Let's face it; storage sheds can be terribly expensive. However, if you need the extra space for storage they are also one of the cheapest Handwerker Recruiting ways to accomplish this compared to one of those pay monthly places you find around town.
Before we jump into the 4 ways, please make sure you can put an outbuilding in your yard. No matter how cheap you get a shed, it's not cheap at all if you end up having to move it or tear it down due to a code violation or Home Owners Association dispute.
#1 - Check to see if you can find a used shed that can either be moved or torn down and rebuilt in your yard. This does take time so it won't be an option if you are in a hurry or have a timeframe to get a storage building. However, if you can watch for deals in your neighborhood on Craigslist, eBay and local yard sale sites you can sometimes pick up a great deal on a pre-owned unit.
Don't think they will all be beat up because many of these come onto the open market because the owners did not do their homework and find out too late that they can't place the structure in their yard. (See paragraph #2) Also don't limit yourself to only wood sheds because there are some great buys in plastic and metal as well.
#2 - Build your own shed with good plans and blueprints. You can potentially save up to half of what it would cost to purchase a pre-made building as long as you work from a good set of plans and have the skills to put it together. Of course, you can always get friends and family to help and they will also need to have the skill to do so. If you hire someone to do this the savings are not as great if at all.
#3 - If you decide to build your own and want to save even more money, you can go around and see if you can find builders who will let you haul off their scrap wood. Go through this wood and pull out any that you can use for your project. You can also call a few companies that demolish properties and see if they have a reuse program. If they do, find out if you can go through the scrap wood and take or purchase it at a reduced price. Note that some of this old wood is very expensive while others are not so make sure you have the right expectations when doing this.
#4 - Invest in a shed kit. While this is normally not as inexpensive as building your own, these kits come pre-cut and ready to assemble with basic tools. You can find them in wood, vinyl (plastic) or metal and each one has pluses and minuses. You will need to do some additional research beyond the scope of this article and make sure you know which one will work best for your situation.