WHETHER IT’S USED as a studio, office, or simply a sanctuary from a busy household, prefabricated backyard bungalows are springing up as a popular way for homeowners to add space onto their property without the expense and effort of a traditional renovation.
Available in a variety of models from rustic log cabins to modern cabanas, these little gems can offer everything from 10-by-10 squares of free space to a full guest house with all the amenities.
Easily customizable with the buyer’s choice of windows, siding, roofing and interior finishes, companies have emerged to meet the growing demand for prefab functionality, offering online purchasing as well as showroom tours for buyers looking for their ideal home (not far) away from home.
According to John Hickey a senior designer at Summerwood, one of North America’s leading sources of prefabricated buildings and sheds, the trend toward these outdoor bungalows first gained popularity in California as “granny flats” — self-contained retirement units for in-laws who wished to remain close to relatives in the main house while keeping their independence.
With state tax incentives for those who chose to work from home, outdoor home studios and offices soon became a popular project modelled on these structures. In the past five years, the trend has taken off worldwide, with more and more inquiries coming in each day from across Canada and as far away as Germany and Japan.
“This separation is really key to working in a home office,” Hickey says. “At the end of the day, you get to leave everything behind and come home instead of feeling like it’s always there with you.”
He says that units from his company come in dozens of different pre-set designs, and designers are eager to work with buyers to customize their purchase.
“What I usually do is have people send me photos of their home and property, and what we do is pull elements from the home and take into consideration the location where they are planning to build it,” says Hickey. “You don’t want to go into a yard and go ‘Oh, that’s new.’ You want something that works within the location.”
Already appealing because they are less pricey than traditional renovations, backyard bungalows are also a key way to allow homeowners to adapt to changes within their living and work situation without having to move into a new house.
Temporary guests and recent graduates returning home to save money before heading off on their own can enjoy cottage comfort while still joining in with family at their leisure.
They’ve also been touted as excellent libraries, wine cellars and children’s play rooms.
“They’re basically mini houses,” says Hickey, “And anything you do in a home you can do in one of these units as well.”
Vic Maia, of Kenex Manufacturing Ltd., says his company has units ranging from pre-cut do-it-yourself kits available for approximately $2,700 to fully installed options for $3,700.
He says that shipping takes between two and four weeks for the DIY crowd, and all of Kenex’s products are made in Canada using renewable resources and energy efficient windows and doors.
“One of our most popular units for the home office or studio is our Huron series, which has a nice balance at eight by 12 feet and a rectangular shape instead of the standard square box, and it’s still under the square footage required to get a building permit,” he says.
“And there are many customizable options to make these work for all of our buyers: like if you want to use it as a workshop, we can put in side barn doors, or for an office, we can add extra windows and things like that — it’s all up to them.”
