They Needed Another Room but Didn’t Want to Move, So They Built It in the Backyard
Moving to a bigger house was an option for Reddit user u/RubaDubsy after the family had their first child. His wife works in tech and needed a quiet room for meetings, but moving meant giving up their pre-COVID interest rate and taking on a much higher housing cost. Instead, they used their open backyard to add the room they needed.
The project added a detached office with a full bathroom, covered patio, artificial turf, outdoor cooking area, new fencing, rock borders, and utility work. The homeowner said the office could also serve as guest space in the future.
Open Grass Took Up Most of the Backyard
Grass covered most of the fenced yard before construction. A concrete patio sat against the house, while the rest of the space had few features beyond the lawn and fence.
The detached office would later occupy part of this grass, facing the house across a smaller open center.
Concrete Patio Had No Cover
The existing concrete slab provided the base for another part of the project. It sat uncovered beside the house, with grass beginning at its outer edge.
Rather than replace the slab, the project added a roof above it. The homeowner said the covering is made from heavy-duty corrugated plastic, with a large fan installed beneath it to help with the Texas heat.
Covered Patio Added an Outdoor Cooking Area
Wood beams and dark posts now support the patio roof, with string lights and a ceiling fan installed beneath it. An outdoor cooking station sits at the edge of the covered area with a Big Green Egg and pizza oven.
Across the new turf, the detached office has green siding, black posts, an orange door, horizontal windows, and its own covered porch.
Backyard Office Became the Extra Room They Needed
The family used a backyard-office kit from Kangaroo Systems for the detached structure. Plumbing was added along with a full bathroom, allowing the building to work as an office now and provide guest space if needed.
The homeowner said the work required permits for the exterior structure, plumbing, electrical work, and other parts of the project. Utilities also had to be rerouted during construction.
Overhead View Shows the New Backyard Footprint
The overhead view shows how the additions fit within the property. The office occupies one side of the former lawn, the covered patio remains attached to the house, and artificial turf fills the space between them. White rock borders run beside the structures, while a wood-and-wire fence separates the yard from the driveway.
The homeowner put the planned project cost at about $100,000, including the office, bathroom, patio cover, turf, cooking area, water feature, fencing, and utility changes. Problems with the home’s water connection added more work, bringing the final cost closer to $150,000. He said moving to the larger home they wanted would have cost three to four times as much as the backyard project.
Image credits to Reddit user u/RubaDubsy.