Homeowners are turning to secondary structures for more space and privacy in the time of COVID.

Local small business is featured in the Wall Street Journal for pivoting in the pandemic.

kitHAUS, a Los Angeles-based company, has seen a 30% to 40% increase in sales since the pandemic began, said co-founder Tom Sandonato. The kitHAUS sheds cost anywhere from $30,000 to $150,000.

Michelle Hart, the CEO and founder of Cross Dot Digital Creative + PR Agency in Bend, Ore., installed a 13-foot by 9-foot kitHAUS shed on her property in June. “I knew in mid-March that the pandemic was going to have a real effect on my marketing agency,” she said. To keep her business afloat and to trim overhead, Ms. Hart opted to shift her business from a leased office to a home office.

Ms. Hart added heating and air conditioning, landscaping, security cameras, and electricity to create a perfect modern environment for her company’s new office space. She gave 30-day notice in May for her large, leased office space and it will take her about 14 total months to break even on the space. Ms. Hart also designed the space to include bamboo flooring, white painted panels, and midcentury furniture from her former office. The shed is painted to match her home’s exterior. As for converting from office life to shed-office life, Ms. Hart has no regrets, cost notwithstanding. “It was stressful making such a drastic change in an already stressful pandemic,” she said, “but it was the best decision I’ve made.” An early riser, Ms. Hart appreciates the early quiet time at her office, which often includes a sunrise. One other unexpected bonus, she said, is that her shed has increased the value of her property by over $100,000, according to a recent real-estate appraisal. “This is an upscale shed option,” she said.

To read the full article: http://bit.ly/crossdotdigitalshedpivot