In short, we built our DIY shed in 18 steps:

  1. Draw the design (read more here)
  2. Prepare the site for construction
  3. Build the foundation
  4. Build timber frame: floor, walls and then roof beams
  5. Cover roof with epdm
  6. Panel OSB to frames and place windows and doors
  7. Attach slate cladding (read more here)
  8. Build interior walls
  9. Insulate with hennep
  10. Connect electricity and water
  11. Install sewage tanks
  12. Hang plasterboards (read more here)
  13. Install boiler
  14. Install sanitary ware, tiles and taps
  15. Paint interior
  16. Lay cork floor
  17. Build kitchen and bathroom sink
  18. Decorating

Time

It took us more or less one year to build our shed. During the winter the construction was delayed for a few months due to the weather and work in Holland. We have done almost everything just by ourselves. We only hired help to prepare the building site, installing the sewage tanks and lifting the panorama window.

Costs

Lots of time has gone into finding the right and affordable materials. But it was worth it! We now live very comfortably in our shed-de-luxe, which cost us about € 13K. Less than 3 years’ rent for a student room in Rotterdam…

If you want to know more about 1 of the steps, let us know in the comments below. We will gladly answer you or write a blog post about it.

Useful Portuguese words:

BuildingFazer obras
Do-it-yourselfFaça-você-mesmo
FoundationFundação
WallsMuros
RoofTelhado
PlasterGesso
BoardsPlacas
WindowsJanelas
DoorsPortas
WaterÁgua
Tiles (floor)Pavimento cerâmico
Tiles (wall)Revestimento cerâmico
Cork (material)Cortiça

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4 Comments

  1. Hi Guys, nice work! Can you tell me where you sourced your fish-scale slate tiles? Are they individual tiles or do they come in sheet form? Thanks!

    1. Thanks Toby! We bought them (individual slates) at Ardósias Valério & Figueiredo Lda at Arouca. All the extra’s to hang them and the right tools came from Al Cupi in Spain. I’m working on a post about the slate and how we hang them. Hope to finish this in about a week. Please be patient. 😉

  2. Beautiful work!
    I am interested in the insulation. What type of hemp insulation did you use and where did you source it? Was it costly? Did you use it in walls floor and roof?
    Cheers x

    1. Thank you Annabel! We bought the hennep insulation in Holland. As we could also use it to top-up our seacontainer when we moved here. This is the link of the shop, i don’t think it’s available here in Portugal. But who knows, two years have past, maybe meanwhile it is.https://www.eco-logisch.nl/Hempflax-Hennep-Isolatie-Plus-4582
      And yes, we used in it the walls and roof
      All the best!

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