Outdoor cabana project

[dgmcreative]

Hi Guys

First time post so please go easy on me, I have just purchased a 3 bedroom house with a large sloping front garden and a smallish flat rear garden. 

The house needs a fair bit of standard work inside. However in the back garden is this random structure which currently houses an old shower and toilet it also has electric and sits on a concrete slap which stretches out to the left. 

I am basically looking for ideas and suggestions, What would you do with this space? or would you simply knock it down and start again? Completely open to suggestions, no idea is a bad one! I don't have any kids so no need for it to be child friendly. 

I would love to see some photos of your similar projects or suggestions to get the creative ideas flowing. 

Hope you can help 

Cheers 

David view from the houseView from the small grass area looking back at the bus stopextra concrete slab to the leftToilet on the left shower behind the door on the right

[Jason]

Hi David (@dgmcreative),

Welcome to Workshop. It's great to have you join us. I trust you will receive lots of helpful information and advice for this fantastic project as well as many others to come from our helpful and creative members. Please post whenever you need a hand. It sounds like it is a very exciting time for you with the new house and that you are going to have a busy time ahead! 

As a starting point, you might get some inspiration from these Workshop posts:

• From old shed to funky studio

• Old garage to pool cabana

• Backyard games room project

Looking forward to seeing the transformation of your backyard structure, and the rest of your new house. 

Jason

[dgmcreative]

Thanks Jason, Appreciate it 

[Kermit]

@dgmcreative

Rather than thinking about what alternations you could make to ensure the structure is useful, I'd start with what needs you have. Outdoor dining and entertaining? A quiet retreat to study or work? A granny flat or guest house? Storage? Workshop? A second bathroom? A pool house if you plan to have a pool or spa down the track? 

For our old "funky studio" project, our house was very small so we wanted to use it as a backyard studio and office space. Then we worked out that we could keep a couple of walls of the old structure as long as we opened up the front and raised the roof. 

Others might disagree, but to be honest it doesn't look like any of the structure is worth keeping. But it's a big positive that you have water, waste and electricity to that spot that you could harness if you want to build something new. 

[Isobel]

Is it only a shower and toilet currently @dgmcreative or does it have another main room? Do you know what it was used for originally? It reminds me of the ramshackle annex structures that you see at permanent caravan parks.

[royq]

Hey @dgmcreative, nice to meet you at the Workshop That is quite a strange little building... it's almost as if the previous owners got sick of drunk people coming inside at parties and messing up the proper bathrooms X)

What you do with it is going to depend on your long term plan for the property. If you're planning on living there long term turn it into a space that's going to be useful to you and suit your lifestyle. If you're planning to flip the property I'd get in touch with a good local real estate agent and find out what sort of backyard amenities are likely to increase the value of a property in your area.
Myself personally I'd be turning it into a raised, half shaded deck with an in-ground spa, then a small toilet room and outdoor shower on the back fence. All depends what you want and what your budget can manage

Cheers, Roy

[dgmcreative]

Hi Isobel

Yes, it currently only has an old Toilet and an old Shower in it, the main room (if you could call it a room) is the outdoor area. 

Ive not managed to get any better photos or measurements yet. I also have no idea what it use to be used for! It does look like a ramshackle annex structure that you get a caravan parks. Why you would need one of those in your back garden I would never know!

I am based in NSW so I am not sure what it is classed as or the planning laws, I was wondering whether i could add walls etc and make it into a small study or office.

Cheers 

Dave

[MartyH]

Lots of interesting options around for backyard studios. Here's a few:

http://www.backyardpods.com.au/

https://www.inoutside.com.au/

http://backyardroom.com.au/designs/

http://www.ecoshelta.com/

https://www.archiblox.com.au/design/carbon-positive/

[dgmcreative]

Thanks Marty, I particularly like the inoutside options. Thanks for links

[MartyH]

No worries @dgmcreative. I thought they look pretty good value.