Real-life DIY projects by our customers
VIC | NSW | ACT | QLD
It’s easy to DIY your Backyard Pod – all you need is some basic construction skills and attention to compliance. Everything for basic installation is included in the Aussie-made kit, it’s more-or-less like assembling Swedish furniture from illustrated instructions (just more serious, folks – this is a structural BUILDING project, not a bookcase). Read these genuine DIY case studies, check the pictures, and ask us for help if needed before ordering your Backyard Pod kit.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You should not attempt any major DIY backyard building project unless you have the necessary tools and previous building experience, or some tradie friends to rely on if you need practical advice. The instructions that come with our flatpack building kits are simple for people who understand building basics. If in doubt, ask us for an estimate of how much it would take to get your project built to the lock-up stage so you can DIY the internal finishing, etc.
DEAR CUSTOMERS: Please send us more pics and stories because other people love learning from what you’ve achieved, like these examples:
We can help with granny flat installations in most areas but many of our customers are DIY owner-builders. Our customers in the Blue Mountains got our help with approval and flatpack materials, then undertook their beautifully designed 2-bedroom secondary dwelling as a family project. With meticulous attention to detail and innovative ideas, this ‘granny flat’ will house family and visitors for now, and have future income potential as a luxurious holiday cabin or long-term rental.
Our customers in Anglesea, southwest of Melbourne beyond the famous Bells Beach, wanted a guest cabin including an ensuite at the rear of their property. With sufficient previous building experience and the right tools, they successfully undertook their project as DIY owner-builders using a flatpack building kit from Backyard Pods. They shared their construction pics so you can see how they did it.
Here’s an inspiring Backyard Pods Geelong story from a customer who built a divine boho-style guest cabin and private retreat using one of our flat-pack kits. Start with our low-cost, simple, strong structures (with higher-than-usual ceiling heights) and use your imagination to create your space your way.
With previous building experience and the right tools, people can save on building a DIY backyard studio. Look at these stage-by-stage construction shots sent by our Sunshine Coast customer who is now the proud owner/builder of a modern 3.6m x 7m backyard studio – a bedsitter cabin with ensuite and kitchenette.
What can you build in Sydney without approval? A non-habitable structure up to 20sqm. This cute little art studio in leafy Hunters Hill, Sydney, was undertaken as an exempt development for workshop purposes. We supplied the flatpack building kit and double-glazed windows and doors. Our customers organised their own builder and now, their backyard studio is complete. You can see how they love the place!
Dreaming of your own separate office pod, craft room, or hang-out space? Take a look at this much-loved DIY example in Woronora Heights, a leafy suburb of The Shire in southern Sydney NSW. Hear what our happy customer is saying about their experience and how their low-cost 4m x 5m Backyard Pod has enhanced their lifestyle in so many ways.
Many mid-life adults need to house their own parents with independence and more interaction and security on their own property. Granny flats and extended family living arrangements are the answer and with Backyard Pods, it costs less to create the privacy and security of a secondary dwelling.
Backyard Pods Melbourne: while some people would call this backyard studio a “she-shed” or “sheila shack,” our client announced that hers would be a “lady lair” and her hubby would build it as a DIY project! Their original 3m x 6m idea was changed to 2.4m x 4m – one of the most popular sizes for home offices – with optional eaves as well.
You’ll find Backyard Pods tucked away in quiet corners of the countryside and coastal areas of NSW, VIC, and QLD. This rustic off-grid cabin on a large lakeside block in a small Victorian coastal hamlet is what some dreams are made of. As a tiny house with a wood heater, kitchenette, and external off-grid facilities, lined with Scandi-style plywood interior, it’s someone’s hidden gem.
Rural properties often evolve over time – perhaps starting with a small cabin and growing with enclosed verandas and outbuildings (sometimes over generations) until the homestead ideal is fully expressed. Our customer on acreage in the Southern Tablelands added a cozy double-glazed home office as a DIY building project – well done!
Our customer in coastal Metung, regional Victoria, got exactly what they wanted by starting with a Backyard Pod kit 4m x 6m. This example is styled to suit the personal taste of its proud owner who saved megabucks by doing most of the work himself.
At Lithgow, Blue Mountains NSW, this customer completed a DIY home office pod 4m x 5m with veranda. To undertake a DIY home office you WILL need previous building experience (or friends with know-how), and the right tools for the job. Otherwise, use one of the experienced installers in our network. The veranda and deck kit on this Backyard Pod is an optional extra – customers choose their own decking.
David and Mark have a beautiful property not far from Ballina in northern NSW, where they provide family respite accommodation. They had one respite cabin on the property, made from an upcycled mining donger (pre-used demountable building). But when the time came to create a second and even better cabin, their options were limited. Their…
The ‘extra space’ dilemma is solved on a rural acreage in Central West, NSW when a DIY Backyard Pod features many energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly materials and is powered ‘off-the-grid’ to become a potential combination guest sleep-out and home office. Background The property was unusual as it featured a partly-restored community hall and adjacent amenities room which…
This family quickly and easily made their flatpack building kit from Backyard Pods into a much-loved backyard cabin for slumber parties, office work, a rumpus room, and music practice. It’s a great example of how a Backyard Pod can create an affordable space for everyone to enjoy and get real value from.
With basic construction skills and attention to compliance, you can save on your Backyard Pod with DIY. This prospect appealed to a family living in a suburb of Canberra. They needed versatile studio space to suit the various needs of a couple and three children. How did they achieve their plans? Take a look at…
