Garden sheds 'more popular than home extensions'

17:07:20 6th July 2010

An increasing number of households are deciding to convert garden sheds as opposed to build an extension on their properties.

According to a poll of tradesmen by Screwfix, a combination of lower construction costs, fewer planning regulations and a rise in home working is responsible for the trend, the Aberdeen Press and Journal reports.

The research found that outbuildings such as log cabins and garden sheds are perfectly adequate for most people's needs and Alex Johnson, expert and author of Shedworking, said that they appeal to people's pioneering instincts.

"While most British gardens can't really compete with the wild west there is a lot to be said for getting away from the bricks and mortar - and in my view, that's why sheds are so popular," he told the newspaper.

Garden sheds are no longer the preserve of men either, with TV presenter and property developer Sarah Beeny telling the Independent that while they were once a male domain, this is no longer the case.