How To Move A Shed
Before you move your shed, check to see if you need a special permit.
If you’ve got a standard 6×8 or 8×10 shed, you should be okay, but check your new local building regulations just in case. If you don’t have a permit, you must keep the following in mind:
- You might not be able to put your shed in a Conservation Area without a permit.
- The maximum height for sheds in a residential garden is 3 metres.
- Your shed can’t cover over 50% of the space around the building (or 15 sqm).
- Your shed needs to be installed away from walls and public roads.
- Your shed can only be used for domestic, not commercial, purposes.
Steps for moving a shed
1. Decide if you can move the shed
The first step is to see if your shed can be moved – or is worth moving – in the first place.
If it’s a very old shed structure or is broken in places, it may not survive the move, so you might consider saving up for a new one. If your shed is secured to the ground with cement, bear in mind that if you move it, you’ll have to source new floor panels.
2. Empty the shed
The second step is simple: empty the shed.
If you’re dismantling the shed before moving it, you can’t avoid emptying it first. But you’ll also have to empty it if you’re not dismantling it. Otherwise, you’ll make the job much harder by adding to the shed’s weight, and your items will likely get damaged during the move.
Depending on your time, emptying the shed could be the perfect time to clean your garden tools and eliminate what you don’t need. You could donate your unwanted tools to your friends and family or a local charity or tool-sharing scheme.
3. Dismantle the shed
If you’re relocating a storage shed yourself, we recommend dismantling it. This way, it’s less likely to get damaged and can be less physically strenuous for you. Check your guarantee first: if you move it without dismantling it, you may void your guarantee.
4. Get the equipment for moving a garden shed in one piece
Although dismantling the shed first is best, you might consider moving it in one piece. Only do this if you’re experienced. Naturally, smaller sheds are easier to move in one piece because they weigh less. When moving a shed by hand, you may need:
- Rollers
- A shovel
- A ramp, a jack or a forklift
- A van or trailer
5. Secure the shed
When moving a shed in one piece, you’ll have to secure the most vulnerable parts of the structure to prevent them from breaking. Remove window panes and insert two wooden braces to the studs diagonally (in an X shape).
Do the same with the doors: remove them and insert two wooden braces from the top left to the bottom right, and vice versa, to form an X shape.
Get in touch with St Albans Removals
Moving home can be one of the most stressful things you can do without the right people and professionals to help. If you need to move or store a garden shed or any other belongings, give the team at St Albans Removals a call. Don’t risk injury and stress by doing everything on your own. Our team of experienced removal experts will pack and move your items for you so that you can focus on the paperwork side of your move.
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