Americans are buying, building, converting backyard sheds into home offices – USA TODAY

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Robin Salcidoand her husband have been sharing a small home office since March as America eased into the era of remote work.

Shes an artist. Hes an engineer. But as the months ticked on, the couple in Louisville, Colorado,longed toseparate their work environments.

Let's face it, no matter how great a relationship is and ours is pretty fantastic no one wants to be on top of each other 24/7, especially when you're working, Salcido said. Now that we cant go to coffee shops, and were really limited in other opportunities for leaving the house to get some work done, we realized we need more space.

So they ordered a prefabricated backyard shed thats getting installed on Friday. Salcido will use it at her office.

As the COVID-19 crisis enters its sixth month, an increasing number of Americans are buying and building backyard sheds useas home offices. For some, it represents a chance to get work doneaway from the kids as schools practice remote learning in the fall. For others, its a necessity because theres no room for an office setup inside their home.

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These detached, mostly self-contained spaces are more affordable and more practical than taking on a full-scale construction project, shed buyers say.

Google queriesfor office sheds began to tick higher in April, a few weeks after the pandemic was declared, according to search data.Searches began trending higher again in mid-Augustas the nation entered the back-to-school season. Companies that sell backyard shed products are noticing the trend.

Tim Vack, general manager at Modern-Shed, said there has been a 400% rise in interest this summer. A 50% rise in the summer is typicalas people take on more outdoor projects.The company gauges interest by downloads of its online catalog.

A lot of companies are allowing their employees from home from now on if they choose. Soeverybody is scrambling to find space to put their computer, Vack said. People are growing tired of putting their laptop on their dining room tableor their kitchen countertop.

These detachedoffice spacesare more premium than the standard metal shedsat Home Depot. You decide on what style of wood you'd like to use, where you'd like thewindows to be placed and various other customization options. The more you want, the more you pay.

Modern-Shed tailors each outdoor building to the buyers specifications. The firm then uses independent installation companies to do all the on-the-ground work.

Most people are choosing to buy spaces that offer an additional 120 square feet, said Mike Koenig, president and co-founder of Studio Shed.

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The 12-year-old Colorado-based company said it saw a huge spike in inquiries for backyard home space since March. Most of the buyers are using them for home offices, followed by school rooms for their kids, and a few are being converted into home gyms, Koenig said.

Maybe the kids are doing their schoolwork in the shed" away from parents who can then work peacefully inside the house,Koenig said.

Studio Shed, which ships to all 50 states, sends buyers a flat-packaged kit to be installed in their yard.

Prices are typically around $120 to $180 a square foot, depending on size and other options, the company says. Prices for its entry-level series start at $10,500.

Thats substantially lower than costs associated with hiring a contractorand buying materials to build onto your existing home. The average cost to build onto your home ranges from just over $21,000 up to $70,000, according to Home Advisor.

Modern-Shed says more people are converting backyard sheds into home offices.(Photo: Modern Shed)

Salcido said shes saving more than $150,000 by choosing a backyard shed office rather than building on top of her existing house.

We wouldve had to tear down the garage to add more concrete to support another level, Salcido said. It wouldve been way too much work to go through just for another studio room. The Studio Shed room she chose comes with electrical outlets and mini splits for AC and heating.

The typical turnaround time for sheds is four to six weeks from the order date, according to Studio Shed.

People who go for larger backyard home offices often have a lengthier build process, experts say, in part because states require varying permits for constructing rooms over a certain size.

While many are turning to companies for help with their shed, some people are going the do-it-yourself route, which is an even cheaper way to add a yard shed.

In April, Julie Massonshusband and a neighbor teamed up on her She shed project. It took three months to build.Now she uses the 120-square-foot room as an office escape from the kids' distance learning in the main house.

Julie Masson's backyard "she shed" looks like a mini home. Her husband Jesse helped build it during the pandemic so she can work remotely.(Photo: Julie Masson)

My husband sketched out a blueprint on a piece of paper. I decided where I wanted the door and windows to be. And our neighbor told us the supplies we needed, said Masson, who lives in Kansas City, Missouri. They bought the home improvement materials from Lowes, Home Depot and Menards.

The entire project cost $5,000 including office furniture from IKEA. The hardest part was digging an 18-inch-deep trench from the house to the shed for the electrical wires, Masson said. Starting around 10 a.m. Monday to Friday, she works as a marketing director from the outdoor shed. She clocks out around 6 p.m.

Julie Masson designed the interior of this outdoor shed built by her husband and a neighbor.(Photo: Julie Masson)

I have this routine at the end of my day where I lower my standing desk, I shut the shades, I turn off my air conditioner I turn off the lights, I lock my door and I commute home, just a few steps away," Masson said.

Have you converted an ordinary shed into your office? Shows us! Send photos to Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown.

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Americans are buying, building, converting backyard sheds into home offices - USA TODAY