THE GREAT BRITISH SHED-AWAY
One in five Brits admit to spending time in their shed to avoid their partners whilst a quarter would prefer it over seeing their in-laws and 8% would even rather spend time in their shed than be intimate with their partner. In fact Brits love their sheds so much that the average ‘sheddie’ spends almost a year of their life in their shed(1).
New research released by Cuprinol today reveals that the garden shed is worth £5billion to the British economy, with over 14million people in the UK now owning a shed. The research forms part of the annual Shed’onomic report – an in-depth study of the nation’s shed behaviour, to mark the start of the annual ‘Shed of the Year’ competition, sponsored by Cuprinol.
Not just a hideaway to escape the in-laws, Brits are also using their shed as a place to keep secrets from their partner, 9% store secret unhealthy snacks, 8% store secret cigarettes, 7% store secret shopping receipts, 4% store secret love letters from an ex-partner and 11% of Brits even admit to using their shed to make secret phone calls.
The research also shows that Brits now see their sheds as an extension of the home with many featuring the same luxuries, including electricity (35%), heat (11%) and lighting (40%). In fact 7% of sheds now have a TV, 5% a sofa and 2% even have a hot tub. The average shed now contains over £457 worth of items.
However, it’s not just the creature comforts that are making sheds more appealing, the humble shed even serves as a mood lifter – with 12% of Brits feeling at their happiest when they spend time in their shed, 21% feel at their most creative and 23% of men even claim that spending time in their shed makes them feel more masculine.
Kathryn Ledson, Cuprinol Marketing Manager comments:
“It’s clear the nation are fanatical about sheds and view it as an important extension of the home, with many using it as a secret getaway to store secrets or avoid loved ones. Whatever you use your shed for the annual Shed of the Year competition aims celebrates the best of British sheds and Cuprinol are proud to be the official sponsors for the fourth year running. If you think your shed deserves the worthy title, make sure you enter via www.readersheds.co.uk from now until 5th May.”
