Backyard studios, granny flats, home offices, man-caves, she-sheds, teenage retreats... the differences between building terminologies can be confusing. The term "sleepout" has evolved in meaning over the years, and the meaning can depend also on where you're located. What does a "sleepout" mean in today's language, when you're thinking of building in Australia?

3m x 6m is the most popular pod size for backyard studios suitable for use as a home office with occasional guest accommodation when no plumbing is required. Our happy customers at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains have taken stage-by-stage photographs of their Backyard Pod under construction.

The classic corrugated Colorbond cladding is standard for the external walls of Backyard Pods. The new square-profile Bonville cladding style is now available as an option in more areas of NSW and SEQ.

New livable housing design compliance standards are being imposed on new builds, home extensions, and renovation projects (starting with QLD and rolling out through other states).

Backyard Pods come standard with horizontal Colorbond corrugated cladding but there are other options available in most areas. This customer from Long Jetty, on the outer reaches of Sydney NSW, chose our horizontal Bonville (square profile Colorbond) cladding for the front wall.

Showcasing the versatility of Backyard Pods is this astonishing double-storey elevated pod which extends the main home to make a two-bedroom granny flat with plenty of room underneath for the customer to accommodate an extra-large home gym down the track.

This 3m x 6m Backyard Pod completed at Seven Hills, Sydney, shows that you don't need much space for a poolhouse with ensuite! It's energy-efficient too, featuring our range of Polar Eco View double-glazed modular doors and windows for energy efficiency and a lovely, open outlook to the lawn and paved pool patio area.

Where to visit our granny flat display in Sydney, this compact 3m x 8m complete tiny house in Campbelltown, western Sydney, now open to book an appointment for your visit. It's a must-see for anyone in Sydney thinking about tiny houses or building a granny flat in the backyard - exclusive Backyard Pods display.

Intended as a home office with facilities, this versatile backyard studio with ensuite at Greensborough, Melbourne, is handsome on the outside and wonderfully spacious inside.

Some people are very clear about their requirements for backyard building development. It's often a project they've been planning for years, with a clear-cut objective in mind. But if you're still on the fence about a backyard studio compared to a self-contained granny flat, here are some things to consider.