.

A poll of 2,242 homeowners with sheds revealed that the common garden shed is no longer simply a place to store garden equipment or a rusty bike. Four in ten (41%) respondents said they head to the shed as a sanctuary away from the stresses of work and family life.

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According to the survey, the shed has become much more of an extension of the home, with 1 in 7 saying they spend at least 10 hours a week in their sheds. That’s more than 500 hours a year living at the bottom of the garden. Almost a third of shed owners polled said they spend at least four hours a week in their sheds.

Homeowners were asked what they do in their sheds apart from using them to store gardening equipment. Almost four in ten (39%) have turned their shed into a hobby or craft room, with woodwork and painting rooms the most popular usages. While, 7% said they work or run a business from their sheds and 11% use their sheds simply to read, listen to the radio and watch the TV.

One in 20 admitted they often use their sheds to do things that their other halves wouldn’t approve of, such as drinking and smoking.

Shedstore.co.uk asked survey respondents how much they thought the contents of their sheds were worth. The results revealed a nation of shed-oarders, with 17% revealing they have possessions worth at least £2,500 in their garden sheds. Almost a third (32%) said they have at least £1500 worth of possessions in their sheds.

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With the average shed in the UK containing £750 worth of equipment and goods, and more than 14 million sheds at the bottom of UK gardens, that’s more than £10 billion worth of possessions in Britain’s sheds. Surprisingly, 96% of those polled said they’d never had anything stolen from their sheds, even though 1 in 5 (21%) admitted they never locked them.

Tracey Hartwell, sales manager at Shedstore.co.uk, comments: “The simple garden shed has evolved into something much more than a place to stockpile possessions and de-clutter the house. It’s become an extension of the house; a place to work, rest and play.

“For many, the shed is a place to escape from the madness of everyday life, somewhere to reflect and relax after a hard day in the office. It’s only a short walk to the bottom of the garden, but it’s a world away from the chaos.”

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