Shed of the Year 2023: Inside the 26 sheds vying for stardom - including a Japanese Tea House & Ski-Chalet

As the UK heatwave rolls on, many lucky homeowners across the UK will be piling into their ordinary sheds and summer houses for a bit of shade. Meanwhile, an exclusive bunch of outhouse enthusiasts have gone a step further and are now vying for shed stardom.

This year’s Shed of the Year 2023 shortlist features a variety of categories from Budget and Cabin/Summerhouse to Nature’s Haven and Pub/Entertainment. Alongside classics such as Unexpected/Unique and Workshop/Studio, there are two brand new categories this year - Simple but Effective and Colourful.

Remarking on the innovation shown in this year’s submissions, Head Judge and Founder of the competition, Andrew Wilcox, said: “We’re now in the 17^th year of the competition, and each year I am always surprised and delighted by the level of creativity shown by our entrants.

“It’s incredible what can be done to create a beautiful shed for as little as £150. The new categories have also opened the door to some of the competition’s most colourful creations. It really is too close to call this year: I’d be happy to see any of them win!”

Each year, three submissions are chosen from each category for the shortlist, but with particularly strong entries in the Simple but Effective, Unexpected/Unique and Workshop/Studio categories this year, four sheds have been selected from each.

A lucky contestant will win the award’s best prize yet - £1,000 in cash and £250 worth of Cuprinol products. The pubic choses the winner so in order to cast your vote you need to visit the Readersheds website.

Here’s a look at the 26 shed’s to make this year’s shortlist.