Whether plain wood or painted brightly, used as a workshop or a Wendy House… sheds are the true expression of someone’s character.

This is according to research by GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk, which has identified ten types of shed and what they say about their owners.

The retailer’s new study claims that the humble garden shed is the window to a person’s soul, holding far more than a few rusty tools, a lawnmower and the kids’ bikes. 

Because few outsiders are welcomed into our sheds, they become repositories for their owner’s passions. 

From hoarders to would-be business tycoons, and from a secret sanctuary from the pressures of life to the determined survivalist, sheds reveal our secret desires. 

A spokesperson for GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk said: “Sheds are the windows of the soul. If you really want to know someone forget about their Facebook profile and check out their shed instead. 

“Even just the choice of garden building they’ve got – a shed, a summerhouse, a log cabin – tells you a lot about what they want and like.

“There can be a need to keep your house a certain way if you’ve got kids or regular visitors, but the shed has a certain privacy which allows the owner to reveal who they really are when no one else is looking.”

Ten Types of Sheds

The Man Cave

The most recognisable of all sheds, the Man Cave has screens, sports equipment, guitars with four strings and trainers that are banned from the house as biological hazards. It will be full of mysterious cables and switches that don’t do anything, as these are known to appear wherever men reside.

The She Shed

Not to be outdone, women are increasingly setting up She Sheds. Often in white with window boxes, these are particularly popular with busy mums who want to escape to read a book or just drink a cup of tea while it’s still at least lukewarm.

The Playhouse

The treehouse of yesteryear has been largely replaced by the Playhouse, which can be multi-storey and even feature slides and ladders. As well as places for semi-outdoor adventures, they’re ideal storage for malicious gifts of accordions and drum kits.

The Toolshed

Stacked with complex machinery and unrecognisable scraps of metal and wood, this is a handyman’s heaven for DIY, model making and home repairs. You’ll know a Toolshedder’s garden because you won’t be able to identify anything in it, unless of course you’re a Toolshedder yourself. 

The Young Family

If it’s full of split trampolines, dusty sandboxes and old baby clothes, it belongs to a Young Family. Inevitably the man of the house has every intention of fixing all the broken toys, but he can’t because he hasn’t got space in there for a Toolshed.

The Keen Gardener

It’s full of beautiful pot plants and various gardening equipment. Don’t touch anything. 

The Hoarder

When there’s no space left in the house, Hoarders can go to the shed to keep all those indispensable items like broken electrical goods, clothes that don’t fit, 20-year-old personal papers and unused fitness equipment. 

The Would-Be Tycoon

Entrepreneurs frequently look to the outdoor house as an office and makeshift warehouse. If the business takes off, they can buy an actual office, or maybe just a bigger shed.   

The Den

An import from America, the Den is essentially a second living room for people who don’t want to bother cleaning up any mess (ie, teenagers). Minimum requirements are a TV screen, DVD player, heater and squashy beanbags. Games console optional but desirable.

The Survivalist

When the aliens land, the zombie virus hits and the triffids attack, these people will survive in reinforced, quarantined shelters full of canned food, bottled water, warm clothing and outdoor gear. Hopefully they remembered a tin opener.