I think I would need to see the whole shed . We replaced our old wood shed because it was falling down was not rodent proof and we needed better storage so we wnt with a plastic shed for those reasons . Not the prettiest but sure works. BTW if and when you replace that shed make sure you have a good base for it to sit on we did a concrete pad for ours.

Thank you, @Patricia Colwell Consulting and @klem1. It seems like, given that I'd need to make sure it is in a certain condition and how it is in contact with the ground, I will likely remove it.

From then, I guess the next project is what to put in the space when it's gone.

Do you need the space? It may be less expensive to have someone build a base and refurbish what you have then replace. A good wood shed is not inexpensive. If it is a cheaply made wood shed it may not be worth refurbishing.

The water infiltration at the top means you need roof maintenance or re-roofing.

When I bought my current home I had a tree growing through the shed. Instead of purchasing a new shed I bought a refurbished shed, had the tree removed (along with several other trees), had a base build and placed the refurbished shed on the stone base. It looks like a brand new shed, but my total cost was $2k for the shed, foundation and delivery. My neighbor priced new sheds of similar size and couldn't get one under $3 k for just the shed.

Thanks for all of this context @Jennifer Hogan. It's extremely beneficial.

To answer your question, I don't have a use for it. My townhome has quite a bit of storage space—the current condition kind of freaks me out lol (like something from a scary movie, lol). To be honest, I was toying with getting rid of it and not having a shed (and should I need one get a plastic one) but I felt bad since it's wood.

When you say refurbish, what does that entail for a woodshed? I'm entirely new to this, lol

10 years ago I purchased a new built on site 10 X 12" shed, it cost just under $3000. It is built skids and blocks.

I use it to store a lawn mower, many yard tools, a bicycle, and similar items. I have found there are some things you don't want to store in your house because they are basically dirt, or similar. if you like house plant a shed is more convenient for re-potting than the kitchen sink. If you have a messy hobby, it is also better to do in the shed.

If you keep the shed or replace it make sure it is raised up so it is not in contact with the ground. This has caused more wood rot than any thing I know. If you replace it I would get a gabbled , or a barn type roof as it has more head room.

As for restoring the shed, what needs to be done depends on the extent of the damage. In the one picture there appears to be floor damage. The simplest repair would be to cut out the damaged area and replace it. If there is general deterioration of the floor the simplest solution may be to buy MARINE grade plywood and put it over the existing floor.

The Roof leak may be as simple as gluing down or replacing a couple of shingles. Since it appears to be leaking in only one place, I doubt the entire roof needs replacing.

As for the smell, it appears to have sufficient vents, so make sure they have not been covered up. Since the house was for sale, the shed may have been closed for several month. The smell may be removed by letting the shed sit open for a couple of days.

As for bugs, a good can of Raid, will help get it under control. After they are under control a couple of boxes of moth balls will keep them from returning. Depending where you are lizards, frogs, and snake do marvelous things for the insect population.

First found out from your zoning department if there are set back requirements. Most jurisdictions require sheds or other outdoor structures to be 10' away from the property line.

Other than that if you don't need it, get rid of it and have extra backyard space, and if you need it to store some garden tools, lawnmower, or for miscellaneous storage replace it and set it on a slab, sleepers (most come with it), or piers... whatever your budget allows.

Most government ordinances consider a shed on skids, with no electricity or utilities, a temporary structure, so you can avoid most requirements.

This includes set backs. BUT you have a fenced yard, so I assume the fence has already meets rules about set back. So if the shed is on the fence I don't see a problem.

@krnuttle Fence is on the property line... any structure located on the property line, i.e shed, detached garage, etc must meet setback zoning requirements. I know around most of NJ has to be 10' from the property line. Some zone districts (R-85, R-90, and R-95) allow sheds to be as close as 5' to a side and rear property line.

Sorry there was no indication of where the lot line was located, so I assumed the fence met the set back rules.

Sheds are very expensive these days, and it's wonderful to have. Sheds like yours in our area are priced around $3,500-$4,000. That's a good solid shed, floor & roof can be easily fixed. Keep it! You can store garden tools, lawn furniture, bicycles.... we just canceled a shed ( 12'x16') order, it costs over $7,000. We are looking for a bigger one for a small tractor at this moment. And we just moved a small shed (8'x14', it was priced at $4,500 a few years ago) from our old house to the new place. Sheds are wonderful things to have. Keep it or you will regret. :-)

I think there are a lot of variations on what is and is not allowed (zoning).

Where I live now fences have to be 12" inside the property line. Where I live now my shed needs to be at least 3' from the property line and my carport had to be 3' from the property line, but if the walls on the carport were full height vs 1/2 height it would require a 10' setback from the property line.

When I lived in CA any full structure had to be 10' but the fence could be on the property line and carports could be against the property line.

I am also not sure I would worry too much about the set back rules for a shed that is set on a base behind a fence. Who is going to see it? Who is going to report it? What is the worst that can happen - they tell you it has to be moved?

I just had a shed built (in place, on pilings, so it is permanent) and the setback from the side is 6 feet, and 5 feet from the rear (definitely required a building permit). It replaced an old plastic shed that my dad and I had put up 20 years ago - (paid $700 at Home Depot LOL). That shed was about 6 inches from the side fence, and maybe 3-4 feet from the back fence. We never got a permit for the old shed as it was just an 8x10 and not big enough to worry about - I don't think a permit was even required for something that small.