When you were little, you might have had an old house in your neighbourhood where you liked to explore. Maybe it was an abandoned building or a friend’s tree house. It might even have been your grandparent’s garden shed. There’s something exciting about having a private little nook where you can go to find adventure, both real and imaginary.

A work shed can provide that kind of experience for your kids, with the added advantage of keeping them within the safety of your supervision. Think of all the crazy things you did in that playhouse as kids. All the rusty nails you played with, all the rickety bits of wood you jumped on. Think how terrified your mum would be if she saw half the things you were exposed to! By setting up a shed in your garden, you can give your kids all the fun with none of the danger.

The work shed can be a creative space where the kids can spend time and exercise their imaginations. You could stock it with basic items like a table, a chair, and some crafts, allowing your children to make it what they want. If you’re a stay-at-home parent, or if you just need some quiet time after a frazzled day at work, you can banish your kids for some playtime in the shed and give yourself a much-needed breather.

Alternatively, if your child already has an established hobby, the shed makes a great personal space for them. If your child is into musical instruments, art, photography, or DIY, your shed can make a great studio for them. Of course, they can do all these activities in their room, but giving them their own personal ‘office’ builds their character. They will feel important and autonomous, and it builds up a sense of responsibility. Who knows, that shed could be the starting point that turns their hobby into a career!

Adults who enjoy crafting hobbies can benefit from a work shed as well. They’re great sites for home carpentry, sewing, indoor gardening, and much more. It gives you good cubby hole to invest in yourself, doing something you love. For the guys, it makes a good man cave. Instead of crowding the house (and the kitchen sink) when the boys come over to watch the game, you can kit out the shed with flat screens, gaming consoles, pool tables, a beer fridge, and everything else you need.

This idea works well for teenagers as well. If they routinely have friends over and the group is too large to hang out in their bedroom, they can go to the shed with some snacks and keep themselves entertained. This gives parents peace of mind, because the teens are within supervisory reach, and it’s good for the teens because they have some measure of freedom and privacy.

Work sheds can also be helpful if you have telecommuting position or if you’re running a business from home. While working in your house has advantages, it can also reduce productivity because there’s so much to distract you. The kids, the TV, the fridge, the bed … If you have a work shed, you can make it an official workspace and restrict yourself to office hours when you won’t be interrupted. Just make sure you don’t put a TV in there.

Even if you don’t want to use your shed as a residential or working space, it will come in handy. You can turn it into a storage shed for gardening tools, hosepipes, sprinkler systems, and other outdoor implements that might be damaged by rain and humidity. You can also store seeds, pesticides, old paint cans, and other odds and ends. It makes a better depot than your garage, leaving adequate breathing space for your car. You can even store old clothes, books, sporting equipment and kids toys in the shed, as well as bulky seasonal supplies like Christmas trees, Halloween paraphernalia, and birthday decorations.

One thing you may not have considered is property value. If you ever need to sell your house, the shed makes a nice bonus that the realtor can use to drive up the price of your home by a few thousand dollars. It can be billed as extra storage, a hobby room, an external entertainment space, or even a cosy guest wing. Clearly, you can’t go wrong with a work shed, so if you don’t have one already, consider looking into it.