When Sharon came to Breezy Acres Sheds, she wasn’t really looking for just a shed. She was looking for a boathouse.
Life has seasons, some of which are easier than others. For many years, Sharon had enjoyed life with her husband in a large lakeside home. But when her life entered a new phase, she knew it was time to downsize and move to town.
Buying a smaller home would mean getting rid of many things, but one thing she was bound to keep was the antique wooden boat that had been her daughter’s and husband’s dream.
The only problem was that her new place didn’t have a sheltered spot to keep the boat. That’s when she turned to Breezy Acres. For her, the choice was easy.
Sharon has for many years bought her flowers at the Breezy Acres Garden Center. Through those experiences, she came to appreciate the owners, Lamar Witmer and his family. She says they are “always kind, wonderful people” who are accommodating and ready to answer any question. Though she had never bought a shed from them, she knew several friends who had—all of whom told her she wouldn’t go wrong by going with Breezy Acres.
Buying A Custom Storage Shed
When Sharon first visited the shed lot in Auburn, she found no one there. She walked around a bit and then called the number on the sign. Lamar picked up the phone, and they quickly set a time to meet the next day.
Choosing a model was easy—the Garden shed “just jumped out at me,” Sharon said. She was wanting something cute and charming for her new backyard— “something cottage-y.” The Garden model, with its decorative trim and flower boxes, was perfect.
That part was easy, but there were other things to consider, and Lamar proved to be a great help. Sharon had never taken on a project like this by herself. She appreciated how he walked her through the design process—helping her choose a size large enough for the boat yet small enough for town policy. That perfect size ended up being 8×18, with doors on the front and on one end. (Sharon said she might have forgotten to add the end doors if Lamar hadn’t suggested them. It was the only realistic way to get the 13’ foot boat inside.)
She met with Lamar in January, and it only took a few weeks to build the shed. But the weather caused a delivery delay of several months. During that time, Lamar helped her fill out the permit application and recommended a company to prepare the shed foundation. She opted for Duane Hefferman— “he was as helpful as Lamar,” Sharon said.
Once the weather was good enough to prepare the stone foundation, Breezy Acres set a date for delivery. Then a snowstorm delayed things another week.
When the weather was finally clear, the delivery turned into a neighborhood event. Sharon tells how everyone came out to watch “the robots” (special, remote-controlled machines for moving sheds into position). She thought the process would take an hour or more, but it all took less than 30 minutes, with most of that time spent finding parking for the trailer and unloading the shed. Then it was a matter of minutes before Jesse Witmer had it square and level.
The shed has been in place for about a month now, and Sharon is eager to use it. Until she is able to move the boat into the shed, it will stay in her living room, where it has kept her company the past few months. Before long, it will be hanging from the ceiling of the shed.
For her part, Sharon is anxious to get flowers in the flower boxes and to landscape the base of the shed. She has plans for the inside, too. She decided to have Breezy Acres finish the interior. She’s very pleased. In her words, “It’s almost too nice to use. It looks like a living room!”
She will use most of the floor space for a workshop–maybe add a desk and chairs. One end will be screened off, and that’s where she will store her tools and yard equipment.
As for the boat, she and her daughter plan to bring it to at least one boat show this year, one way to keep sweet memories alive. For most of the year, however, it will hang safely inside the shed, a place they’re calling “Lily’s Yacht Club.”
Do you need extra space?
So, what’s in your living room? Whether it’s a boat or an overgrown collection of wicker baskets, we can help you find and customize the shed that will fit you best.
