Backyard studios – studio pods
The backyard studio is a category of buildings that includes backyard cabins, teenage retreats, home offices, sewing rooms, pool houses, music rooms, guest cabins – any habitable building that’s separate from the main house but not fully self-contained like a granny flat. Your idea of backyard studios might be a simple spare room with no plumbing, which would be the cheapest option. Some people also want a sink or powder room, while others want an ensuite and sometimes a kitchenette as well. Browse our wide variety of real-life customer examples for ideas and inspiration on backyard studios.
Backyard Pods began in 2016 with the very first studio pod made from 100% Australian-made Truecore© steel framing with Colorbond© cladding and Zincalume© roof. Since then, backyard studios have become a must-have for many homeowners – even those with the tiniest backyards or small inner-city courtyards. Using a Backyard Pod studio kit with no slab needed, people can have backyard studios installed where access is difficult (eg: no access other than through the house) and on sloping land without major excavations. You can DIY or have your backyard studio fully completed for you, ready for you to move in, work, hang out, or get creative in almost no time compared to conventional building methods. People can have more affordable backyard studios with Backyard Pods.
How much does it cost for a backyard studio?
How much your backyard studio will cost depends on the size, location, and complexity. A single room with internal lining and electricity is the most affordable. Adding a powder room, shower, or kitchenette – any plumbing and sewerage connections will add to the cost quite significantly. As backyard studios are a broad category it includes backyard workshops, storage rooms, etc, which can be exempt from approval. Whatever salespeople might say, the Australian building code dictates that all ‘habitable’ rooms in Australia are subject to approval. No worries, if you like, we can help you to get an approved backyard studio that is certified and insurable for occupancy and will add value to your home as extra ‘legal’ space for living, working, or sleeping.
Backyard studio designs and examples
Dreaming of your own separate office pod, craft room, or hang-out space? Take a look at this much-loved DIY example in Woronora Heights, a leafy suburb of The Shire in southern Sydney NSW. Hear what our happy customer is saying about their experience and how their low-cost 4m x 5m Backyard Pod has enhanced their lifestyle in so many ways.
In Melbourne and other areas of Victoria, approval is needed for a small backyard studio like this one as it’s larger than the maximum allowable for an exempt shed. With help from our Backyard Pods Melbourne network partners, our customer at Lilydale had no problem getting her small backyard studio approved and installed on their property by a licensed builder.
This stunning contemporary backyard office pod in Sydney is an inspiration. Custom-sized to fit in a very tight space, with the timber-look face and trendy Scandustrial detailing it adds value to the home and makes a great home office space away from the home. Would you like a home office pod like this one?
A Blue Mountains resident wanted a low-cost garden studio room that would fit with the vintage Blue Mountains feel. Part of a low stone retaining wall was demolished for the pod to be constructed. The stones were recycled as a decorative surround, making it look as if the pod sits on stone foundations.
You'll find Backyard Pods tucked away in quiet corners of the countryside and coastal areas of NSW, VIC, and QLD. This rustic off-grid cabin on a large lakeside block in a small Victorian coastal hamlet is what some dreams are made of. As a tiny house with a wood heater, kitchenette, and external off-grid facilities, lined with Scandi-style plywood interior, it's someone's hidden gem.
Our customer at Helensvale on the Gold Coast didn’t need a completely self-contained granny flat. Just a backyard cabin with a separate bedroom and ensuite, an open-plan living area, and a kitchenette. They can share laundry facilities with the main house. With a Backyard Pod kit 4m x 10m, combined with our veranda and deck kit 1.5m-wide, our customer met their needs on a budget even with a sloping block. Approvals and on-site works were handled for them by our QLD network.
This WFH dressmaker in Burleigh Waters, Gold Coast, got a home extension pod from Backyard Pods 4m x 7m built as a sewing workshop. Our customer (and their clients) can easily go to and from the main house in all weather.
Fully installed for our customer at Doncaster, a suburb of Melbourne, this budget-minded pool house or poolside studio pod has eaves and is a more light and airy alternative to trying to build a basement rumpus room underneath a high-set home, without needing costly excavation.
With WFH (work-from-home) many people in Melbourne need a separate home-office in the backyard. This one has views over the garden with black stacker doors a modern contrast with the Colorbond Monument cladding. Add eaves and blade walls for energy efficiency and detail - really cool.
Creative people often need offices. That's where a multi-purpose pod like this combination photography studio and darkroom provides a custom solution, whatever your work-from-home needs. The cheapest way to get a decent-sized home office or work studio in your backyard is by starting with an office pod or studio pod kit.
