guest suite

Under the Cedar Tree

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db3f3312-f5b1-45d1-bc88-f8ae08e6aa41SEATTLE — “This was a cool way to have our backyard actually work for us.”

Eric and Rebecca are counting the ways that their Modern-Shed Airbnb, actually two sheds connected by a deck, has been a positive addition in their lives.

Already comfortable with renting their entire house on Airbnb when they go on vacation, the couple started to think about building an additional unit in their backyard to bring in additional revenue.

“We were really looking at how it would be a good idea to do that to off-set the mortgage and add to the square footage of the house to raise the equity of the home,” Eric says. “Once I realized adding 240 square feet would effectively pay off the construction cost in equity, it was a no-brainer. That is more or less what happened. If I can increase the monthly cashflow by $1500 or $2000 a month through the profit of an Airnb and if we wanted to sell the house, we’d make all the cost back, then why not do it? Continue reading →

The Modern-Shed Boat House

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GIG HARBOR — Down a winding path, nestled in the Evergreen forests near the Key Peninsula, Kerrie and Rich found a place they could call home.

Their home, however, left some things to be desired. In the meantime, they wanted to create a comfortable space where they could work, relax and entertain loved ones while enjoying the view of Henderson Bay and all that the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

“Our house just needs lots of work, and the Modern-Shed takes the pressure off,” Kerrie says. “It’s a two-bedroom house that was built in 1958. Now, with the shed, we have an extra bedroom and a nice place where we can bring our guests.”

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The Modern-Shed Tiny Home

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PORTLAND — Stepping into Marc and Jeanine’s Modern-Shed Airbnb, you will immediately feel like you’ve found a little nook of heaven.

The cozy shed, which the couple have named the Mallory Tiny Home, after the street they live on, is secluded and private, with stylish decor and a loft bedroom that practically beckons you to turn in and recharge from a busy day of sightseeing.

“People find it really beautiful,” says Jeanine, a spiritual healer who sometimes brings clients to the shed to meditate. “Everyone says there’s just enough space. They’re always impressed with how much space there is or how warm or cool it is. It’s just enough.”

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Marc and Jeanine with their Modern-Shed Airbnb in Portland, the Mallory Tiny Home

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Modern-Shed: Making you money $$$

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A Modern-Shed AirBnb in San Jose, Calif.

As the rise of AirBnBs and other vacation rental sites like HomeAway and VRBO can attest, when people take a vacay, more and more they want to stay at a home away from home.

We have several Modern-Shed customers who have capitalized on this trend.

In San Jose, Flora and Jeffrey initially built a Modern-Shed guest room to accommodate Flora’s sister, Fauna, who was staying in the area for college, but when Fauna graduated two years later, the couple started making serious money when they turned their shed into an AirBnB.

“I am just extremely happy with it,” says Flora, whose shed sees mostly business travelers. “I’m booked every day … Totally I was not expecting this many bookings … These guests, they come every day, even during the week, they’re here for a day and gone. It’s convenient for me and them … (Now) I’m a stay-at-home mom and a full-time AirBnB host.”

Other Modern-Shed owners rent or book their sheds for guests more interested in leisure.

Marc and Jeanine’s Modern-Shed AirBnB in fast-growing Portland offers exclusive access to the shed and an herb garden, with guests complimenting the shed’s “cozy” factor and noting that it’s “a gorgeous little oasis in Portland,” “central to a lot of restaurants and stores.”

Twin studios in Yosemite
Modern-Shed rental cabins in Blue Lake Springs

Meanwhile, Holly’s twin Modern-Shed cabins at Blue Lake Springs near the Sierra Nevadas in California complement a traditional cabin and offer large families a quiet respite from the busy, city life.

“They are really cute,” Holly says. “My girls love sleeping in the sheds even though we didn’t plan them to be sleeping quarters … I love how the sheds are really multi-functional. People can use them how they want and can say ‘Hey, this is my space.’”

Many more of our customers simply love having that extra space when family comes over, which is especially important to take into account as the holiday season approaches. Continue reading →

The perfect arrangement

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WEST SEATTLE — As many of our customers know, Modern-Sheds sometimes multiply.

Several of our customers have double sheds, from the yoga studio and home office in Alameda to the twin cabins in Blue Lake Springs. One family in Kirkland, Wash., even has four sheds on their property, all serving a unique need.

Husband and wife Fred and Susan are no strangers to the multiplying Modern-Shed, having purchased a shed for Fred’s sister, Jane, in Santa Cruz, and then buying one of their own to complement their West Seattle home.

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Fred and Susan’s 12′ by 24′ Modern-Shed in West Seattle

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The backyard bungalow

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San Francisco Bay Area — When you live in a 110-year-old house, you may soon learn that you need more space, especially if you have a growing family.

That’s what Flora and Jeffrey came to learn in 2015, even though they’d started thinking several years ago about building a shed in their backyard.

“We wanted more livable space,” Flora says. “We looked at prefab options because we wanted something easier … Our house is 110 years old and it’s a very small two-bedroom house. We have plans to renovate it by turning the basement into more living space, but that’s a more long-term plan. When we found out we were pregnant with our son, we knew we needed something faster.” Continue reading →

“Perfect For What We Need”

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Cory and Jeremy in front of the first Modern-Shed on their property, which they turned into a studio and then a guest suite.
Cory and Jeremy with the first Modern-Shed on their property, which they eventually turned into a guest suite.

KIRKLAND —  When Cory and Jeremy toured their future home two years ago, they were surprised to find a Modern-Shed already installed on the property.

“It was definitely a cool surprise,” Cory said. “When we saw the studio there during the open house, we thought it would be great for us. My husband does a lot of electronic stuff, working on projects with computers and robotics, and we wanted to keep that away from the kids and cats.” Continue reading →