A Guide to Creating the Perfect Backyard Office
Whether you’re going to pack your home office up the moment you’re asked to go back to the office, or you’ve set up the office pod of your dreams, remote work has illuminated some deep truths about what we like (or actively hate) about our homes.
Around 42% of the U.S. labor force has to work remotely full-time. This opened the door for beautiful creations like the backyard office pod to emerge. With the recent launch of starlink internet from Elon Musk, this number is increasing even more. Since starlink is satellite based, it’s enabling everyone around the world to have the opportunity to enjoy fast internet. The service is especially useful for those thinking of building a backyard office in a rural locations.
Suppose you’re one of those people who’ve been loving all the DIYs and other home improvement projects you’ve been doing in your spare time (read: none). Then, you’ll definitely want to explore how to make your dream backyard office pod a reality.
Keep on reading for the full breakdown of everything you need to know before starting your backyard office pod project.
Backyard Office Pod 101: What’s Your Preferred Exterior Style?
Before you can start thinking about the nitty-gritty details, make sure you’ve picked the overarching design theme.
For instance, if you know that you love modern interiors and want to have a seamless shift to your backyard, like your home is a sprawling modern miracle of the architectural world, you can do so.
On the other end of the spectrum, you might be looking for something more along the lines of #cottagecore.
And, you’re feeling rather nostalgic about the more classical pieces of furniture that you own. But you’ve left them in storage because they clash with the rest of your decor.
If that’s the case, you can create a rustic haven in your backyard as a great means of escape.
Just make sure you have a solid idea about what you want before you start. Specifically, when it comes to design, and you’re good to go.
Temperature Concerns
You’ll want to consider the different range of temperature that your cute little office will be facing on its own as it’s far away from the protection of your central HVAC.
Study where you’d like to position your office in your backyard well, as it can directly affect the ambient temperature of your office.
For instance, having windows and doors facing the south will give your office space a boost of daylight and warmth. It’s great if you’re used to cooler-than-average summers.
On the other hand, if heat is an issue, you don’t want to follow the same strategy, as it will easily lead to overheating in the summer season.
Record Your Space Dimensions
If you’re going to create a whole new space in your Garden Office, you’ll want to take some time to think about how big you’ll want it to be.
People looking for better places to exercise than their living room might want to incorporate some extra workout space next to their office.
The sky is the limit, depending on your allotted space. You can create a multi-purpose space if you want to have different areas for different tasks.
Just remember to make sure that you have the right amount of space available without overtaking your whole backyard space.
Pick a Design and Build Package
Unless building office spaces in other people’s backyards is your day job, you’ll want to leave this project to the professionals.
The tricky part about DIYing, a project on this scale, is that you won’t have a solid idea about your costs.
If you already have some budget constraints, you’ll want to pick the right company for the design of your liking and have them build your new garden office for you.
This way, you get to only contend with the sticker price, and you won’t have to deal with a half-finished project later on once your work gets busy.
Moreover, if you’re thinking about transforming your office pod into a separate ADU, then you’ll want to explore acton adu plans.
They will customize the designs to perfectly suit your needs, take care of the installation, and even tell you the ideal location for your pod.
After all, while you want to take advantage of your internal floorspace, you don’t want your little pod to dominate the space or the actual outlook of your main house.
Consider Your Future Maintenance
As with your main house, you’ll need to keep an eye on your future costs regarding your pod’s upkeep.
Yet, this will majorly depend on the materials that your garden office is made of. Some materials require extra care, like ongoing painting and staining, if you’re dealing with wood.
If you’d rather set up your office pod and forget all about maintenance, you can always go for a stainless-steel-made office. This is a material that barely requires any maintenance to stay looking good.
Keep Security in Mind
An office equals (at least one) computer and other work equipment, right?
You’ll need to set up some basic security protocols or systems to protect your garden office.
After all, similar to your temperature protocols, your new office pod is separated from your main house. So, it’ll make a rather tempting target for most burglars.
Make sure you’re investing in some high-quality patio doors. They can double as a great way to both bring in a lot of natural sunlight, as well as extra security, due to the multi-point locking.
If you’ve noticed that there has been a series of burglaries in your neighborhood, or you’d rather do preventative security measures for some extra peace of mind, you can always invest in an outdoor security camera.
Ready to Enter the World of Office Pods for Backyards?
We know how overwhelming it can be to start looking at different outdoor office options, especially those new to the idea.
Hopefully, our guide has shed some light on how to create the perfect backyard office pod, as well as the key factors you’ll need to keep in mind before starting the project.
If you liked this article, make sure to check out additional tips and tricks on our home section for all the home improvement content you could need.