By Pam Karousis
One of the advantages of a shed is that it can be used for storage or other functions without electricity. But a shed can be far more useful if it can power devices such as a light, a radio, a laptop, fan, etc. The lack of power might be a dealbreaker for potential customers who want a shed with electrical power, but for one reason or another, it’s not feasible for them to install a dedicated electrical system. They may not want to deal with the paperwork to get a permit, or it may be too expensive to have a system installed, or perhaps because of the shed’s location, it would be inaccessible to an electrical line.
The Solution
There’s a simple, low-cost alternative you can show customers that may help you sell a shed: a portable, lightweight rechargeable battery pack that can cost as little as $200 to $300.
I use a rechargeable battery pack myself in my 12’x20’ office shed, where I work as a shed salesperson. My shed has never had electrical wiring installed, but to use it effectively as an office, I needed power for a 4 ft. LED light, my laptop, a monitor, a desk lamp, and a charger for my cell phone. It certainly has met my needs, and you can use a similar setup to demonstrate this option to customers to potentially turn a shed sale “No” into a “Yes.”
What’s Needed
To make a workable office space, I bought a rechargeable battery pack from Amazon. The brand I use offers a wide range of prices and wattages, currently at around $179 for 300W and $499 for 700W. There are far more choices of brands, power options, and prices. The battery I chose has a fast recharge feature that recharges from 0% to 100% in just an hour. It has two outlets, three USB ports, a light, and can recharge from a power cord plugged into an outlet, a solar panel, or a car cigarette lighter.
I also bought a power strip to plug in all my devices into; then I simply plug the power strip into the power pack. My battery isn’t powerful enough to run high-energy demand items, such as a coffeemaker, mini fridge, or power tools, but there are higher-priced battery packs rated for those uses for customers who are interested. Another option is to have more than one power pack to run more devices.
Recharging
I take the power pack home at night to recharge and bring it back to work the next day. If needed, I can take it to the retail shop next door to my office to recharge it if it runs low during my work hours.
Close That Sale
If a customer’s major hesitance in purchasing a shed is its lack of access to electricity, you can offer this simple, practical solution. This idea may never have occurred to them, and with that objection resolved, it may make all the difference in making a sale. Easily 15 to 20% of my customers become even more motivated to purchase when I can demonstrate how easy it is to power their shed. They’re just amazed. It just adds so many more possibilities with how they will be able to use it. It has also added to my upgrade sales for them to order a workbench or shelves built in. GSCB
Pam Karousis has been selling sheds since 2021 and has been at K & K Barn Sales (https://kandkbarn.com), since 2022. She has two sheds at home, and two office sheds she works out of six days a week, so she’s fully immersed in the shed life. She enjoys designing sheds for her customers and helping them decide which shed is the perfect one for their needs.
