So you finally have some land to build your dream backyard office shed or writing studio – congratulations! However, some obscure local planning rule means that you cannot run utilities (like electric and water) to it… or perhaps the land host is not willing for their award-winning garden to be dug up for utilities to be installed. Does this mean your dream office idea is dead? Thankfully it does not – so let’s explore the options.
For electric, you could always look at running a temporary extension cable only when you will be using the backyard office – just like RV’s have an outside master power outlet to connect up to. A small gasoline-powered generator is another alternative, as-is relying on battery power (laptops, portable lights) for work sessions of only a few hours.
For water and drainage, you could pre-figll a large water container (like offices have above their water coolers), or store drink water in a large jug or prefilled kettle. Any waste drink water could go into a small jug and be emptied in the house or even the backyard. If you need to use the toilet, you could install a composting toilet – or simply use your house’s toilet. Finally, you can buy hand sanitizer gel or waterless soap for ensuring your hands are clean.
(more…)Deciding which way your backyard office shed should face is a key decision, but it is one that people often overlook. You might face the front of the office northward to prevent sun being in your eyes whilst you work, only to find that you have lots of sun glare on your screen throughout the day (if you have a back window)! Equally, you might live in a warm area, meaning that positioning your office in a way where sunlight does not stream through your windows will be key.
So what direction should your backyard office shed face? A south-facing office front will mean that your office will be bathed in sunlight throughout the day, warming the office but meaning you need to consider where to sit. A north-facing office front might be gloomier and colder throughout the day, but sunlight can still stream in – especially in the afternoon. So what about east and west? These can be good options, but it also (annoyingly!) depends on where you plan to sit, and where your windows are.
(more…)