DOWNSIZING to 24X36

[jlckmj]

OK, I have been on this site for a year or two, and I have just started a huge downsizing project. I currently live on three acres in the country, I have an old brick farm house, an 80 foot dairy barn, a 72 foot garage that has 5 stalls two cars deep. About half of it is insulated and heated. I have spent the last 10-12 years fixing it up to where it is comfortable to work in. It is nice, but it is an old quansit hut that is drafty and has 60 year old farmer poured floors and a jury rigged heating system.

THE ONE WHO MUST BE OBEYED SAYS IT IS TIME TO DOWN SIZE!

We bought a foreclosure in town that we have gutted to the 110 year old studs. I have torn out all the wiring, all the heating, and all the plumbing. Basically what we have is a good solid shell, and even that will get a new roof and new siding, and a 12X30 foot addition before we are done. (It helps when your son is a general contractor)

ENOUGH ON THE HOUSE!

I started to break ground today, I was removing the top soil to prepare for the garage slab in order to build my new garage / shop. It will be 24X36 (because that is all the city will allow) I am building it so I will enter the gable end (23 foot wide end) through a 16 foot door. I will use 10 foot walls, and scissors truss's so I will finally be able to get my hoist.

I plan on using the front 20 foot to park cars when the weather is bad, and the hoist will be situated at about the 24 foot mark from the overhead door so when I want to use it I will have to move the cars out, but I will have plenty of room to work.

The issue I am going to have is setting up the space so I can still use my woodworking equipment, the welding equipment, the motorcycle stuff along with the mechanical equipment, and still have access to the hoist. I figure I will have to put most of it on casters and wheel it out from the wall when I want to use it. It will be a pain to get used to, but that is all I have to work with at this point.

As much as I don't want to give up what I have now, I am actually looking foreword to the challenge, it will be nice to build something from the start and design it right from the get go with in floor heat extra insulation, and a nice floor, and storage cabinets that close to keep the stuff clean.

There will be many more pics to come in the next 6-8 months.

Jim

 

[neonnblack]

Some say downsizing is a good thing. And i wouldnt mind seeing house pictures either.

 

[Red Leader]

Ahh, maybe one of these days I'll downsize from a 19x22 to a 24x36

Seriously though, sounds fun - keep us posted and post lots of pictures!

 

[rickairmedic]

Jim I would say this will give you the chance to build exactly what you want " on a smaller scale of course " . I do wonder though before you get to deep do the same restrictions apply if the garage is attatched to the house ? Might be another option for more room . I know where I am I can go biger if the garage is attatched to the house even if only by a breezeway. Plus more garage less grass to mow .

Rick

Rick

 

[Corins]

Ahh, maybe one of these days I'll downsize from a 19x22 to a 24x36

Seriously though, sounds fun - keep us posted and post lots of pictures!

 

[jlckmj]

Rick,
I could go as large as I wanted if I attached it to the house, but with a 100 year old house that sits in the middle of the lot, it would be hard to attach it without changing the driveway to the other side of the yard.

ALSO, I would have had to put in 4 foot frost footings around the whole garage, anything that is attached to a house has to have them, that would have brought the cost up considerably.

NEON,
Her are pics of the house, right now it is gutted to the 2x4 frame from top to bottom. It's definitely not much to look at rightnow, but when done, we will have a brand new house (other than foundation and shell)
THE HOUSE OUTSIDE

THE HOUSE INSIDE (after gutting)

THE OLD KITCHEN

Now you see why it was gutted. But to be honest, it is easier to start over considering the mess it was. The good thing is that we will be able to do it right. The goal is to not have a mortgage when done, we will see how we do with that goal down the road.
Jim

 

[neutral]

That looks like fun. As long as the old lady doesnt get on your case too bad and you can maintain momentum. That seems to be a kicker for me

 

[jlckmj]

I finished stripping the top soil for the garage slab today, This is going to cost a small fortune to fill with stone, there were places that I removed 24 inches of top soil. That pile of stone you see in the middle of where the slab is going is from a quad axle dump. Looks like I will need about 4 more of those to fill it up.

The excavator dug the ditches for the concrete footings that we need for the addition to the house. We decided that we would add a 12x30 foot room across the back of the house to give us a master bath, a mud room, and a 12x14 foot kitchen.

If we did not put on the addition, the first floor of the house would have been smaller than the garage 720 for the house, 864 for the garage. as it sits with the addition it will be 1080 for the first floor of the house.(plus two small bedrooms upstairs)

 

[tip]

will be watching this one!

 

[54FordPanel]

Looks really interesting. Keep posting.....and pictures of your house renovation are welcome.

 

[Coyote Red]

Looks like you're serious about this deal. Cool.

 

[jlckmj]

OK,
It has been over a year since I posted on this project. We are actually living here now, and the garage is almost finished. I will start with some pictures of the garage project showing how it has progressed.

ONE ISSUE we have stumbled upon, since I took out the permits, the city has changed the size limit on accessory buildings. They have actually raised the size limit from 864, to 1000 sq. ft.

SO, that means I am actually adding a 6ft. by 22 ft. lean to on the rear of the garage already, and the garage is not even finished. It will have an access door from the rear wall of the shop and I will use it for the compressor, dust collector, and other items that usually clutter up a shop area. Plus there will be access from the outside for lawn and garden garbage in half.

The garage slab with pex getting ready to pour concrete., 4 inches thick for most of it, a little deeper (6 inches) in the general area of the hoist.

Crew in action

Slab poured, and at the bottom of the picture you can see the walls ready for the kitchen/mud room/master bath addition.

That is about it for now, I have to get together with my daughter and have her download the pictures she took into my photobucket file so I can go through them and post some more.

The house turned out really nice, nothing fancy, but it is what the one who must be obeyed wanted. You all know the old saying, HAPPY WIFE< HAPPY LIFE!

Jim

 

[NUTTSGT]

LOL, happy wife, happy life, my wife says that alot. I can't wait to see the pics after they're posted.

 

[rmckee]

72' long, 5 stalls, 2 cars deep?! I'm in love. Post a pic??

On topic... look forward to seeing the framing up on the new place.

 

[jlckmj]

rmckee,

here is the old shop, I lived in a 120 year old brick farm house. This was the old machine shed, when I moved there 20years ago I put in the 5 doors in the front, and a 12x12 door on one of the ends. It was not fancy, but I got a lot of work done in there.

The shop half was insulated and heated, with tin walls and ceilings.
The cold storage side was a junk magnet. It is so large I actually converted an old Trailways GMC bus to an RV in there.

Outside

Shop side

cold storage

It was hard giving it up, but the place was a lot of work. 350 foot driveway that drifted closed with snow all the time, 5 hours to cut the grass, an old dairy barn that needs a lot of work, (or torn down) not to mention the maintenance on the house.

The good part is my daughter and son in law bought it, so I was able to take my time rehabbing our new (old) house and build the garage. It has been over a year since we started and tomorrow I am finally going to start bringing equipment and cabinets to the new garage. Needless to say, a lot of choice morsels will stay on the farm.

Jim

 

[Bib Overalls]

As long as you have storage privileges at the old shop you will never downsize your stash. Nothing wrong with that!!