Shed Homes: What You Need to Know Before You Start

Shed Homes: What You Need to Know Before You Start

Shed homes have grown in popularity for their flexibility and modern look. Before going further, it's worth being clear about two things: the cost is often closer to a standard house build than people expect, and not every Wide Span Sheds branch offers the full shed home process, some regions supply the kitset only, with the interior fit-out managed separately.

It's a lifestyle choice, not a budget option

The base structure of a shed home can cost less than a traditional house frame. But once fit-out, insulation, plumbing, interiors, council consent, and full engineering for habitability are factored in, the total often lands close to a standard build. A shed home is worth considering for the design flexibility and modern aesthetic it offers, not as an automatic way to build more cheaply.

What the process actually involves

Turning a shed into a habitable home is more than buying a kitset and lining the walls. It has to be architecturally drawn, structurally engineered, and council-approved before construction starts. Here's what that looks like in practice.

1. Concept design (Cost to be determined by local branch)
This is where the rough layout takes shape. It includes reviewing the codes and regulations that apply to the site, a performance specification agreed with the client, early advice from structural and fire engineers where needed, and concept drawings covering plans, elevations, sections, and a 3D view. This stage ends with a client meeting to review and approve the concept before moving forward.

2. Developed design and working drawings (Cost to be determined by local branch)
Once the concept is approved, this stage produces the detailed drawings needed for building consent: floor plans, elevations, sections, site and location plans, door schedules, and the architectural specification. Other consultants are brought in as needed and coordinated through this stage. It ends with another client meeting to approve the working drawings before they go to council.

3. Council submission
The working drawings and supporting documentation go to council as a building consent application.

4. Build
Some of our Wide Span Sheds locations currently offer the full package -  kit-set supply, council submission support, concrete work, kit-set erection, joinery installation, internal fit-out (lining, plumbing, electrical, and interior finishing). The regions currently offering this are:

• South Island
• Northland
• North Auckland

Each stage is priced and agreed before moving to the next, since shed homes are genuinely difficult to price accurately until the concept design stage is done. Nobody can give a meaningful number without going through that step first.

The bottom line

A shed home can be a genuinely good option when the design flexibility suits how you want to live, but it should be weighed up as that, not as a cheaper alternative to a house. If you're exploring one, understanding the process above is a more useful starting point than a ballpark price, since the real number only comes after concept design.

For more on what's realistic for a standard shed build instead, see Your Top Shed Questions Answered.