These days, cost is important to almost every gardener and many people are looking out for a budget garden shed. Before splashing out on a cheap shed however, it really does pay to carefully weigh your options and consider the total cost of your choice. Budget sheds actually offer very good value for money and there is a wide choice available to suit the needs of the thrifty gardener or householder.

When you're looking for cheap sheds, it's fairly obvious that size plays an important part as does the design and specification and the simplest no-frills version will certainly deliver all you might expect from a cheap garden shed but of course other factors do play a part and you may wish to consider your options more closely before jumping in and buying the first budget shed you come across.

As with so many things we purchase these days, you are most likely to find budget garden sheds by searching on the Internet but always look our for delivery charges and extras that you may not need but will actually push up the price. Of course many retailers and garden centres offer cheap garden sheds and you should always shop around and look for a bargain,

Before you actually start searching though, take a word of advice and think about what you really need, both now and in the future, and try to establish a plan that will enable you to compare like with like to find the best cheap shed for you. Firstly make sure that the budget shed you buy really is the size you want, as a larger size will not necessarily cost a great deal more. Secondly consider what are the possible uses for your budget garden shed because you can't easily add an extra door or window later. Thirdly, ask your self what is the best material for cheap garden sheds; metal is usually the cheapest, with wood in the mid-price range and plastic at the top end.

The material from which your budget garden shed is made can have a significant effect on your overall cost of ownership; wooden sheds for example may require initial treatment and painting or staining, and will certainly require new applications every year or so, but they are inexpensive to modify and repair. Metal sheds give you improved protection against break-in and more secure storage to keep cleaners and chemicals away from kids and pets but accessories like shelving may be more expensive. Plastic sheds have many of the same virtues but generally have a very long life with little or no maintenance.