In an unrelenting year, these five families used DIY plans to create room for silence, storage and solace

The cozy, sturdy structure in our backyard that my husband built last year has cycled through several names, some of them even before the walls were up. At first, we called it the “learnin’ shed,” planned for our kids’ distance learning. Then it was the “instead shed,” built with money for a trip to France that the pandemic canceled. For a time, he jokingly referred to it as his mistress because of the amount of time he devoted to it, and one day I called it the “medished,” when he Zoom-taught a medical class in it. When the pandemic is over, it will be my writer’s studio (I’ve been promised).

My husband was not alone in turning to shed building in the middle of the pandemic. Some people needed to extend their living space to gain privacy and avoid cabin fever. Others finally had time to devote to a previously planned shed, or were creating a workspace. Still others needed a project to take their minds off a relentless news cycle.

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The pandemic has meant that many of us have learned to work from home, but that intersection between home and office can impact the entire household.

KTVU interviewed a pair of house flippers who found a new business opportunity, by giving people a little extra space, one shed at a time.

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In the midst of yet another national lockdown, Brits appear to be taking refuge in the most British of places: the garden shed.

For wealthy home workers looking to put a bit of space between themselves and the office, the garden path has become the new commute.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, shed sellers have seen a surge in demand for insulated, luxury outhouses that can be used as home offices.

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Backyard features are among the most important factors for homeowners as they increasingly look to this space to entertain, relax, and simply spend more time outside. In turn, it comes as no surprise that exterior home improvement projects reap some of the highest returns on investment—commonly with siding, patios, and decks.

However, in a time where the she-shed movement is inspiring backyard bars, garden oases, and getaways, we are seeing consumers consider outdoor structures more and more as their next home improvement project.

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A shed will likely be covered, says Shelby Mobley, an Allstate agency owner in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. You’ll want to notify your agent about your new structure, of course, but most homeowners policies will cover buildings on your property that aren’t attached to your home, like a gazebo, shed or detached garage.

ABOUT OTHER STRUCTURES PROTECTION
“It’s called other structures protection,” says Mobley, “and, typically, the [standard] coverage is for 10 percent of the amount of insurance you have on your home. So if your home is insured for $200,000, your shed and other structures would be insured for 10 percent of that, $20,000.”

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