5 things to consider with office pods

Having an office pod is like a must-have for the family home and Backyard Pods are the go-to people for office pods. Here are some ideas and suggestions for building an office pod from the office pod experts.

Tip #1 get approval

Some customers around Sydney and Melbourne have erected an office pod as an exempt development (NSW <20m2, VIC <10m2) for non-habitable usage. This could cause problems down the track with the council, your insurance, etc. Also, you couldn’t sell your home with an office pod as a value-add, it would be classified as nothing more than a shed. The fully approved home office can be used as a spare bedroom as well, so it’s definitely worth it.

Tip #2 window placement

Consider the placement of your furniture when deciding where your door and windows will be. Depending on the type of work you’re doing inside your office pod, you might want to maximise natural light over your work area, or avoid glare altogether. Cleverly positioning windows slightly higher than normal, or using long narrow window combinations that can sit higher on the wall, will allow a greater amount of wall space for furniture placement including tall items.

Tip #3 size – is it big enough?

It’s quite common for people to start out thinking they just want a small office pod for themselves and then the idea has grown into a much larger space with an ensuite for multi-purpose use. It’s important to consider future needs in the planning stages, as it would be hard to make additions years later.

Tip #4 portability

If there’s a chance that one day you might want to get rid of your office pod, like when your kids finally leave home, you could consider making it portable. An office pod erected on skids (instead of piers) can be winched onto a flatbed truck for transportation.

Tip #5 exterior lighting

Don’t forget to add exterior lighting around the doorway to your office pod. You will need it to navigate at night and also to make the office pod building an illuminated feature in your garden.

See office pod examples for more

When you’re ready to proceed with your office pod project, reach out to us – the office pod experts – we’re happy to help anywhere in VIC, NSW, ACT, and SE QLD.