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Last Updated on December 8, 2023
With remote and hybrid working becoming the norm, more people are investing in home offices or she sheds. However, while working from home can be comfortable for some people, it can also be very distracting since friends, family, or kids may be nearby – don’t even get me started on the mess your dog can create when destroying the trash can.
This is where tiny offices come in handy. Owning a tiny office shed is the perfect opportunity to work from home or in a quiet place without dealing with any distractions around you.
If you’re considering getting a tiny office, you’re in luck, as this post covers everything you’ll need to know before buying your tiny office and tells you about some top picks on the market. So, let’s get into it.
At a Glance:
Why You Need to Buy a Tiny Office Shed
This small house, typically located in the backyard, serves as a downsized home office version. While some tiny backyard offices come with fully furnished housing units, such as kitchenettes and bathrooms, others simply give you enough space for your working tools.
The 5 Best Tiny Office Sheds in 2022
If you’re looking to transform your backyard space into a backyard office shed, here are some excellent options to consider:
1. Starenergy Tiny Home Kit – Best Overall
- Quality and comfort, Superior Strength, Highly Energy Efficient, Shorter Building Cycle, Green built. Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) Construction. R30 roof, R23 walls can be converted to R30. Foundation maybe raised using SIP floors or concrete slab on grade (not included)
- 18'x37' (667 sqft) x10' high. Insulated living unit shell. Great for backyard or single lot. House may accommodate full kitchen and pantry, bathroom, one bed room with walk in closet, laundry room and living room.
- 20 year R-value and delamination warranty. Roof top ready, electric wiring ready. IRC compliant and permissible structure.
- Made in the USA. High seismic event category A, B, C, D, E. Can withstand winds of 160 MPH up to 240 MPH for an extra fee. Can withstand: 25 psf snow load standard, option up to 70 psf snow load for an extra fee.
- Starenergy SIP Panels, LLC is a SIP manufacturer with 30 years experience in the industry, launching a tiny house division. Manufacture and delivery of our products will take 4 weeks.
If you want your tiny office to give off a modern feel, the Starenergy Tiny Home Kit is a must-buy. This kit is the perfect option for those who love to build because they can make it into a guest house, a pool house, a cabin, a quiet space, or else.
The modern shed offers quality, comfort, and an environmentally-friendly backyard office shed. It measures just 480 x 240 x 120 inches with a 10 feet chamber height. In addition, the office shed is well insulated and can withstand harsh weather conditions like winds and snowstorms.
It can also accommodate a full kitchen, pantry, bathroom, a single bedroom with a walk-in closet, laundry room, or living room. Even better, it can serve as a separate office space, backyard studio, home office, or other options.
The kit comes with roof and wall panels, doorknobs, windows, doors, and everything else you might need to create your tiny home. The kit also includes assembly instructions, making it easy even for first-timers to assemble their tiny offices.
On the downside, the kit’s manual may seem overwhelming at first for many users, but it’s easy to figure out once you begin putting the tiny house together.
Pros:
- Highly versatile, so you can assemble it into different structures
- Comes with a complete kit of the needed items
- Properly insulated
- Comes with an assembly manual
- Environmentally-friendly
- Can withstand harsh weather conditions
Cons:
- Relatively pricey
- The instruction manual may overwhelm first-timers
Our Take
The Starenergy Tiny Home Kit is an excellent value for your money, considering its versatility and environmental friendliness. Add that to the fact that this tiny shed’s sophisticated allure can complement any architectural structure.
2. Allwood Bella – Best Wood Shed
- Wall thickness: 2-3/4" (70 mm) - dual T&G windblock pattern | Ridge Height: 12' 8" | Back wall height: 8"
- Doors: Exterior (2): 62-1/8” x 76-1/8” - Interior (1): 32-1/2” x 76-1/8” | Windows | front: 36” x 36” | back: 54-1/8" x 36" | left: 27-5/8" x 46-7/8" | right: 21-3/4" x 68"
- Snow load capacity 46 lbs/sqf - For 70 lbs/sqf and 96 lbs/sqf values see ASIN:B07TY5MSY8
- Wind load capacity: 120 mph with 2-3/4" walls | 140 mph with 3-5/8" walls (upgrade option)
Allwood Bella has a unique vintage look, thanks to its Nordic wood of high quality. It has a straightforward, functional build and can be assembled within 24 hours by two adults using the detailed plan that comes with it.
One distinctive feature of this tiny home is its sturdy design, as the wood is densely grained and solid. The office shed measures 324 Sqf (a 237 Sqf basement and 86 Sqf attic) and has a wall thickness of 2 to 3/4″.
Also, the doors measure 62-1/8″ x 76-1/8″ on the exterior and 32-1/2″ x 76-1/8″ on the interior. It has a snow load capacity of 46 lbs/sqft and a wind load capacity of 120 mph with 2-3/4″ walls and 140 mph with 3-5/8″ walls. And the kit comes with roof and floorboards, polished windows, screws, and fixings.The Allwood Bella is easy on your pocket and relatively easy to assemble, even for new users. In addition, it has a spacious roof area, allowing you to add solar panels.
But if you live somewhere humid, this tiny shed might not be the best option for you. This is because the wood is naturally prone to water or insect damage. Another downside is that the kit doesn’t include foundation materials, such as cinder blocks, so you’ll have to purchase those separately.
Pros:
- Reasonably priced
- Easy to assemble
- Ideal for vintage wood lovers
- Wide roof space
- Has a sturdy design
Cons:
- Doesn’t come with foundational materials
- Prone to insect or water damage
Our Take
Overall, Allwood Bella is a masterpiece amongst tiny sheds on the market. So, if you’re looking for a wood option that won’t burn a hole in your wallet, this is the studio shed for you.
3. Allwood Estelle 4 – Best for Multiple Compartments
- Durable, dense grain and slow grown Nordic Spruce
- Wall thickness: 1-9/16" (40 mm). Dual T&G Windblock profile.
- Use the smaller space as bathroom, sleeping space or for storage
- Dual T&G Windblock profiled wall boards
The Allwood Estelle 4 is a work of art among prefab sheds. This studio shed is a multipurpose solid wood kit cabin with an interior section that consists of two compartments. The larger room measures 108 SQF, and the smaller one measures 40 SQF, separated by a wall.
The primary intent of the smaller room is to serve as a storage unit, but it can be converted into a sleeping space or a bathroom, depending on your needs. This shed is made from durable Nordic Spruce and has a wall thickness of 1-9/16″.
The backyard office also comes with dual T&G wind block profile wallboards, giving it extra protection from the wind. This cabin has enough space to be used as a home office, music studio, guest bedrooms, or for any other creative idea you want to explore. All you need to do is let your creativity shine.
The Allwood Estelle 4 typically takes quite some time, about 48 hours, to assemble and comes with a complete kit, including all the tools needed to assemble the shed. However, it doesn’t come with the required items for foundational and final roofing, so you’ll have to buy those yourself.
Pros:
- Highly durable
- Very versatile
- Built to withstand the wind
- Has ample space
Cons:
- Doesn’t come with foundational or final roofing materials
- Takes time to assemble
Our Take
Allwood Estelle 4 is worth the hype and money considering the quality of the material it’s made from. If you’re considering getting this shed of multiple compartments for your backyard office, you’ll enjoy the experience.
4. Allwood Chloe – Best for Natural Light
- Inside Floor Area: 123 Sqf
- Wall thickness: 1-11/32 (34 mm) - T&G pattern
- Front / back wall height: 92" - Ridge height: 11'3"
- Floor, Roof/Ceiling boards thickness: 3/4"
- Estimated assembly time one full day for two adults
If you want a tiny house with a breathtaking design, Allwood Chloe is an excellent choice. This backyard office is a beautiful high-quality multipurpose cottage-style wood cabin with large floor-to-ceiling windows on all three sides, allowing adequate natural light to flood the home. This can work as a tiny backyard office, backyard studio, or your own space to do some creative work.
The wood is slow-grown Nordic Spruce, durable, dense, and reliable. The interior floor area measures 123 Sqf, with a wall thickness of 1-11/32″, ridge height of 11’3″, and floor-to-roof thickness of 3/4″.
Allwood Chloe is easy to assemble and will take two adults approximately 24 hours to assemble. Even better, the kit includes preassembled gables, large windows, nails, screws, fixings, and an easy-to-understand guide with numbered pictures.
However, getting effective insulation may be a challenge due to the number of operable windows. Still, you can resolve this problem by adding subflooring and thermal roof panels with a small heater/cooler appliance. Another downside is that this tiny house doesn’t come with final roofing and foundational materials, which you can purchase from a store.
Pros:
- Easy and quick to assemble
- Made from reliable Nordic Spruce wood
- The many big windows are perfect for natural lighting
- Comes with a kit
- Comes with an easy-to-follow manual
Cons:
- Doesn’t come with final roofing or foundational materials
- The insulation could be better
Our Take
The Allwood Chloe is worth the money and is an excellent option for stylish yet affordable backyard offices. Also, it features windows on three walls for optimal natural sunlight.
5. Allwood Escape – Most Versatile
- Inside Floor Area: 108 Sqf - 12'2" wide x 9'1" deep
- Wall thickness: 1-3/4" (44 mm) - Nordic Spruce Dual Tongue Windblock pattern
- Ridge Height: 8' | Wall height 6'4"
- Door: (1) 32-3/4" x 72-3/4" | Window (1) : 47" W x 30-3/4" H
- Roof size: 200 sqf | Roof pitch 15.3 degrees
If you’re looking for a little sanctuary to do focused work, you need the Allwood Escape. With its sturdy design process, this humble shed is the perfect option for a tiny office studio, a garden shed, or a camp cabin.
The interior floor area measures 113 Sqf (9’1″ deep x 12’5″ wide), with a wall thickness of 1-3/4″, ridge height of 8′ 3″, wall height of 6’5″, and chamber height of 8.3′. The Allwood Escape comes with everything you’ll need to create your shed (except foundation and final roofing materials).
Compared to other tiny houses on this list, the Allwood Escape is relatively smaller, but it’s sufficient for backyard offices. You’ll have to get a split device installed for cooling and heating small spaces. It’s also important to paint or stain the exterior within sixty days from the assembly for an optimal functional shed without damage.
Pros:
- Comes with a full kit
- Sturdy design
- Versatile
Cons:
- Limited floor space
- No final roofing and foundation materials
- Needs to be stained within a stipulated time to prevent damage
Our Take
You should consider the Allwood Escape backyard office if you want a humble shed that doesn’t take up too much backyard space. You can also use it as a garden shed or camp cabin. Not to mention, it comes with a pretty decent chamber height and is an excellent option for minimalists.
Factors to Consider When Buying a Tiny Shed
Purchasing a tiny office is a huge deal, so you need to be sure of your choice before making a purchase. Here’s what you should consider before choosing a tiny shed:
Timing
Most purchases are best made in the spring or fall seasons. It’s harder to get deliveries during winter and even more challenging to get work done. So, do the math to see if the timing is right because you don’t want to find yourself halting construction.
Budget
Don’t spread yourself too thin because you want to get an expensive tiny office. Also, remember that you’ll need to spruce up the space with some accessories and office furniture.
Moreover, you might need to hire constructions workers or weatherproof the shed to make it more comfortable. It would be best to look into what items are available with the shed and which ones you’ll need to purchase separately. All of these will add up to the total cost of the backyard office.
Permits and Regulations
This is important because different districts have different rules concerning tiny homes. Therefore, you should know all the laws for owning a tiny office in your neighborhood before you make a purchase.
FAQs
Can You Make an Office Out of a Shed?
Yes, you can make an office out of a shed, but it’ll take more days or weeks to set up, which is why many people often opt for purchasing a tiny office.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Tiny Office?
There is no fixed cost for building a tiny office. Instead, it varies based on several factors, such as the extra amenities that you’ll need to add to your backyard office, including wi-fi, operable windows, and solar panels, the shed size, the cost of getting the required items shipped to your location, and fees for obtaining building permits.
Is It Cheaper to Build a Tiny House or Buy a Shed?
It’s usually less expensive to build one for yourself, but these days, there’s a variety of pre-built tiny houses that are pretty affordable. And the benefits of not building the shed yourself are that you can save time and effort and ensure that it’s made by a professional.
Final Thoughts
Whether you want a vintage design or a contemporary, modern shed, there’s a tiny office for you. Our personal favorite is the Starenergy Tiny Home Kit. It’s a beautiful, vintage, and versatile shed that checks all our boxes.
As for Allwood Estelle 4, it features two compartments so that you can have an office and storage room, bedroom, or so. And for those who want plenty of sunlight, Allwood Chloe might be what you’re looking for.
