The Box of Delights (Keter Garden Store)

Member Name: jo1976

Product:	Keter Garden Store
Date:	08/11/09 (109 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Provides lots of additional outdoor storage space, maintenance free, easy to assemble

Disadvantages: Doesn't look very attractive

It's a bit of a surprise to find myself writing a review about an outdoor plastic storage unit - mainly because I was so adamant that I didn't want to purchase one of these things in the first place. A couple of years ago now, we finally got around to putting up a traditional wooden shed at the very top of the garden. My other half was not content with that though and was insistent that we also needed one of these plastic storage units, manufactured by Keter, to save us having to troop up to the top of the garden every time we needed to get our son's bike out or needed tools for something or other.

My main objection to buying one of these giant plastic boxes was just the aesthetics. Another house on our road has one of these sitting out on the front and it looks horrible - I certainly wouldn't recommend placing one of these in front of the house. This is definitely a back garden/back yard product! The cream and green colours and the cheap looking plastic doors and lid make the box look particularly unappealing and rather obtrusive. It certainly doesn't have the same visual appeal as a decent quality wooden shed (although admittedly this is a lot smaller than your average wooden shed.)

Despite my reluctance, my other half got his own way and picked up one of these green and white monstrosities from Argos for around £90. (I've just checked the Argos book for current prices and there is currently an updated version available for £94.99. The new version also seems much more attractive than the original one with a couple of black 'design features' added and a more stylish finish given to the doors.)

The storage unit comes flat-packed but my other half managed to put this together with ease singlehandedly in less than twenty minutes without any blood, sweat or tears! The store is, essentially, a large empty plastic container with two doors at the front which open outwards, a thick plastic base and also a lid which can be locked into the open position for convenience when getting items in and out. There is a plastic loop at the front which means that the unit can be secured with a a padlock, keeping your valuables protected. The whole thing is made out of very thick sturdy plastic. The container also came supplied with additional brackets for the option of adding shelves inside the box (although no shelves are supplied with the unit). We never saw the need to add shelving as this would limit the versatility of the space somewhat and a big outdoor space was exactly what we had in mind.

The dimensions of the box are 118cm high, 160cm wide and 90cm deep. For those of us that can't visualise space by numbers alone, this box is the garden equivalent of a tardis. Inside ours, you will find my oldest son's bike, scooter and his little brother's Thomas trike. There is also a jumbo bag of straw, a box of rabbit food, various tool boxes and a screwdriver set in there. Believe it or not, the box is sufficiently spacious that all of these items are easily accessible and not just crammed in there haphazardly. The fact that the doors open completely and the lid opens and locks into place also helps with access and we could easily fit more stuff in there without any problems. I've known some people use their boxes to store their lawnmowers and manage just with one of these rather than needing a standard shed, so handy for when space is at a premium.

The only warning that I would give is to make sure that the lid is securely locked into place. Many's the time I've been leaning over the box trying to retrieve the rabbit food only to have the lid give me a good crack on the back of my head because the legs haven't been locked into place properly! Fortunately, the lid is plastic so it hasn't done any lasting damage - to me or the lid.

I don't like admitting that my husband is right and I'm wrong so I won't! I will admit that this is a surprisingly practical and versatile unit and that I wouldn't be without one now. The plastic exterior that I was so negative about is so much more practical than wooden products. It is completely waterproof and watertight, meaning that none of that tedious staining or weatherproofing is required. The box will clearly outlast its wooden rivals as there is no risk of rust or any other damage. Aside from being a little grubby, ours is in exactly the same condition as the day it was purchased. Furthermore, the sheer quantity of stuff that this box can actually hold means that I'm prepared to overlook my misgivings about the aesthetic appeal.

If you're getting tired of trips in and out of the garden shed or need somewhere to store the clutter outside, I would highly recommend one of these versatile surprisingly spacious boxes. (Just don't tell my husband!)

Summary: An extra room outside