Backyard sheds offer more space for families during covid

Yost and his wife wanted a space where their high schoolers learning remotely could do schoolwork, play video games and listen to music, or where Yost could work and have the privacy he

needs. The couple considered putting an addition on their circa-1950s 1,450-square-foot home about 30 minutes from San Francisco, but the costs were prohibitive. They would need a space with

electricity, but no foundation, plumbing or bathroom was necessary. In early May they decided on a shed and called Modern Shed. MOVING FAMILY CLOSER TO HOME But others are looking for

something more than just a place to get away for the day. If you're seeking a structure that includes an independent kitchen with a fire wall separating it from the house, it's

classified as an ADU, Peterson says. These may be attached or part of a residential home or detached, and every jurisdiction has different rules and regulations on what's permitted —

from square footage to number of bedrooms or the slope of the stairs. ADUs are growing in popularity, particularly in the West, as home prices ratchet skyward amid a lack of housing in some

areas. California is the biggest market, Peterson says. Los Angeles went from issuing 15 ADU permits in 2013 to 6,747 in 2019, for example. But other states are following on the trend;

Portland, Oregon, now has about 3,000 ADUs and Seattle and other cities and states have adopted or updated ADU codes, Peterson says. Kerri Folmer, 52, decided to build an ADU on her Bay Area

property with the idea that her mother, Toni Wiggs, 76, could move in. Wiggs, who has diabetes, had been living independently at a senior living facility but fell several times and

wasn't happy with her living experience, Folmer says. Folmer, a managing director at Deloitte Consulting and mother of two college-age children (also home and learning remotely), was

already in the process of purchasing an ADU from Studio Shed when COVID-19 hit. It “accelerated everything,” she says. “The risk was high in our community, and I think a worker in

[mom's] facility tested positive. They were going on lockdown. She would be isolated. And [my siblings and I] were paying a lot of money for the facility. It all felt extreme and high

risk at the time.”