Can You Use A Shed As An Office?

Right when the pandemic bell hit on the ground and your whole office somehow managed to fit inside your desktop, you probably thought you can manage to keep up with the world within your desktop area.

Gradually, you along with others have realized the need for a separate and secluded location from home for office work. A shed beside the home is a perfect solution to that. You can use that as an office and decorate them like your private office room.

With easy costing, simple designing, and little creativity, you can create your own work cave which can be the central point of your workforce.

Want to know more? Keep reading.

Can You Use A Shed As An Office?

A shed can be the ideal place for your office space. The local zoning laws and authorities have seen a chronic boost in the construction of sheds right from the inception of Covid-19 and the demand is not decreasing or shrinking even after the end of the lockdown.

But it would be a lie to say the shed is an alternative and transient solution for the Pandemic situation. Rather, a shed as an office is a getaway to connect to the virtual world to deal with business while staying at your home.

The fact is more vibrant for the entrepreneurs who have started to grow their businesses but do not possess the capability of owning or renting a fully established office. If you have started a business with your partner, you can both look after the business and house with the help of a shed built right around the corner.

True that retrieving a permit, buying, building, and converting a shed into an office is a work of great hassle. But once you settle down and start working from a shed, you will realize how peacefully and proficiently you can handle your job or business.

Why Should You Use A Shed As An Office?

You can use a shed as an office. But why should you? Are you wondering what is so great about a shed that people are building them right behind their houses? Should you also adopt that lifestyle?

You are not the first one to raise all these questions, but we will be the first ones to tell you why this is a great idea. Let’s get started.

1. Serene Ambiance

Sitting in front of a laptop and typing something may seem like an easy task from a third-party viewpoint. But only the person on the desk can relate to how much constant focus and concentration he or she has to put to work on the PC.

Be it work from the office or from the home, you somehow can’t create a peaceful, quiet ambiance around you to focus and work. A shed can be the wisest option for you. No loud, cacophonous sound, no doorbells to answer, no unexpected chores; you can get to the zone and grow that modern-day nirvana.

2. Decluttered Office

How many times has it happened to you that your client or boss is asking for important, time-sensitive information but you can’t seem to retrieve the file from the pile of unnecessary things that have been piling on your desk?

When you collide your work and home life together, chaos must ensue. It may start from an unwashed coffee mug but can lead to a jungle of cluttered home and office stuff. To save yourself from such a debacle, you need to separate work and home life.

A shed can be the right fit for you. As the space is not so spacious, only the important and office-related items will get priority. And if you need some emergency items from the house, you can run down and fetch them.

3. Cost-Effective

No, this is not as cost-effective as working from the home. But this is cost-effective compared to renting or leasing an office. You can work from home but if the home is too small and not a right fit to work, a shed is an inexpensive solution.

Depending on the material and labor market, the price will vary. Also, the size of the shed will be a crucial point as well. But you don’t have to spend lots of money on this. You can build a nice, cozy, minimal shed office without being too harsh on your bank balance. To learn more about this pricing, click here.

4. Environmental Benefits

Out in the garden, with a gentle breeze and abundance of sunlight. Some sparks of a shed office that neither office-going nor home-based employees can relate to. But you can. You are the main architect of this master plan.

You can select the location which is most suitable for you. It can be under a large tree, or in the open air. You can dictate the shed’s rotation, height, shape, and color. So, try to reclaim nature from your backyard and relive those primitive moments.

5. Easily Collapsible

A shed can be converted into an office easily. But what if you don’t need the shed for some reason? What would happen to the shed if you were to move out or if you need to use the backyard area for something?

Unlike the concrete structure, the shed is not so hard-wearing. You can easily take down the structure when needed. Also, with a few labor costs and other expenses, you can rebuild the whole thing again and again.

6. Re-Purposeful

A shed should not be refined within being just an office. You can utilize them when you are using them as an office. You can use them as a temporary storehouse, or a castle for your kids. And when you need them for work, you can again convert the shed into an office easily.

7. Authority To Design

As mentioned earlier, you can be the core designer of your office shed. The most interesting part of a shed is that they are simple and minimal but possess lots of potential. You can craft the shed the way you want with your preferred material and budget.

8. Good And Separate Network

When you are handling home and office at the same time and with the same network, there are chances that something will go wrong. Your kid may send an embarrassing picture to your boss, or your client may ring you up on the landline but find that occupied.

In that shed, you can connect a separate network for your business only. You can have a new Wi-Fi setup and new contact for your office only. That will help you to organize your work and home life and balance it up!

How To Convert The Shed Into An Office?

As I said before, a shed is simple and minimalistic but with huge potential. With the right mindset and a great attitude, you can convert the shed into your lovely, homely office. How? Let me tell you how.

1. What’s The Plan?

You must pre-plan the whole project before you start building anything. The first thing to decide is what type of material you want for your shed office. There is no correct answer to that question. The whole situation will depend on your budget, your demand, and the weather of your surroundings.

Many of the owners prefer wooden structures. Wood is durable, moisture-resistant, and durable. But they are not fire-proof and may rot fast in the rain-prone area. Metal is also an option. But if you live in a humid area with heated air and no rainfall, metal is not a wise option.

Nowadays, people are leaning towards resin and fiberglass insulation. After you decide on the material, you can plan the design, shape, color, windows, doors, etc. A pre-planning will give you an overall idea of the plan and the execution.

2. What Should Be The Design?

Well, a shed is not always the most aesthetic structure to look at but that doesn’t mean you won’t give any thought to the design. With simple manifestation, a simple thing like a shed can be a real-life castle.

If you are handy with crafts and tools, you can build the shed by yourself with your own design and innovation. If you are not in the mood for a DIY project, you can buy pre-made sheds offline and online. You can also customize the design but that will cost you extra.

3. What About The Living Conditions?

You can’t really build a rectangular structure and call it a shed. Technically it is, but to make that a livable place, you must check a few things. Electricity should be the first and foremost priority. Even before building the shed, make sure you have the wired connection leading to the shed.

Insulation is also crucial for any shed or depot. Without a good insulation material, the shed will collapse before the world economy. Fiberglass, plastic, rubber, and wood are a few materials that need to be installed as an insulator.

Heating and air circulation must take on the priority list. Depending on your weather situation, you must decide on the procedure. However, you should take the advantage of the local weather and take cost-effective and power-saving methods for your sheds.

The same goes for lighting as well. Instead of heavily depending on the electrical lights, place your shad in such a position to salvage the maximum potency of the Sun. You can also install solar or some other reusable energy sources to use that energy.   

4. How Should You Set Up?

Once the primary procedures are done and dusted, you can unleash your inner Picasso or knowledge from Architectural Digest to pour your creativity into that shed. Of course, desks, chairs, and other ancillaries must be shifted first.

But Keep the office shed sweet and simple. Do not clutter them with unnecessary items and products. Make sure that you can walk around easily without bumping your head or feet. Once you have set up your shed, it’s time to show your true potential and seize the day.

What Is The Cost Of A Shed?

Depending on the material, size, and labor, the cost can be from $1,500 to $30,000. If you want to custom-build your shed, the price may reach up to $50,000. However, if you are content with a pre-made shed, you can settle the base for $1,500 to $13,500.

For any DIY, you need to pick up the material and the size of your shed. For example, if you decide on drywall, a 4 by 8 feet piece will cost around $10. Also, for the insulation material, you may have to spend around $0.80 per square foot.

And for the electricity set up, the cost may raise from $100 to $600. But the labor cost may increase your overall cost even though building a shed is not so tiresome job. It is better to purchase a pre-made shed if you are on a tight budget. Also, keep in mind that you may need to pay a fee to get a license for building the shed as per your local law.

Before You Go

Without a doubt, a shed is an easy and inexpensive solution to your home-based office issues. You can build a separate office inside your home and brush off the issues with commuting to work.

However, the purpose of a shed will be demolished if you take the sizing and planning for granted. To avoid any mistakes, read this What Size Shed Is Suitable For Home Office? Article for better understanding.