Modern Buddy

I am looking around at sheds for my Stella I will be buying this spring. I was wondering if anyone stores their scooter in a shed, and if so, can you share any experiences? I am looking at 8' x 8' at this point, as I want enough room to stuff my snow blower in the other side. This will be in my backyard, behind my already stuffed garage, and not visible from the street. My main concerns are having enough room to get the scoot in and out, and security.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

slotrod65 wrote:I am looking around at sheds for my Stella I will be buying this spring. I was wondering if anyone stores their scooter in a shed, and if so, can you share any experiences? I am looking at 8' x 8' at this point, as I want enough room to stuff my snow blower in the other side. This will be in my backyard, behind my already stuffed garage, and not visible from the street. My main concerns are having enough room to get the scoot in and out, and security.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

just go to a home depot and buy a kit for it.
figure 5 times the size of it.

Just a related tip - check your local property tax codes before putting up the shed. In my township, an 8 x 8 is considered to be an improvement and hikes your property taxes. But take an inch off the length and width, and it's not. And, believe it or not, the b*st*rds will actually come and measure it.

And make sure you don't have to pull a permit for it. Often, the all-wood constructed buildings are seen as permanent structures (like Charlie mentioned above), but metal/composite structures are not.

In my county, they go by the foundation construction and square footage. If memory serves me correctly (which it might not), you can go up to 150 sqft without any permits or the like. If you go over that, the foundation has to be mobile.

We had some issues when we built my garage a few years back concerning the foundation. Total PITA.

If it were a feasible thing, I could have a 150' shipping container or two dropped off and it would be considered temporary. We actually gave that some serious thought (it wouldn't fit under our power/utility lines) since it's basically recycling. That would have actually been pretty rad.

There are many obscure and ridiculous regulations that have to be met so the best advice is to check with your local permits office (or whatever that translates to in your neck of the woods).

One quick question for you: why not clear out some space in your garage and store it there instead of getting auxiliary storage?

Thanks for the replies.

This morning I am heading out to a local company that builds and installs sheds. I will be starting there to find out what they have to offer, price, and what they know about local zoning.

Tuesday I will be calling the city to ask about the taxes. Thanks charlie55, I had not thought about the tax implications. know I will need a building permit, no matter what we do.

I live in upstate NY, so snow is an issue. My parents had a metal shed collapse from snow, so I need to be sure the building will hold up. Security is an issue as well, so I am not so keen on a "tin" shed", or a resin/plastic one. I also want a raised floor, which the wood sheds offer.

Why isn't the scooter going in the garage? It was built in the early 1930's and is very narrow. Getting the car in and out is like moving a battleship in and out of drydock. Whatever space is available in the back is full of other things that have to be in the garage. There is simply no other place for them. Pulling the car in and out just to the the scooter is simply something I do not want to do.

So that is where i am right now... still gathering information, and not sure what I will actually be getting. I am hoping to know more after this morning's visit.

Thanks again everyone.

I own a 8x8 and store my scoot for the winter in it. I also have a lawn mower, a small electric snow blower, tires, tents, assorted autoparts, etc.,etc. in their too.
I live in a mostly quiet neighborhood so security is not so much of an issue, but I still lock it. Placement is essential for good security. If possible make sure your sheds door is visible from the house. A security light would also be beneficial.

Unless you add a lock set yourself the handles will usually accept standard size padlocks only. I also added a small homemade ramp to facilitate getting things in and out of the shed.

You may have to test out different storage strategies to get it all fitting just right but it should be possible.

agrogod wrote:You may have to test out different storage strategies to get it all fitting just right but it should be possible.

I would definitely keep this thought in mind, when I first bought my house and the next year built my shed I thought 12x15 would be just fine, even have space for a potting bench, small work area and etc.
Yeah, Uh huh..... think again, mower, tractor, snow blower, tools, toys, bicycles, and on and on and on......

Think about what you want to do, where you want to put it and what you want to put in it. Go to Lowes, Home Depot or where ever you can look at various sheds and sizes of sheds, stand in one and try to visualize your size and storage needs and the logistics of such. You don't want to be moving 42 things just to access one thing every time you need something!!!

I built a 10x8 shed in my back yard just so I would have a better space for my scooter during the winter (there is other stuff in there, but the scooter was the reason to build the shed)

About security.... I live in a pretty crime free suburban area, but since I already had a Prima Cable Lock, I put an eye bolt in the floor under where I park my Stella & lock my scooter to the floor of the shed.

It's never big enough.
Go as large as you can justify.

slotrod65 wrote:I am looking around at sheds for my Stella I will be buying this spring. I was wondering if anyone stores their scooter in a shed, and if so, can you share any experiences? I am looking at 8' x 8' at this point, as I want enough room to stuff my snow blower in the other side. This will be in my backyard, behind my already stuffed garage, and not visible from the street. My main concerns are having enough room to get the scoot in and out, and security.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

I keep 2 of my scoots in a 8x10 (actual size 7.5x9.5) Lifetime shed that I bought from Lowe's Hardware 3 years ago. It's plastic and came in a kit. The plastic panels are easy to handle, snap together and then you secure them with screws and fasteners that are included. To make it all work you have to have a completely level foundation. I made mine using 2 sheets of 3/4" exterior plywood cut to size and laid on 2x8 exterior boards which sit on concrete pier blocks. I spent extra time making it perfectly level as the panels won't mate properly if you're off even an inch or two. The fit and finish are first class and it's completely weatherproof. Check www.lifetime.com for pictures and detailed specs. Most Lowe's stores have them on display in their outdoor lot so go to your nearest Lowe's for an in-person look. Based on the 8x10 size I did not have to get a permit but this will most likely differ from community to community so check your communities' requirements before you make the leap.

Bill in Seattle but currently wintering in AZ
'12 170i Italia "The Olive Pit"

Around here a shed:
1) Is considered permanent if a) larger than 120 sq. ft, or b) has a permanent foundation, or c) has any connected utilities.
2) Permanent or not, cannot be built closer than 5 ft to the property line (easement for utilities).

I got a 10 by 12 wood frame shed with a loft to use as a workshop. Moved stuff out of the garage so I could store the scoot and have easier access to the street rather than store it in the shed and have to contend with moving it across snow or muddy ground. The power is connect by HD electric cord and an access plate in the side of the shed. I chose wood frame and added framing to the hip roof for snow load and insulation with 5/8" strand board for sheeting. I heat with the large "Mr. Heater" (heats up to 250 sqft of tent) hooked up to a 20# bottle on the outside (comes in through the same access panel as the power). At -10 F I can make it very toasty in about ten minutes.

Before actually setting this all up I used paper cutouts to place everything and I also bought a stack of 2"x12"x18" concrete blocks to place under the shed runners so it was level and wouldn't sink into the soggy ground every spring.

Take the time to plan it out and it will be a great addition to the house. I LOVE my shed. Unfortunately there is still not enough room in the garage so I am currently looking into a small shed (lockable plastic) for the snow blower (winter) and lawn mower (summer). http://www.lowes.com/pd_355127-1217-FG3 ... RRWidgetID

Good luck.

Thanks to everyone for their replies.

I hadn't considered tax implications, so I contacted my City assessor's office, and found out that my city does consider a shed for tax purposes. I asked a lot of questions, and found that I would have to build a garage for taxes to increase, so that is a good thing.

Right now I am looking at an 8x10 wood shed with vinyl siding, and will be visiting a locally owned, and highly recommended shed company after work in order to gather more info.

Beamster wrote:It's never big enough.
Go as large as you can justify.

^^^ THIS..
I like the vinyl siding holds up better than the OSB stuff

...and better to beg forgiveness than ask permission...depends on where you live I guess, but that is why I own an old horse farm outside of town.

You might also want to consider something like this:

http://www.thebikebarn.net/standardmodel.html

No tax or building code implications and still keeps the snow/rain off the bike. There are a couple of different companies that make similar ones.

Howard

This conversation makes me envious 'cause I 'got no place' for a shed. A shed sounds like a great cave. I'd put a loft in it to increase storage, and of course it would need landscaping.

Here is mine....
It started as just a place to store my Stella in the winter (along with mower, snow blower, wheelbarrow, & misc gardening stuff)
Of course since my yard is a hill, I had to build a 10x8 deck first to put the shed on. (yes... permits required)
& then after the shed went up my wife decided it would look nicer if we landscaped about 1/3 of the back yard (she was right)
So it ended up being a lot of work, but really worth it.

I went with vinyl (I have enough stuff to paint around the house already) - it was on sale for about $1,000 at Menards
http://www.homestylesshed.com/our_sheds ... ier_series



& two tips....
1) I painted the inside of the windows in the doors with black spray paint so you could not see in
2) I added a solar powered light to the inside so I could have some light but not go through the trouble of running power out to the shed

Finally.... Once you include the deck (under the shed), the shed & the landscaping, I have more money invested in this project than I spent on my scooter!

Scootlemont: now I am REALLY jealous!!!!!

I visited my local shed manufacturer on Thursday, and had a great 40 minute tour, plus a discussion of my needs. I have settled on a 8x10 with vinyl siding, and no windows. Scootlemont: Your shed is the same configuration mine will be, with the door on the 8 foot side. The next step will be the shed guy stopping buy for an on site visit. They will construct the shed, deliver it, set it up, and level it all for the purchase price. Plus, if the shed ever settled, they will re-level for free. I am getting closer...

Not having a garage we put this up for storage.. and then I got a scooter and it turned out to be a perfect parking place for it. It's an 10 x 12 barn style- i believe it's 10 ft tall.. has a loft running from the rear to halfway to the front for long term storage items. We had it put up by better built barns in oregon- their crew had it up in about 4 hours if I remember right. We calked every seam and nail hole and primed and painted it. I also painted the floor to help preserve it. It's been up maybe 4 yrs so far and have had no problems with it. We also had them put in 2 clear-view vents in the roof to let in light. No windows for security tho if someone is determined there's always a way. Alarms are a good idea. We added a ramp after I got my scooter. Always build either as bigger than you think you need.

Another thought....one of those nice enclosed trailers. You could store your scooter and snow blower in there, and use it for trailering your scooters (you may accummulate more of them... ) to remote areas to ride, or to the dealer to get worked on.

....and no worries about permits or additional property taxes.

trailers are not that good for storage.. I had a nice horse trailer with seperate tack room on the front.. I left my saddle in there only a few days and it began to mold. I've had no problems with my shed at all- and it can't be towed away with my stuff inside either.

Howardr wrote:You might also want to consider something like this:

http://www.thebikebarn.net/standardmodel.html

Howard

Love that idea!

elliemae wrote:trailers are not that good for storage.. I had a nice horse trailer with seperate tack room on the front.. I left my saddle in there only a few days and it began to mold. I've had no problems with my shed at all- and it can't be towed away with my stuff inside either.

Good feedback...I had no idea. SEEMED like a good idea....