Mini-prefabs

The solution: The couple bought two 9-by-13-foot prefabricated KitHaus buildings, which were assembled days after being delivered on flatbed trucks.

To read more on pre-fabulous buildings, see our blog: L.A. at Home.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

“It was instant gratification,” says Bonnie Kelly, who, like her husband, a biotechnology executive, couldn’t be more satisfied with their $80,000 investment.

To read more on pre-fabulous buildings, see our blog: L.A. at Home.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

When the Kellys decided to add space for their kids, Mara and Jared, they opted for sleek units from KitHaus. Each structure sports an aluminum frame and walls, sliding glass doors, operable windows and options such as a deck, louvers and canopies made of sustainable ipe wood.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

“We used to live in Boston and still have a house in Maine,” Bonnie Kelly says. “Originally, we thought these buildings would add value to the house here when we sell. But if we move back to the East Coast, we’ll take them with us.”

To read more on pre-fabulous buildings, see our blog: L.A. at Home.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

With a child on the way, film producer Warren Ostergard and his wife, Kate, converted a bedroom in their Highland Park bungalow into a nursery, which meant their home office and guest room had to go elsewhere. So they bought a 12-by-16-foot kit building from Modern-Shed.  (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Less than a week after it arrived, the couple had an office with cement-board siding prepainted to match the color and trim of their house. The structure itself was about $20,000. For $5,000 more, they outfitted their shed with a deck, custom workstations, wireless Internet, a flat-panel TV, surround sound and a dog door. All told, they spent about half what a conventional addition would have cost.

To read more on pre-fabulous buildings, see our blog: L.A. at Home.  (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

“Now, we’re able to walk out of the house to go to work because it’s a separate space,” says Kate Ostergard, marketing director for a travel website. “That’s great for us and for anyone staying overnight who doesn’t want to be in the way.”

To read more on pre-fabulous buildings, see our blog: L.A. at Home.  (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)