The coronavirus global pandemic did not only bring a major health crisis to the world but also a way for office workers to creatively take their jobs at home. With the increasing demands in remote work setup, the tiny workspace has become a growing trend for work from home employees.
Based on the survey conducted by Fidelity National Financial subsidiary IPX1031, more than half of 2,006 Americans said they would be interested in buying a tiny office. At the same time, at least 68% of the respondents would consider renting out a small backyard office.
Because of this increasing trend in tiny workspace setup, several companies have decided to jump in and cash in from the said craze.
Office in a Box
In December 2020, the tiny home and living space maker, Ööd, unveiled a backyard office worth $19,900.
The Estonia-based company launched two different sizes of tiny workspace.A 97-square-foot office in a box could fit two people, and a larger version complete with a kitchenette and a bathroom.
According to Ööd sales director Kristi Kivilaid, they decided to develop a small office out of new demand from work from home forces. The company said they have also seen a market in the United States and plans to open a branch in the country next year.
"We did listen to our customers' comments and decided to create a home office unit suitable for any environment," Kivilaid said as reported by Business Insider.
"We realized that now is the time to design a safe working place which can be placed in your backyard, and the home office is exactly the product that the market needs," she added.
Dwelling on Wheels
Another company that jumps on the tiny office trend is the backyard shed maker, Modern-Shed. The Seattle-based business veer away from its usual product and introduced a $129,000 small home they call "Dwelling on Wheels" or DW.
They offer their typical shed design, which comes with an optional office layout complete with seating areas, work stations, and a bathroom.
Modern-Shed founder Ryan Smith said that after more than 20 years of building backyard sheds that serve as a storage unit, guest bedroom, gym, and more, they decided to respond to the increasing trend of remote workers brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We wanted to leverage that experience [of building sheds] to offer something that embodies agility, which is really something this year has asked of all of us," Smith told the news outlet.
"The DW can do a lot - it's great for enjoying nature short-term, for off-grid living, or as a second, remote home," he added.
The demand also comes after the increased rent price for traditional housing, especially in larger cities.
"I think a lot of people are finding that they are changing their lifestyle or their work options, and so they're moving to different areas or consolidating family in ways where they might be able to live a little more efficiently," Smith said in the e-mail interview.
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