How a Utah DIYer built a backyard office with KSL Classifieds finds

While other kids were watching Saturday morning cartoons, Mitch Blackhurst had more interesting things to do.

“When I was a little kid,” he said, “I was fascinated with the classifieds in the newspaper. And I specifically remember sitting at the counter with my dad, circling items that I thought were cool.”

Years later, when KSL Classifieds came online, Blackhurst was hooked. So when he decided to construct a backyard office in 2023, he knew just where to go to find building supplies on a budget.

Deciding to build a home office

Blackhurst was already working from home when he had the idea to build a separate office space to get away from the hubbub of his three young kids. “I really wanted to build something in my backyard where it could be quiet and just a little bit more conducive to work from home.”

Starting from the ground up, Mitch Blackhurst built an office shed in his backyard, much of it with materials he found on KSL Classifieds. Photo courtesy Mitch Blackhurst

Although he’d never done a project of this scale before, he started sketching what he wanted his shed to look like, inside and out. “I just drew it up on a piece of paper and showed it to my wife. She told me I was a little bit crazy.” Undeterred, Blackhurst went to work.

The two-story backyard office is built on 200-square-foot footprint. Photo courtesy Mitch Blackhurst

Finding construction materials for a backyard office

Blackhurst used KSL Classifieds as a resource from the ground up. He found contractors to bring in fill dirt and complete concrete work. And he started collecting building materials: windows, doors, marble countertops and flooring. He even built a shelf with wood from a KSL seller who recycles old trees.

Much of the decor came from KSL Classifieds as well, from a leather couch to several pieces of taxidermy from a seller in Eureka.

Narrow stairs lead from the office space to a loft. Photo courtesy Mitch Blackhurst

How to find what you need on KSL

Blackhurst said the key to finding affordable materials for any project is consistent and creative searches.

“It's important to search for different keywords and different terms that the seller might have used in their title and description to find that item,” he said. “You never know what somebody's going to call something. So, it's a little bit of a treasure hunt at times, but that's what makes it fun.”

Most of the decor came from KSL Classifieds, including the couch and some taxidermy. Photo by Chad Hurst

To bolster his hunt for home improvement materials, Blackhurst said he took advantage of the Saved Search option — you describe an item you want and KSL Classifieds will notify you when it gets listed. “Oh yeah, lots of different saved searches always coming into my email. Saved Search definitely helps.”

Building a multifunctional space

The shed is more than a backyard office. Blackhurst created a multipurpose space. “I wanted it to be super functional,” he said.

The second-story loft provides a place for the kids to play while Blackhurst works. Photo by Chad Hurst

A side door opens to a mini gym — a room with a multi gym station and a sauna. The second floor — yes, it’s a two-story shed! — is a large, open room for his kids to play and watch TV while he works. It all stands on a mere 200-square-foot footprint.

“I wanted something with a little bit more wow factor. For me, if I'm going to be working in there all day, every day, I want it to be my own space.”

Overall, it took Blackhurst about two years to complete, though the office space was usable within one.

To make it a multifunctional space, Blackhurst built a sauna and mini gym on one side of the shed. The sauna door took months to source from KSL Classifieds. Photo courtesy Mitch Blackhurst

Where to start on a backyard office

For anyone considering a similar DIY shed project on a budget, Blackhurst offered some advice on finding local deals. 

“Sourcing the parts takes time, but if you have patience and you just wait, and you just keep being consistent about looking for all the different parts that you need, you can make your project work,” he said.

It took Mitch Blackhurst two years to complete his backyard office using materials found on KSL Classifieds, but he started working in it after just one. Photo by Chad Hurst

“It always costs more in the end than you think, but you can definitely do this on a budget. I built this shed at about half of the cost of what it typically would have cost,” said Blackhurst.

“I would definitely recommend KSL Classifieds. It's easy, it's fun and you can save a lot of money,” he said. “There's always a deal to be had on KSL.”

Blackhurst estimates he saved 50% by finding materials on KSL Classifieds. Photo by Chad Hurst

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