Secrets from the garden shed

The humble garden shed can reveal its owner's true personality, according to a new study.

Research by GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk claims our sheds hold far more than a few rusty tools, a lawnmower and the kid’s bikes.

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In fact, it seems if you really want to know someone you should take a close look at their shed as the garden buildings offer insights into the deepest recesses of a person's character.

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

From hoarders to would-be business tycoons, or 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.

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“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.”

Types of sheds are said to include the following:

1 The Man Cave. 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.

2 The She Shed. Women are increasingly setting up She Sheds. Often 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 in peace.

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3 The Playhouse. The treehouse of yesteryear has been largely replaced by the playhouse, which can be multi-storey and even feature slides and ladders. Also ideal storage for dubious gifts of accordions and drum kits.

4 The Toolshed. Stacked with machinery and scraps of metal and wood, this is a handyperson’s heaven for DIY, model making and home repairs.

5 The Young Family. If it’s full of split trampolines, dusty sandboxes and old baby clothes, it belongs to a young family. Inevitably mum and/or dad have every intention of fixing the broken toys, once they get a toolshed...

6 The Keen Gardener: It’s full of beautiful pot plants and various gardening equipment. Don’t touch anything.

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

8 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.

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

10 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.