Garden shed - could I have some advice please?

[Balsamicpearls]

I need to get a shed, fairly decent size in a strong material. Thinking about 10x12 feet or so. I'm assuming I need to build a foundation? Am clueless so any advice would be good thanks. Where to buy and how much I should expect to pay? It's going to be storage for bikes and garden equipment. Thanks

Hey there! Some pointers

• You need a level site first of all. That means really, really level. You can do this several ways: you can pour a concrete slab. Or you can level the earth with a spade and tamp down crusher run with a hand-held tamper (some people like to pave on top, but as long as you have a decent depth of crusher run, you can just use this).
• Then you put down a base. The cheapest is usually a set of large wooden battens that you put down. An easier, more modern but more expensive option is squares of rubbery plastic that also help to level out any unevenness.
• Get pressure-treated timber if you can. It stands up to bad weather way better than untreated, and doesn't require constant painting or staining. You can still paint it a pretty colour if you like, though!
• Think about getting decent roofing felt, because the cheap stuff is quite crap and tends to go quickly.
• There are many ways of cladding a shed in wood, and they are more or less durable - tongue and groove is a bit more robust than shiplap if you are storing valuable stuff in there.
• There are some good ebay sellers who work out quite a bit cheaper than some of the places that have 'showrooms'. I found there was an enormous difference between the highest and lowest quotes I got.

I agree with the above, we did go for a plastic one though. It's hidden at the end of the garden and has hooks for bikes to hang up and tools on the wall. Something like this
m.costco.co.uk/view/p/keter-oakland-7ft-6-x-7ft-23-x-21m-shed-179576

We, during the freezing cold february when we were both dying of the lurgy earlier this year, laid slabs for ours. The clay was sopping and so was my nose. God it was miserable. Mine is 8 by 8 and fits a woodwork bench in it, my mower, all my tools, including woodwork tools, a bench for sitting on and a storage box. Unless you really want a 10 x 12, you probably don't need it that big. Perhaps go to a local garden centre and look at the 8 foot ones - it stores quite a fair amount if you use the walls and roof to store the smaller stuff.

We scraped the clay flat, and then just put the slabs on top. I thought we were not going to get away with it, but they built it on and it is now my woodwork and fire wood drying shed with a solar DAB radio for listening delights.

Thanks so much for all the good advice