One of the most popular projects among homeowners since we've been in our extended stay-at-home mode is installing outbuildings. There are so many different types of outbuildings these days: garden sheds, greenhouses, gazebos, tool sheds, guest houses, offices, exercise rooms, meditation spaces, playrooms for the kids, or even studios for arts and crafts. Installing an outbuilding can greatly enhance your enjoyment of your home right now and for however long you stay in it. And should you one day list it among Bakersfield homes for sale, you'll likely find the outbuilding has enhanced your property value.

Here are some tips to help you decide what type of outbuilding you should build.

Outbuildings for Your Property

• Home Office
  Using a home office these days means you're likely bringing your work home. If you've been trying to work in your house, you may have noticed how easy it is to get distracted. Whether it's the kids yelling or other family members turning the TV up loud, you need a place of quiet repose where you might conceivably bring clients. Some of the basics for furnishing your office: stylish desk, shelves, good lighting, and perhaps a ductless mini-split for winter heating and summer cooling. A couple of chairs for clients should round out things.
  
  
• Meditation Space
  Call it what you will, but a quiet get-away can serve more than one family member. Furnishings should be simple: maybe a simple sofa and cushions, a rug, or a yoga mat to provide a place to sit or lie down. Paint this space in calming neutral colors. Orient it toward the south or east for best light. Plan to use this space to meditate, think, dream, read, or just get some downtime and solitude. 
  
  
• Garden Shed
  Gardening as a national pastime surged over the last year and is expected to flourish again this spring. Whether it's planting vegetables for cooking and snacking or flowers to enhance curb appeal and brighten the mood, gardening has soared, and with it, the need for a place to organize, pot plants, and store tools and supplies. Garden sheds can be as rustic as you like, made from repurposed doors and windows, or swanky and streamlined. Just remember, the purpose is to work with dirt, so make sure you've got a practical floor that's easy to clean and running water for cleaning out pots or filling the watering can.
  
  
• Toy Palace
  Every kid dreams of a playhouse. Today's ready-made sheds give you the basic structure for fixing up your children's very own toy palace. These prefab kits can be insulated and even installed on a foundation if you choose. Depending on how much work and creativity you put into the playhouse, you may want to make it portable or sell it with your property and create a new one wherever you go.
  
  
• ADUs
  The word is out that there just isn't enough affordable living space to go around. ADUs, or accessory dwelling units, may be the answer. These ADUs may be backyard cottages or more like compact homes. Often they are occupied by the homeowner after renting out the main dwelling. This trend is redolent of an earlier time when it was common to have a "mother-in-law's house" over a garage or in the backyard.

Talk to our agents about outbuildings in your Bakersfield neighborhood or any other real estate matters. Contact us today.