If anyone has ever had an eyesore in their backyard, it’s usually because of the shed. Remember those? Every self-respecting family on the block had a shed in their back yard which contained (at least) an old manual lawn mower (surely a collector’s item by now?), bags of manure and potting soil, outdoor toys, hedge clippers, webbed folding chairs plus a few hundred other such items, i.e. junk. Where do you keep those things now? In your garage, basement or attic, if you’re like most people. But sheds don’t need to be ugly to be functional.

While you can still build your own shed and can find instructions for one online, you don’t have to do it if you don’t have the time, skill or inclination. Now, you can buy pre-made or pre-fabricated sheds, in all shapes and sizes and styles, which are a heck of a lot prettier looking than the slap-dash shed your grandfather made of plywood and corrugated tin roofing sheets.

In fact, a lot of people are buying these neat looking little houses and creating a special place for more than just yard equipment or a workshop. They’re letting the kids use it as a playhouse or outdoor game room, or they’re filling it with furniture and turning it into a private getaway. Professionals and freelancers are using their storage shed as extra office space. Heck, you could even park your ride on lawn tractor in there, couldn’t ya? What a novel idea!