Garage apartment?

[ckpitt55]

Hey gents,

I'm a single 25 year old guy that's ready to get out on my own. I moved home for a few years after college to get a financial base and have a good job / been working for a while now, blah blah. Anyway, I'm big into working on cars, fabricating, etc. and am growing frustrated with the lack of rental options out there that have space available for that kind of thing. Most places don't have garages at all, and those that do are out of my price range and/or wouldn't be receptive to noise. If I get in the zone and have the desire to be out there grinding down welds at 2 am, then I want to have the freedom to do so - this pretty much rules out apartments/townhomes/condos.

I've also looked into renting/buying houses - but most places that have enough shop space (~2-bay for it to be worth my while) generally come with a lot more space than I need as well as pretty hefty mortgage payment (at least in my area).

I've been cruising craigslist for rental garage space - but most spaces actually made to work out of (i.e. not just storage) are in the $700-$1k/month range in rent. I've asked around but haven't had much luck elsewhere with lower prices. Also thought of splitting space with guys but I don't have many friends in the area with long term projects going on at the moment.

I was surfing around and came across plans for a "garage apartment", basically a big garage with a living space on top of it. This would be pretty much ideal for me (at the moment). https://justgarageplans.com/house-plans.php?id=7&pageID=1

Admittedly building myself a big play space that I happen to live in would probably be kind of short sighted as I don't intend to be single for my entire life, but then again I do intend to wrench as long as I'm able to so I'd always have this space to work on projects. I was curious if anyone out there had built anything similar, what pros/cons there are, and if it would potentially have a lower entry cost than a house (generally speaking)? >> Obviously I know that's a really subjective question, but bear with me.

Any other general insight / perspectives for this young buck are both welcomed and appreciated. Sorry for the long post.

 

[mtmgtz]

I'm not sure if you're thinking of building in a city/subdivision but there may be zoning ordinances or covenant restrictions on such structures. They may just consider it a house if you have no other structures on the property. If they consider the primary purpose of the structure to be a garage then you may have some issues having a dwelling in it as well.

If you wanted to do something like this, it would probably be much easier in an area outside of the city limits. There generally isn't quite the amount of restrictions on such things from the county perspective.

In my opinion, it's a waste of money if you don't plan on ever building a house adjacent to the garage. You won't find many people wanting to buy a garage with a small living space with nothing else on the property. I'd look into buying a fixer upper house with a decent two car garage. You gotta think long term whether you really want to or not.

 

[j p smith]

Years ago i had a friend with the same goal. He ended up looking for and found an area that was going to be larger lots where you could have horses or even cows. I think he bought 2 1/2 acres, 1 was 1 acre and the other parcel was 1 1/2. His idea was he could build a shop with living quarters upstairs and work out of the shop. He built on the 1 1/2 with a plot plan that would allow room for a nice home later on. Ended up finding a gal, lived in the shop/apartment for 5 years, decided to start a family, sold the 1 acre and built a nice 2400 square home. Still there today, kids in high school, 3 dogs, 4 horses and a cow.

 

[Taildragger]

My neighbor (in the country) built a dream shop with upstairs living quarters and didn't like it. You need to have two separate HVAC systems or all your paint fumes, dust, etc. end up in your living quarters.

 

[Frank Dukes]

They do exist in apartment form.. i lived in one for a year. condo type apartment - two car garage with laundry/storage in back and a one bedroom apartment on top of it. iirc it was 6 units. loved it. more room in that apartment garage than in my house now.

 

[sean Buick 76]

I look forward to hearing what you find!

Have you looked into renting a house that has a god sized garage you can use? I know renting is not an ideal option for the long term however if the rent was decent you could save up and buy what you really want in a few years...

 

[Openboater]

I have a buddy who had a big shop/apt. built--it was a super building--we had TX Holdem' tournaments in the thing. I'm sure they come as an offering from pole building builders. I like your plan. Nice little one or two bed apt. with a giant shop attached. t

 

[sberry]

Lived in mine for 12 years, was super convenient. Its been remodeled a little since that early pic.

 

[Rosco]

That is what I have, but it is also on the lot with my house. I would have no problem living in my upstairs apt. As long as you plan it correctly it can be done.

Mine is 800 sq ft garage, and the apartment is 18' X 26'. The apt has two large dormers that have a walk-in closet in one and a full bath in the other. Cable, phone, wi-fi, cat 5 etc. it has a kitchen area, heat/air and surround sound.

I am still working on sealing/ insulating the floor for fumes/noise.

I bought a set of plans and modified them. I have 2 man doors, one in the garage and one at the bottom of the stairs so you do not have to walk through the shop to get to the apartment.

I also have a 1/2 bath and water heater under the stairs. Taildragger is correct, if I want to heat/cool the garage portion it will be another mini-split unit

This is the plan I started with, mine looks a little different but basically the same thing
http://www.architecturaldesigns.com/house-plan-2233SL.asp

 

[TheEquineFencer]

LOL, my shop has a washer/dryer hook up in a "mudroom", full bathroom and an office. G/F that actually owns it swears I live here.

 

[2gslse]

I wish I had done this very thing but when I was ready to build I couldnt find any plans for them and then talked myself out of it and have kicked myself ever since. If you can find land to build on just do it and when your life changes it can still be used as a man cave/place to hang out. if you have kids in the future they can play in the apt while they are small and could live in it when ready to go out on their own but still under control.

 

[ckpitt55]

I wish I had done this very thing but when I was ready to build I couldnt find any plans for them and then talked myself out of it and have kicked myself ever since. If you can find land to build on just do it and when your life changes it can still be used as a man cave/place to hang out. if you have kids in the future they can play in the apt while they are small and could live in it when ready to go out on their own but still under control.

All true

I was looking around at land for a little while and came to the conclusion that I need to save up a lot more before I can realistically do anything. I have a ton of research to be doing before I jump into anything, anyway.

 

[2gslse]

whatever you decide,don't let anyone talk you out of it.Lots of people will say noone will buy it in the future but who cares about that if you don't want to sell it?Besides that there are a lot of single men out there who would rent or buy the perfect living situation if you needed to unload it later.
I have had my home finished for 9 years now and cannot afford a real garage yet (want a 30x50) but still dreaming,saving and planning for when it comes time.

 

[GarageWarrior]

I was renting a workshop a couple years ago and there was a guy actually living in the next unit. Landlord did not mind. The guy had his woodworking shop on the ground floor and added a bathroom and built-up a mezzanine level for his bed/TV.

There should be separation between industrial work-space and living space IMHO. The guy in the unit next door was coughing all the time, presumably from dust and fumes. I spent a few nights in my shop while going through a rough patch and did not like it at all.

If you really want a workshop and can't justify the cost of industrial unit - rent a 3-4 bedroom house with a 2-car garage and sublet. Subletting should cover most of your rent, so it will actually cost you less than renting a one bedroom by yourself.

 

[zzflattop]

I have a buddy that put up a steel building for a shop. On one end of it he built a REALLY nice studio apartment. He fully intends on building a house on that property, but for now he and his wife live very comfortably in that apartment and they just happen to have a kick *** shop at the same time. Some day I will get some pictures up in here of his place. Yeah, I'm pretty envious of him and his little set up.

Good luck man, I hope you find what you're looking for.

Ron

 

[finn]

My new (to me) shop has an office and bathroom setup which I converted to a small apartment for my brother and his dog when he is in town.

Still have to add the shower, though, which is a problem, as the county wants buildings like mine to have a holding tank rather than a septic system, specifically to prevent converting garages and shops to living space.

My friend in southern Wisconsin faces a similar situation, ie no septic allowed (holding tank only)

 

[ckpitt55]

whatever you decide,don't let anyone talk you out of it.Lots of people will say noone will buy it in the future but who cares about that if you don't want to sell it?Besides that there are a lot of single men out there who would rent or buy the perfect living situation if you needed to unload it later.
I have had my home finished for 9 years now and cannot afford a real garage yet (want a 30x50) but still dreaming,saving and planning for when it comes time.

I fully plan on building with the intention of keeping it, but I know a lot of people probably say that. Either way, I agree - seems like a place like this would suit a lot of people (that I'm acquainted with, anyway).

I was renting a workshop a couple years ago and there was a guy actually living in the next unit. Landlord did not mind. The guy had his woodworking shop on the ground floor and added a bathroom and built-up a mezzanine level for his bed/TV.

There should be separation between industrial work-space and living space IMHO. The guy in the unit next door was coughing all the time, presumably from dust and fumes. I spent a few nights in my shop while going through a rough patch and did not like it at all.

If you really want a workshop and can't justify the cost of industrial unit - rent a 3-4 bedroom house with a 2-car garage and sublet. Subletting should cover most of your rent, so it will actually cost you less than renting a one bedroom by yourself.

I really hate the idea of renting / having roommates. Got my fill of that in college and I have no intention of doing that again. I'd rather put the money to work for me building up equity in the property. After a while I could use that equity to help me build a house on the same property (or elsewhere) when the time comes.

I would not do a mezzanine style apartment for that reason - the living area would have it's own dedicated floor with whatever hvac / vapor barriers necessary to keep the **** out.

I have a buddy that put up a steel building for a shop. On one end of it he built a REALLY nice studio apartment. He fully intends on building a house on that property, but for now he and his wife live very comfortably in that apartment and they just happen to have a kick *** shop at the same time. Some day I will get some pictures up in here of his place. Yeah, I'm pretty envious of him and his little set up.

Good luck man, I hope you find what you're looking for.

Ron

Thanks Ron, I appreciate it. Still a long way out but I'll keep you guys posted on any progress I'm able to make if the day ever comes.

 

[bobbycos]

didn't Crass and Bernie in the magazine CARtoons have that type of living arrangement

 

[lksdrinker]

I would suggest taking your time and waiting until you find what you think is the perfect fit. I'm not too much older than you and I know living with mom and dad can ****; but it really is a great option to fall back on for the time being.

I recently purchased my first home and during the house hunting process I told my wife I was looking for a 2 car garage with a house attached and/or nearby. In the end we settled on a house that has a detached 1.5 car garage and while I did settle I'm happy in the end.

I know this might not be ideal, but have you looked into just finding an affordable place to live and perhaps renting a storage unit to use as a workshop/garage area? I dont know how common it might be, but I know a few storage places around here offer units with exterior access and they dont have many restrictions on what you can/can't do in there. Could be an affordable solution if you can deal with having to travel to the space when you need to do some tinkering.

 

[larry_g]

Where are the pictures of the pecan farmer in Texas? He has just what you want.

found it, http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110161

lg
no neat sigline

 

[metalhead212121]

subscribing..

 

[whyNick?]

Two years ago I was looking for an excuse to buy a cheap piece of property down the road from me as an investment. My plan was to put a nice 3 car garage at the back of the lot and use it for storage for a few years then build a spec house and sell the property, hopefully for a profit. I didn't end up going through with it but while doing the research I considered a 3 car Cape Cod-style garage from Menards that had a 900 sf apartment upstairs, my thinking being that I could market the apartment as a MIL suite when I sold it. If I recall the package price for materials from Menards was under $20k.

 

[Mr.A]

Build a big pole barn and park a trailer in it.

 

[ckpitt55]

I would suggest taking your time and waiting until you find what you think is the perfect fit. I'm not too much older than you and I know living with mom and dad can ****; but it really is a great option to fall back on for the time being.

I recently purchased my first home and during the house hunting process I told my wife I was looking for a 2 car garage with a house attached and/or nearby. In the end we settled on a house that has a detached 1.5 car garage and while I did settle I'm happy in the end.

I know this might not be ideal, but have you looked into just finding an affordable place to live and perhaps renting a storage unit to use as a workshop/garage area? I dont know how common it might be, but I know a few storage places around here offer units with exterior access and they dont have many restrictions on what you can/can't do in there. Could be an affordable solution if you can deal with having to travel to the space when you need to do some tinkering.

Thought about it but a storage unit wouldn't really be any better than working in the driveway where I am now. My parents have a small 1-car garage that I keep all my tools in and have my car under a pop-up tent in the driveway to keep rain off of it. I ran 220V to the garage for my tig welder, etc. It's not a bad arrangement really - it's just that the lack or workspace when I have things torn apart along with exposure to the elements can make it difficult to get things done sometimes. Making do with it for now though.

Where are the pictures of the pecan farmer in Texas? He has just what you want.

found it, http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110161

lg
no neat sigline

holy smokes, that's a lot of building

Two years ago I was looking for an excuse to buy a cheap piece of property down the road from me as an investment. My plan was to put a nice 3 car garage at the back of the lot and use it for storage for a few years then build a spec house and sell the property, hopefully for a profit. I didn't end up going through with it but while doing the research I considered a 3 car Cape Cod-style garage from Menards that had a 900 sf apartment upstairs, my thinking being that I could market the apartment as a MIL suite when I sold it. If I recall the package price for materials from Menards was under $20k.

I'd definitely be trying to put as much of it up myself as I could which should help save me some money. From my limited research, material cost shouldn't be too bad for what I'm looking to do.

 

[whyNick?]

Build a big pole barn and park a trailer in it.

That's a decent idea, might help you stay under the radar of the zoning folks too...

 

[larry_g]

My neighbor (in the country) built a dream shop with upstairs living quarters and didn't like it. You need to have two separate HVAC systems or all your paint fumes, dust, etc. end up in your living quarters.

For heating a hydronic heating system would work for the whole building and a minisplit with two or more heads could supply cooling.

lg
no neat sig line