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?

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).

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. 

When building a granny flat, once all the decisions are made for the building size and layout, you should plan your interior storage requirements for your occupants to live comfortably and clutter-free. Read our clever ideas and tips for granny flat storage solutions.

When you’ve got a sloping block of land, it can be hard to imagine how a home extension or granny flat could be constructed high enough to compensate for the slope and connect with the primary residence. See examples of elevated pod home extensions and granny flats.

More people in Brisbane wanting granny flats are choosing Backyard Pods as the most affordable and versatile option. We've taken three Brisbane granny flats as case studies to show the benefits compared to traditional builds, prefabs, or modular options.

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.

Backyard Pods are available in widths from 2.5m to 4.5m and lengths from 3m to 16m. With so many sizes to choose from, and so many different purposes for a pod-style building project, what are the most common sizes that people are choosing?

Changes to regulations in Victoria mean that it's easier to build a granny flat in Melbourne and regional areas. It's not correct to think you can just go ahead and build a granny flat without approval, however. Our network partner in Melbourne, a VIC-registered architect, is highly experienced and successful at getting granny flat building permits approved for Backyard Pods customers, and you can start by getting advice.