On a lifestyle block, the shed does a lot of jobs. It’s the garage for the farm ute, home for the boat or caravan, the workshop, the feed store and the place everything else ends up. One well-planned building can do all of it, as long as each job gets the space and access it needs.
Zone the building #
Think of the shed as a set of zones, each with its own door:
- A tall bay for the boat, caravan, motorhome or truck. Measure the tallest item, including anything on the roof.
- Vehicle bays for the ute, car and side-by-side.
- A workshop with a bench, power and good light.
- Storage: shelving, a mezzanine for light storage, or a lockable room for tools.
- Animal and feed space, if you have stock or horses: feed, tack, a dry spot for hay.
Doors and access #
Different bays can have different door heights. A tall roller door for the boat bay, standard doors for vehicles and a separate access door for the workshop means you aren’t opening a big door just to grab a spanner. Leave room in front of every door to turn a trailer.
Comfort and condensation #
Wet vehicles and boats bring moisture in, and a cold steel roof can drip it back down. If you’ll spend time in the workshop or store things that don’t like damp, plan in roof insulation or an anti-condensation underlay. Our condensation post explains the options.
Looks matter on a lifestyle block #
The shed is often the second-biggest building on the property, and it’s in your view every day. Pre-painted steel comes in a range of colours to match or complement the house, and roof pitch, overhangs and trims can all be tuned to suit.
The rules #
- Most lifestyle sheds are over 30 m², so expect building consent.
- Many lifestyle blocks are zoned rural-residential or countryside living, which has its own setbacks, height limits and site-coverage rules.
- The rural 110 m² pole shed exemption doesn’t apply in rural-residential zones.
A shed, not a house #
Steelspan builds lifestyle sheds for storage, workshops, vehicles and animals. We don’t build sheds to live in. Adding sleeping, kitchen or bathroom facilities brings in a different set of rules, so tell us at the start if you’re planning anything like that.
Talk to Steelspan #
List what needs a home on your block and we’ll lay out a shed that fits it all. Use our Easy Shed Quote or call 0800 787 726.
