Help me find ideas about what to do with this shed

Hi guys,

So we have this shed/structure in the backyard of our PPOR:



It is a brick construction, on a slab. About 5m x 5m in dimensions.
It's sitting right on the 2 fence lines.
Unfortunately there is a bad water infiltration problem as the land is a bit higher on the top fence side.
This means the shed is really humid, especially when it rains. It sometimes floods.
It was previously used as a separate cooking area/indoor bbq and as such it has a small chimney that exhausts above the roof. It also has a sink and electricity.
There is an internal brick wall that divides the space roughly in 2/3 - 1/3, with the wall located towards the top of the building, along it's length - so from top to bottom: 1/3 of the space -> wall -> remaining 2/3 of the space.

I am looking for ideas about what to do with this space.
We currently do not need additional space as the house is big enough for us - that is we don't have a use for an extra bedroom, storage, laundry or something.
We definitely do not want to rent it out as a separate living space, as this is our PPOR and we like our privacy and letting the kids play in the backyard without having to think about a tenant.

One of the main challenges is the water infiltration issue: because the shed sits on the fence line, the only way to water proof it is through negative waterproofing which basically means that we have to waterproof the inside of the walls to prevent the humidity coming through.
Needless to say this is an expensive exercise.

Because the place is so humid, it can't be used as a storage area as it just damages things, corrode electrics etc.

So far I kinda have 2 ideas for what to do:

1. Get rid of it all. Our backyard is quite small, and this eats up about 1/3 of it. More backyard space would be good for the kids to play around and gives us a sense of space on our small block.
Negatives: costly; removing the whole thing including the slab is not gonna be easy or cheap. Also, we would never be allowed to build this again as this sits right on the fence line.

2. Completely renovate it and make it liveable as a space for the kids to perhaps hang out when they are in their mid-late teens.
Negatives: costly of course. Also, it is at least 12+ years down the road, and who knows if they'll even want to hang out there?

Do you guys have any suggestions or ideas?

Cheers

 

Keeping structural integrity in-mind, perhaps knock out the internal and some of the side walls facing the house/yard, opening it up for use as a gazebo type thing, BBQ, table etc, maybe throw in a spa.
If you already have all that, perhaps install a pond & plants that required shelter, if you like birds turn it into an aviary, that's upkeep work & possible pest probs tho.

 

Can you dig round the back to add some drainage to stop the water getting in?

Then I would set it up as a Man cave workshop or a Mums retreat where she can do her hobbies.

5 x 5 is almost a garage so I would be getting the water issue sorted first, let it dry out and then decide

 

That was my first thought too.
It could be a real asset as an outdoor living area or under cover play area for kids.
Marg

 

Get rid of it unless you can find a cheap way to remediate the building (which I doubt).

 

Thanks for the reply guys, I really appreciate it.
The Gazebo idea is pretty good, it’s a compromise between putting it down and keeping it.

@Something_Wrong unfortunately I cannot dig behind as the shed is sitting right on the fence line, so I would have to dig in the neighbour’s backyard.

 

So the shed is acting as a retaining wall?

 

I'm thinking that the shed will be an asset but you cant see it just yet.

I know that to fix the water issue will be "expensive" (compared to a piece of string) but I would like you to consider the cost of building an outdoor entertainment area from scratch, then compare the two. If you feel there is long-term value in turning it into an outdoor entertainment area, then as others have suggested, get it dry first, remove the internal wall and go from there.

Removing the internal wall and some of the side walls should be pretty easy actually. The painful part will be barrowing the rubble out to the street. Save some for drainage. This is a task you can do over a long period of time if you aren't in any rush to use the facility for anything.

The chimney thing can become a pizza oven. Maybe you can demolish the wet back wall and rebuild a new one inside your boundary with all the proper drainage. Have a look at some photos of "outdoor rooms" for inspiration.

 

Pity to get rid of a 5x5 building on a slab. As soon as you do, you'll wish you had kept it.
So the building wall is acting as a retaining wall on one side. How high is the ground level on that side? Do you get on with that neighbour?
Scott

 

Don’t demolish anything until you can be certain you will be allowed to rebuild under current regulations.

Report in Brisbane some years ago. Man bought a dilapidated house on a very small block of land in an inner city industrial area. Block too small to allow any rebuilding if house demolished so bargain price. So man rebuilt house from the inside out, eventually replacing just about everything. Resold at considerable profit.
Marg

 

I am sure @datto would find a use for it, does it have 3 phase power and can the windows be blacked out?

But seriously, 5x5i s a great man cave/workshop, I would fix it up for sure

 

It'll take you one weekend and cost you hire fees for a skip bin and a jack hammer (as well as some PPE). So not really that expensive.

 

From the OP, like for most of us there's cost considerations, I'm assuming required manual labour, time involved, simplicity and perhaps DIY skills available would also be considerations.

We can only go by the supplied diagram, no pics of the yard (could be space for a small garden shed, perhaps down the side under the eve), no indication of side access (don't really want all the rubble etc dragged through the house) no pics of shed providing some indication of how its constructed, it could be brick pillars supporting the roof, with infill walls which are easy to knock out with a sledge hammer, with the bricks being re-used to build a BBQ, Bar, planter boxes, seats/table supports, pavers etc. Its all work but easier to DIY, minimal removal costs etc.
Removing the whole thing is a lot of work, possibly including whatever is behind it adjoining the fence line, impacting neighbours etc.

Once its opened up the current moister issues may not be such an issue.

Don't plan big decisions like this for the kids, like us it wont be long and they'll be off doing there own thing with friends, away from parent supervision (yes scary, I'm going through it now with my 16 year old). When their off doing their own thing, how would you & your partner like to utilise the space, with your friends etc.