Everyone loves storage in their home, but no one wants to bring in the mud and dirt from their backyard! That is why most homeowners consider having a shed or outdoor storage space. The truth is, Having a shed is always a nice plus when re-selling your home that can help add value and optimize storage for outdoor material. Today we are going to look at the four important items to remember/consider when building or purchasing a new shed for your family!
Servitudes and property limits:
The most important item on the list is definitely servitudes and property limits. The last thing you want after building or purchasing a new shed is having to move it before the end of the summer 
Just the thought alone makes me want to cry! – In Quebec, every land is designated by their cadastre (lot number) and is limited within their own constraints. Before installing any permanent fixture, you must always look at your certificate of location and make note of exactly where your land ends and begins. Usually, you have fences in place to limit you from surpassing your own property lines (if they were done correctly 
) so that is the easier half of our conversation… The part most homeowners forget about is the servitudes that are placed at the back of the land and sometimes on the side of your land as well! What is a servitude? – In Quebec Bell Canada and Hydro Qc have what is called the servitude of passage (the right to use a portion of your land in order to service/install or ameliorate their fixtures) and this servitude which is usually about 5ft in width from your property line is not supposed to have any permanent fixtures installed in it. If you do decide to put your shed within the limits of this servitude, you have to remember that Bell or Hydro can come knocking and ask you to move it at any given time if it stops them from using their servitude 
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Just the thought alone makes me want to cry! – In Quebec, every land is designated by their cadastre (lot number) and is limited within their own constraints. Before installing any permanent fixture, you must always look at your certificate of location and make note of exactly where your land ends and begins. Usually, you have fences in place to limit you from surpassing your own property lines (if they were done correctly ) so that is the easier half of our conversation… The part most homeowners forget about is the servitudes that are placed at the back of the land and sometimes on the side of your land as well! What is a servitude? – In Quebec Bell Canada and Hydro Qc have what is called the servitude of passage (the right to use a portion of your land in order to service/install or ameliorate their fixtures) and this servitude which is usually about 5ft in width from your property line is not supposed to have any permanent fixtures installed in it. If you do decide to put your shed within the limits of this servitude, you have to remember that Bell or Hydro can come knocking and ask you to move it at any given time if it stops them from using their servitude . A Strong Foundation
Now that you have figured out exactly where you can and cannot put your shed, it is important to build the base of any good permanent structure, The foundation. In most cases, your shed does not need an actual foundation, but rather a solid base such as a concrete slab, or at least a section of compacted stone that is large enough to hold the full structure and sturdy enough not to move out of place. Installing your shed on soil or grass can make for a disaster in certain climates that have multiple seasons (such as good ol’ quebec’s climate). We call this degel and gel. When the land freezes and dews it causes movement and can make for an unstable base for your shed which can in turn be a very dangerous situation in one’s backyard. Make sure to prep the location of your shed with a strong and permanent base!
Size and Purpose:
Now that you’ve figured out exactly where your shed can go and know which steps to take to make it solid and stay in its place, planning for the size of your shed and the purpose of it is equally as important. Firstly, the size should depend on how much space you have in your backyard (a small shed on a very big lot will look even tinier, while a very large shed on a limited lot can look imposing), try to look around at the neighbours to understand what size best fits your lot divisions. You can also measure out the perimeter and build a cardboard temporary front wall to understand the look/size. The purpose of your shed is definitely an important factor to consider. Is it simply for storage of outdoor materials ? Will you be installing a pool one day? Knowing this can help you better understand the size you need, and if any other factors come into play (windows, locks, storage racks, shelving etc).
Electrical Connections
With so much to think about, the final and fourth important factor to consider when installing your shed is to know if you want/need electrical connections in the shed itself! Sounds easy right? Not so much! Every home is connected to electricity, but getting it to your shed takes a master electrician who will bring the wiring to your shed in a safe way (usually underground) and install a subpanel so that you can add the electrical needs to the shed directly and have a separate control for your home. Electricity in your shed comes in handy depending on its utility, Pools, Sauna and outdoor kitchens need electricity. Although you might believe that you will never install a pool or a sauna, how about the next owner of your home? This decision is important to consider at the beginning of the process as it is easier to run electrical connections prior to pouring a cement slab, or before building any permanent fixtures and will play a good role in adding more value to your home than you already have by installing a shed!
As you can see, although your shed may seem secondary to you now, there are so many important factors to consider when planning the installation or construction of a shed at your home! For more tips and tricks on how to add value to your home, or to consult us on any one of our services, don’t be shy!
