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Ok, first of all, having lived in Ireland, I would recommend an indoor enclosure. Cold is one thing, but stone buildings really retain cold. It is no place to keep reptiles. Secondly, as has been expected, I would caution you away from getting a monitor lizard as a first reptile. These are difficult to care for and even advanced keepers have their problems. They require meticulous husbandry, a crazy amount of food, huge enclosures, enrichment both physical and mental, interaction and training.

They are super intelligent, think mammal or bird-like. I don't mean emotionally intelligent, but cunning, problem solving intelligence. Some, but not all, will bond with their owner in the manner that a parrot does. This takes many hours of patient work on the part of the keeper to socialize them. If you do decide to keep a monitor lizard, you will most likely have to give up traveling unless you have someone trustworthy that you can train to care for it in your stead. The reason for this is their high rate of metabolism and their activity level. They eat voraciously and require daily feedings when young and every other day as adults. They need a lot of space to move about. Some species are more active than others. The higher the activity level the more space they will need.

You should have a reptile / exotic veterinarian that is local. The responsibility of keeping a monitor lizard for the 15 -20 years of its lifespan is serious and long termed.

If you still wish to keep a monitor lizard, read some books about them before making any decisions. It is a good idea to learn about the ecology of these amazing animals. I would suggest this book as a start: https://www.amazon.com/Varanoid-Lizards-World-Eric-Pianka/dp/0253343666/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=varanoid+lizards+of+the+world&qid=1572727341&sr=8-1

If the space you can provide is limited, then I would recommend a dwarf species of monitor lizard. These all come from Australia and are only available as captive bred, so the chance of obtaining a quality animal is much greater. Varanus acanthurus (Ackie monitor / Ridge or Spiny tailed goanna) are one of the most prolific breeders in captivity and their care requirements are easier to manage. A single adult can be housed in a 5' x 2' x 3' enclosure, which you should be able to keep in your house. Their diet is primarily insect so it will be possible to develop breeding colonies of them. You could probably keep these in your shed. I don't know what the size of your shed is, but most medium to large size monitor lizard enclosures will require all or more than your shed.

Ackie monitors are inquisitive and once trust is earned daily interaction with them is possible. They can reach a full size of 20 - 30+ inches. They can live 15+ years and it is even possible to move with them as their enclosures can be carried out and loaded into a van, unlike larger enclosures which need to be broken down, transported and rebuilt. Once you are permanently in a larger, more stable house/apartment long term, then, armed with your experience keeping a dwarf species, you may be able to keep a medium-large species.

For what it's worth, that's my 2 cents.

Here are some pictures of dwarf monitor lizards:

V. acanthurus (this is an unusually large male) https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8e/9c/8d/8e9c8dd150ed3405d8a816bb80ca8695.jpg

V. glaureti https://i.pinimg.com/originals/59/05/4c/59054c3a1c605df829b21e19a256c4ec.jpg

V. gellini http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=467406&stc=1&d=1365780250

V. brevicauda https://a4.pbase.com/o4/76/500676/1/55933586.brevicaudasizelowres.jpg

Sorry for not getting back to you as I was driving. At the time, I was transporting him in about a 25x16 inch sterilize tub with a damp towel, water bowl and a heating pad underneath to keep the temp and humidity high. I’ll be transporting him back the same way unless you know of a better way that fits in the front seat of a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

I decided to upgrade Bob’s Hurricane Bunker opting to give Bob a more comfortable and luxurious pad since we might be here for a week. I’ve got him what I think is a good setup based on reading your comments though. Bob’s about 25 inches by the way. I got him a large cardboard dryer box from the local appliance store about 40”W x 40”L x 45” high, sealed all the edges and bottom so he can’t dig out. I have the top on it to keep the humidity and heat in. His bedding is a moist tropical mulch. About 6 inches deep. I threw three cut logs in there stacked to give him a basking area on top and a shaded cave underneath that he’s already taken a liking to. Made sure to keep the heat lamp pointed toward this side to maximize the heat on one side while keeping the other side darker and cooler. Made sure he can’t reach the light or the top of the box from the logs. He’s got plenty of water in a bowl that won’t tip over. He’s got a this guy pumping some moisture into his habitat. Pet store didn’t have any roaches so he’s gonna have to get by with the meal worms, crickets, turkey and eggs. It’s all he’s eaten since the squadron got him so I don’t think he knows there’s better bugs out there. Will look into the Dubai roaches when we get back to see if we could get a little colony going so we wouldn’t have to buy EVERYTHING he eats.

Yep, why not? You can also construct a lot of your own bridges and climbing poles using pet friendly sisal rope. I use it throughout my whole enclosure. I make braids out of them and wrap everything and hang them on the wall. My babies love to climb them.

https://www.amazon.com/T-W-Evans-Cordage-23-210-100-Feet/dp/B000W9QHGA

I know pond armor (https://www.amazon.com/Pond-Armor-SKU-BLACK-QT-R-Shield-1-5-Quart/dp/B00I9X3TTY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472662954&sr=8-1&keywords=pond+armor) gets used for aquariums and seals out water really well. It does well with sand and rocks in aquariums, but I don't know about claws and such.

I was hoping to get away with just a nest box. I will use one of these down the line though if I run into the female having bad egg cycles.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NPBLAU/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Also, long, 2'-3' 10.0 florescent lights are best. The curly bulbs suck. And red lights can hurt their eyes over time. Instead of a red light, get a CHE, a ceramic heat emitter, like this one.


They last forever and don't emit any light.


You'll also want a digital hydrometer and a laser temp gun.

what do you think of this stuff: https://www.amazon.com/KILZ-Interior-Exterior-Enamel-Low-Lustre/dp/B01MQCGX1T/ref=sr_1_34?ie=UTF8&qid=1523986475&sr=8-34&keywords=latex+enamel+paint
?

the valspar stuff has pretty bad reviews on amazon, which worries me a bit