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Four reasons why you should DIY your SheShed build

One of the great things about our SheShed cabins is that they are specifically designed to be constructed by someone with a DIY/home handy person skill level – yes you read that right, we've designed them so that YOU can put it together yourself and here are our top four reasons as to why you would want to construct your SheShed yourself!

Think of the time you'll save

How long do you think it takes to build a flatpack timber cabin? A few days, a week, even longer? If you guessed a few days, you were right. Most of our SheShed range can be constructed in just a matter of days, with our clear, step-by-step instructions, detailed how-to videos and dedicated team at SheShed who are ready to answer all your questions at any time - building a SheShed is easy.  

The whole family can get involved in building a SheShed
During a SheShed Star cabin build
Building SheShed base frame on steel foundation kit

Before you even get to building your SheShed you are able to save time with our simple shipping process. Once your cabin has been paid for in full, your order is packed and dispatched and usually arrives at your property within one to two weeks depending on how far you are from our Nelson warehouse. Prior to your cabin arrival it's a good idea to decide on the type of foundation it will sit on, you can also use this time to construct the foundation if needed.  

Once your foundation is ready, the construction of the cabin really is quite quick. Our smaller cabins take two to four days to construct, our medium cabins three to eight days and our large cabins four to twelve days, allowing you to have your own, dedicated space for work, art, creating or hobbies in a really short period of time. The time invested now in building your SheShed really will save you a great deal of time later down the track as there's no need to wait for a builder's availability and work within their time frame, you can set your own time frame and construct the cabin at your leisure.

Plus, if you're using the SheShed as a home office or to run a business, there is a huge time saving as you're not having to commute any further than your backyard! Imagine that you can go from dreaming about a dedicated space to fulfill your dreams to actually having and using it within a matter of weeks! And you can be proud that it's something you've built yourself. 

Custom window and door placement on a Tasman SheShed

There's also money to be saved

Another benefit to constructing the SheShed yourself is the labour cost saving. A qualified and skilled builder or tradesperson has spent time studying and learning their craft, and like any professional, they should charge appropriately for their time and skills. This is often where the investment in a cabin can increase significantly as labour costs in New Zealand are high, as the saying goes time is money and in this case the time someone else spends building your cabin will cost you money and so by constructing the cabin yourself you're able to avoid this extra cost. 

As you know all of our cabins come with clear, step-by-step instructions as well as detailed how-to videos, plus the support of our dedicated team so building a SheShed really can be easy. Plus, if you get a friend or loved one to help it'll be even easier and a fun project to do together!   

Additionally, if you're planning on using your SheShed for business, you can say goodbye to high rental costs and the limitations that come with renting a commercial space. With a SheShed cabin you will have a dedicated space to run your business from the comfort of your own backyard.  

Build the multi-purpose space you need 

Once constructed, your SheShed is essentially an open space ready and waiting for you to fill it and deck it out exactly how you like to suit your own individual needs and the great thing about this is that the SheShed can grow and change with you as your needs for the space change.  

Our customers often tell us how their SheShed started out as an extra space for their growing family and as the family grew it then became a space that they could dedicate to their hobbies and creative activities, which then turned into a home office. Having a space that is flexible and able to serve many purposes over its lifetime is priceless!    

You have Design Flexibility 

By DIY constructing your SheShed, you're easily able to make adjustments on the fly without impacting your builder’s timeline and the overall cost. Let's say you decided to add an extra window during the construction, or perhaps you want to add a small deck or patio to the front, if you're constructing the cabin yourself you can easily add these things in at a time that's convenient for you without impacting anyone else.  

You also have freedom around painting your cabin. By painting your SheShed yourself, you'll not only save on the cost of someone else spending time painting it for you, but you also have flexibility around colour choice should you decide to change the colour once you've started painting.  

Jimmy constructing a SheShed on his 
own
Stunning custom Alpine SheShed

Important to note

It's important to note that while our SheSheds are designed to be constructed DIY, depending on how you plan to use the cabin, there may be other time and cost considerations for you to note.  

Foundation Material & Construction - The foundation you need for your SheShed will depend on the size of your cabin and what your property is like and is an important consideration. You’ll also need to source your own screws to secure the floor joists of your cabin to your chosen foundation type. Read more about foundations in our article on the SheShed blog: What do I use for my SheShed Foundation?

Final Thoughts

There's a great sense of achievement that comes with DIY constructing your SheShed. It's a great opportunity to learn new skills or build ones you already have to achieve a dream of yours, and for all the reasons stated above, plus others, many of our customers choose to construct their SheSheds this way and we encourage you to consider this option as well.  

The only thing left to do is decide... 

Which SheShed is for you?


"The SheShed team was incredibly supportive throughout the process. The setup was straightforward,
taking just three days to complete, with clear instructions and great ongoing support."

– Justin M

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SheShed Australia & New Zealand. All rights reserved.