Garden Sheds UK Growing Strongly With Always Greater Relevance to British Economy

15.12.2017

Garden Sheds UK

Some new figures and statistics show that garden sheds play a growing role for the economy in the UK and that they represent a growing sector of the British economy.

Sales of garden sheds in the UK, although a ‘mature’ market segment with around 14 million buildings worth about £5 billion to the economy, are still projected to continue to grow at a rate of 2-4% each year until 2020. A steady and growing DIY market and an upcoming new ‘grow your own food’ trend spurs usage and upgrading of the humble old garden shed as well as purchases of new buildings.

Garden sheds are getting upgrades and makeovers around the UK with 35% of them connected to the electrical power grid now. Usages as garden bar, garden lounge or garden office lead to an average worth of items stored in garden sheds in the UK of  £460 per building.

Hot tub holidays in the own garden shed also is on the increase together with the use as garden saunas, while manufacturers offer solutions for home spas in the garden.  

Summer houses, garden offices – these garden buildings grow even stronger than garden sheds in the UK

So while the general market for domestic garden buildings and structures has grown about 3-5% each year since 2015, traditional garden sheds contribute to this with only 2-4% of growth as a consequence of the more saturated market in which the biggest sector ‘sheds & storage’ represent 35% while ‘garden buildings for all year use’, summerhouses and log cabins account for more than 20% market share.

The overall growth has been enhanced by upgrading and new usages. Garden sheds have been transformed into garden saunas, guest houses or garden offices, or new summer houses and garden log cabins were bought to serve mainly other purposes than the traditional garden and storage hub that garden sheds used to be used for in the UK.

The growing market for weekend cottages or holiday houses is also served by manufacturers of log cabins and garden sheds. New usages have stimulated the market, and this is predicted to continue for the years to come.

The demand for garden rooms has also been driven by the need of people to provide housing for elderly and children, who are often not able to enter the regular housing market. Increased usage of garden buildings for leisure activities and customization of buildings lead to increased activities upgrading the old garden sheds which might result in a need for the purchasing of new storage buildings or buying new buildings like log cabins or summerhouses.

Some more statistics about garden sheds in the UK

According to a  recent survey, 12% of the respondents said that the place where they feel the happiest at was in their garden shed. 20% say that shedworking is the most creative for them and 25% of the men feel more masculine in their garden sheds.

Garden sheds obviously play an important role in social life in the UK as the following numbers show:

The same survey reveals that garden sheds are often used to keep secrets from one’s partner. 32% of shed users admitted to smoke there secretly, hide secret love letters, make secret phone calls or store unhealthy or ‘forbidden’ snacks there. Garden sheds also function as places to hide from unwelcome visitors: 25% admitted to hiding there from their in-laws, while 20% also occasionally spend time there to avoid their partner.

All in all the average owners spend almost one year of their life in their garden shed.

It seems that with a nation as fanatical about garden sheds as the UK, there will be no decline in purchases to be expected in the future. The garden shed is there to stay and the number of households featuring garden sheds will continue to grow.

The Internet has already become an established sales channel in the market for garden sheds and domestic garden structures, and many customers value the huge selection, the easy procedures offered for evaluation, choice, and purchasing provided by suppliers through their internet channels.

Considering the huge choice of different products, designs, and the moderate prices, the Internet will probably continue to take away market shares from DIY multiples.

Why don’t you take advantage of the advantages the Internet has to offer and scroll through our portfolio of garden sheds available for the UK?

There are still some garden shed sales up until the start of the next gardening season!

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