Shed/External Utility Room

The Mighty Quinn

I'm living in a semi detached house. It really is not spacious at all, seriously lacking storage.

We're considering moving, but also thinking of improvements like an attic conversion, small extension to kitchen etc.

One idea is a large shed (say 8 x 3m). Insulated, run power to it. Use it for washing machine, dryer, put up shelving etc for storage. Can't be a damp shed where things will rust though.

I'm thinking it'll wind up too expensive to "do right", so it may never happen, but anybody have any ideas how it might be done?

Masonry? Prefab? Timber?

Is it a balls running water for a washing machine? AJs are right outside back of house at their shallowest and going along side of house toward front getting deeper as it goes towards road. The shed would be 6m back from house, garden sloping slightly away from house (not sounding good for waste water is it!)

seamus

Masonry, prefab and timber are all fine, they have their own pros and cons. A block shed is the traditional and it stands the test of time, but they typically have a much bigger upfront cost. Prefab or steel are cheaper and don't require that much maintenance but might not look great.

Timber is usually the cheapest, but has the most maintenance long-term. Go get quotes for each and see what you think.

Running water is usually no biggie, same with power. Waste water for a washing machine is pretty straight forward, only requires a small pipe. Problem is is if you decide at a later date to stick in a small sink, possibly a shower, maybe even a toilet (24 sq.m. is a lot of space), then you might have to retrofit a soil pipe. So while it's more upfront cost, you're well future-proofing it by getting that in early.

Sparkey84

The Mighty Quinn wrote: »

I'm living in a semi detached house. It really is not spacious at all, seriously lacking storage.

We're considering moving, but also thinking of improvements like an attic conversion, small extension to kitchen etc.

One idea is a large shed (say 8 x 3m). Insulated, run power to it. Use it for washing machine, dryer, put up shelving etc for storage. Can't be a damp shed where things will rust though.

I'm thinking it'll wind up too expensive to "do right", so it may never happen, but anybody have any ideas how it might be done?

Masonry? Prefab? Timber?

Is it a balls running water for a washing machine? AJs are right outside back of house at their shallowest and going along side of house toward front getting deeper as it goes towards road. The shed would be 6m back from house, garden sloping slightly away from house (not sounding good for waste water is it!)

sheds are as cheap or as dear as you want to make them. if you are going to pay labour for a cavity block wall with windows and door brand new to same standard as your house you will pay top money for a top service. if diy is an option then a very similar space could be done for a fraction of price. if i were you i would buy up second hand or offcuts of insulated boards or panels, when you have enough to build your shed use them in a portal frame and just put a layer of box profile over whole thing to make it look pretty and uniform. i seen a job done where a person just bought one of the basic steel sheds replaced the door with a 2nd hand patio door and stuck 2in aero board to the inside. it was snug out.

PMBC

While it mighn't look great, you could raise the floor level and run the washing waste pipe at a sufficient height above ground level so that you can get a fall into the AJ at the back of the house. For example you could run it along a boundary. Again not ideal. The water service obviously will need to be at, say, 600 below ground level for frost avoidance.
Apart from that I've no knowledge of sheds. Perhaps its a good solution if the issue is short term and need might disappear with family changes, children leaving home etc.

Calahonda52

Have you priced up the the dead costs of moving?
I would build the shed.

1. insulated floor: 150mm eps
2. block on flat, EWI
3. windows and doors on outside of block wall= reduced thermal bridges
4. flat ceiling under an A roof
5. 400mm glass fibre
6. roof vents, not ventilated eaves
7. small MHVR
8. condensing dryer
9. fridge,
10. beer/wine/cooler
11. 60" OLED
12. 100 W sound bar

https://www.fruugo.ie/homcom-700w-sewerage-pump-macerator-toilet-waste-water-pump-sanitary-sink-basin-with-4-inlets/p-35826896-73229087?language=en&ac=croud&gclid=CjwKCAjwv_iEBhASEiwARoemvFXAWCUuwqaSPLp-3fYRApgw4p2R06jpwVwMJWflAyZh8d2vz9MfYRoC3FoQAvD_BwE
for the plumbing

The Mighty Quinn

Thanks all.

Calahonda, really an mvhr for a shed?

Oh and absolutely, I know the fees involved moving house. Building this garage would have to be 1 part of a 3 prong attack to extending the house to make it more usable. At which point I might end up 100K poorer and better having put it into moving to a different home.