Garage apartments

[Ceezer]

What are your thoughts on them?

I've come to the realization and conclusion that there are too many dislikes about my current house, garage & yard to try and bring it up to my standard of liking (not cost efficient). I think it's in my best interest to just wrap up my outstanding projects and get it to the point where I can sell it when I'm ready (I've been wanting some more land further out in the country, anyway). I'll continue with some small upgrades in the garage to make the most of it while I'm still here, but I've nixed any plans for major overhauls and/or expansions.

My current house is around 1450 sqft and, honestly, I (and my 10 year old daughter) probably use less than half of that space. So what I'm thinking, when I *do* find some land and get to the point that I'm ready to build, is that I might prefer, instead of building a house with an attached or detached garage, to build a nice big garage/shop with an attached apartment.

If something ever did happen that resulted in building an actual house (meeting someone & expanding the family), then I could always use that space as a home gym/office, to entertain family/friends (it'd have a kitchen), a playroom for the kids while I'm in the shop, etc.

What do you y'all think of them? Are they harder to keep warm/cool, or is it no different than a house with an attached garage? Would it be better to have the garage and apartment all on one level, have the apartment above the garage, both (common areas on 1st floor and bedrooms on 2nd, giving the garage ~16ft ceilings), or does it matter? Anything to keep in mind about these arrangements when planning it out in my head?

And on a related note, how would trying to sell the house and build work? I've never sold a house before but have heard of others doing so and think you generally get around 30 days from closing to be moved out. Obviously it's going to take more than 30 days to construct a new residence, so would I need to sell this place first and get an apartment for the duration of the build?

 

[Rosco]

I have a detached garage with a bonus room on top. Finishing it now and plan to utilize the extra space for whatever comes up. It is a matter of taste and garage space needs. I personally would need attic storage a lot more than cieling hieght. But some folks need a very high cieling for the various projects they have.

As far as selling your place, there is a paragraph in the contract that stipulates when possession will happen for the new owner, which can always be negotiated. Be cautious though.........I have had deals fall through because the sellers could not be out of the home on closing day.

 

[Big Rick]

I have a frend who did something close his shop is 60'x80'. The walls are in 10' ground an about 3' above ground at the back and about 8'in frount wall.He put a kitchen,bath, bed room,tv/office in south west corner of the shop side he used sideing from a old camp traler and windos too.the shop is all inulated and apt has more he pulls his car up next to apt he has a lawn chars and atable and a 110 volt bbq and a small frige it's cool and fun the rest of the shop nice the south wall has glass windos and 2 rollup doors and 2 48" man doors it's good working shop

 

[Bigpigdave]

I lived in an above-garage apartment when I was much younger. For a single guy I found it to be great, but I couldn't imagine raising a family in one. Please take into consideration that your daughter is going to change a lot over the next 5-6 years. She is going to need private space and is going to want friends to stay over. Is she going to be worried about what they will think of her living in a "garage"? Yes!
JMHO, Dave

 

[Ceezer]

I personally would need attic storage a lot more than cieling hieght. But some folks need a very high cieling for the various projects they have.

I guess a good thing for me is that I don't need much attic space. I've spent the last few years 'decluttering' and getting rid of things I thought I needed to hang on to (throughout the entire house), so all I've got left in the attic is Christmas decorations, camping gear, and some small boxes of items I haven't yet been able to convince myself to get rid of (die cast, 10 years worth of Hot Rod & VW magazines, etc).

Rick, that sounds awesome and just like what I have pictured in my head. Does he happen to have any pictures of that online?

Dave, that is something I overlooked. Although, I had planned on having actual bedrooms and everything, just like in a house. From the outside, though, as I envision it, you wouldn't know there was a home inside the shop. I guess that might be where the problem lies; as you describe, the appearance of living in a 'garage'.

 

[willymakeit]

Ive helped friends in the past to build these. One was approx. 40X60. We walled off 1 end and went 2 story. Bedroom above bedroom on 1 end with the kitchen in front of lower bdrm. and 2 baths. This did not look like a garage on the inside as the decoration was rustic with a lot of auto memobrilia. Main thing is 2 points of egress and windows in bdrms to code. I would definetly make the seperation wall a fire wall with the correct rated door in it. These are great and Im considering 1 in Ok. for myself.

 

[DeadSock]

be certain about zoning regs in your area.

it's becoming very common to have zoning limit you to a single residence ... and your garage apartment would qualify as one (which means no house in the future.

thebest way to avoid this is to get 2 lots next to each other. one lot has the garage/apt, and then the other could be a potential home site later.

 

[kmacht]

If I had the money and the land this is what I would put up:

http://www.horizonstructures.com/living_quarters.asp

Keith

 

[fefarms]

I don't recommend living space above a garage space, especially a garage you are going to work in. The houses I've lived in that had bedroooms over the garage always had problems with fumes and smells working their way into the living space, not to mention the noise issues. Better to put the living space at one end -- easier to isolate spaces with walls than ceilings.

The houses I've bought and sold have been "keys at closing", with a rent-back arrangement to allow the former occupant time to move out. These rent-backs typically last only a couple of months -- not enough time to build new living quarters from scratch. While everything's negotiable, the new owners will want to take physical possession of your old place reasonably soon. It's just human nature. I think you'll need a construction loan or bridge financing of some sort to do what you propose, and this may be a problem given what you are trying to do.

Which brings us to the issues of resale value and "nothing is forever". Your proposed structure may work fine for the two of you but it will be hard to sell down-the-line. You'll need to not get too overextended paying for it.

 

[richashley]

Another issue with living space above the garage is having to go up and down stairs to and from the living space. My sister and brother-in-law had this type of set up. They ended up adding a raised driveway on the side so they could do things like bring in groceries without making a dozen trips up and down the stairs.

 

[bazzateer]

Why not buy the new plot of land and a trailer to live in while you build the new garage/house? If it's just you and your daughter you should be OK for a few months.

 

[LAROKE]

I did some prelim sketching on a Stealth Shop - A structure, half shop, half residence, designed for an urban lot and made to look residential so as not to alarm the neighborhood.

Here's a link to the design.

Stealth Shop

 

[iagsxr]

Have a buddy that lives in one. He built it on the same property as a duplex he already owned. I notice very little smell transfer, but it's hot water heat and the AC's seperate between levels.

I drew plans to build one on a property I own. It became clear pretty quickly it wasn't going to be any sort of bargain and I was going to end up with a very limited appeal structure for resale.

 

[PAToyota]

My main concern would be to suggest that you pay close attention to fire separation details. A certain part of the reason I built my workshop as a detached structure was to separate the "dangers" from my living space - along with the noise, dirt, and odors.

DeadSock brings up the other point - that of zoning. There are ways around this, but it could be an issue if they are very strict about single residence zoning for an area.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Something to think about is that there are a lot of carcinogens in a typical garage. Granted, we all accept some exposure to dangerous stuff as part of life. But I'd be a little leery of having a young kid breathing that shared air every night, year after year. Not everything in there has a smell to it.

I don't know how much that applies in this specific case. But it's something to consider.

As a data pint, one cancer study showed that the risk of childhood leukemia increased between 2X and 5X if a father worked with spray paint, dyes or pigments during the mother's pregnancy.

 

[rickycobra]

I would write some dislikes in you house and work on getting rid of those and then you'll have an idea of what your new house will look like.

 

[W-Cummins]

The Main problem is that your going to have to pay for it, and you going to have a hell of a time ever selling it.. It will be almost impossible to get a conventional (marketable) loan for it, and that will cause problems even if you don't need a loan to build it, when you go to sell it. Ask me how I know! Also if you want a HUGE shop build the home first and get a conventional loan on it, and then build the shop that way at least you would have a conventional loan. Of course that will still result in a property that is VERY hard to sell because the new buyer will not be able to get one.

William....

 

[crewchief888]

when i was much younger, my new bride and i, lived in an apartment above a garage.
it sucked, the guy downstairs, (my EX FIL) was running a small body shop in the garage. it was all legal as far as zoning, and operating a business, but it SUCKED.
paint fumes were horrible, as was the dust, and when he'd forget to shut off the compressor we got to listen to it all night long.
we had steels stairs running up the side of our apt, for access to our place and another apt upstairs in the front of the building. constant noise from the steel treads ect.
i wouldnt want to live above a garage, shop, or anything like it again.

 

[Ceezer]

Some valid points from everyone to consider. Thanks, y'all.

Resale wasn't something I was planning for, as I was hoping that the next move would be the last move, but I suppose I should at least keep it in mind as I never know for sure...

I hate to build a house and have a lot of unused space, but I suppose it could be designed to be small & efficient (not so small that there isn't enough room to grow, but no/little wasted space) then have a big attached garage. Is there some sort of regulation in regards to living footage versus garage/unheated footage that affects loans?

 

[Rosco]

A lot of good points above. There are ways to reduce the risk;

I capped the entire upstairs floor with 3/4 inch T&G OSB glued and screwed prior to raising the rafters. The garage cieling will be closed cell spray foam and then 5/8 inch sheetrock (fire code). This will reduce noise and fumes.

Installed 2 exterior walk-in doors. One by the main garage door and one right at the landing for the stairs.

The upstairs will be separated from the garage by two solid exterior type doors. One at the lower landing and one at the top of the stairs entering the apartment (again fire code)

Since it is my garage and my apartment (man cave/guest room/poker room etc.) I can control the noise, fumes etc.

I installed 3 windows upstairs. All big enough to emergency exit. One will have a rope ladder. (3' X 5' is the main window on gable......code for emergency exit)

If I do not plan on renting the apartment out, I am still within zoning of a single family residence, as long as I am the occupant of the apartment. The zoning laws are mainly to prevent rented space.....even if there is only a single house.

There are many ways to address every concern if you do enough planning. My garage apartment is not intended to be lived in full time, only for parties or guest. The concerns about living in one full time are very warranted, but I would do whatever fits your lifestyle.

 

[W-Cummins]

Some valid points from everyone to consider. Thanks, y'all.

Resale wasn't something I was planning for, as I was hoping that the next move would be the last move, but I suppose I should at least keep it in mind as I never know for sure...

I hate to build a house and have a lot of unused space, but I suppose it could be designed to be small & efficient (not so small that there isn't enough room to grow, but no/little wasted space) then have a big attached garage. Is there some sort of regulation in regards to living footage versus garage/unheated footage that affects loans?

I don't think there is a hard and fast rule for garage size VS home size. The problem is you need comparable property's to get a appraisal on the value of the place. They normally want 3-4 comps sold with in 6-8 months in your area. So if you have a 4k sq foot shop/garage and a 2500 sq ft home you need 3-4 comparable homes in your area that have sold with in at least a year. I don't know about your area but here that is rare to find 4-5 TOTAL with in say 10 miles and NONE have sold in the last year.... So I would "guess" that one to one ratio might be ok 2:1 your going to have BIG problems

William....

 

[Inventive1]

Depending on your local government regulations, you might be able to call the garage apartment a "guest house" and still have the opportunity to build a main house.

 

[texasOFT]

Have you considered building a large metal building - 50' X 200' with 18' walls. I know of 2 in our immediate area of the Texas Panhandle and south central Kansas that have done so.

The one in texas has a 50' X 50' garage/shop at one end, then a 50' X 75' framed house with 10' ceilings in the center section and the last 50' X 75' is an indoor garden area.

The one in Kansas has the home framed in one end 50' X 50' with 2 stories, then a center section is a basketball court and the other end is a garage/shop/machine shop. The owner played basketball in college and recently sold his machine shop buisness. They ran the walls dividing each section to the roof. each section has seperate heating.

Both have noted that utility bills for natural gas are much lower for the house section than it was for houses they previously owned which were larger.

 

[denis4x4]

My wife and I have kicked this subject around several times and always come to the conclusion that it's easier to make what you already have work. Next project is to install an elevator in our existing home.

 

[Ceezer]

My wife and I have kicked this subject around several times and always come to the conclusion that it's easier to make what you already have work.

Except that it isn't just my current home that is the problem, but also the land around it. It sits in the middle of a hill: the back yard is a 30 degree incline and the front is a 45 degree decline. The house is situated on the only flat spot so there's no room for any kind of expansion/construction without major excavation, and there's no room for my daughter to play or ride her bike around. I'm sick of mowing up-hill all the time, I'm sick of the land shifting every year and uncovering new rocks/roots that bend my mower blades, I'm sick of pine trees filling my yard with debris or falling over any time there's a slight breeze (have dozens of them in my front yard), etc. I could spend tens of thousands of dollars getting the yard fixed up, but then it's still just 1 acre in a neighborhood of houses when I'd rather be on 20-40 in the middle of nowhere.

 

[LocoCoco]

As someone who used to live in an apartment above a garage, I wouldn't do it. I was the one using the garage so it wasn't terrible in that I made my own noise, but the gf still found it annoying trying to watch tv with me grinding below. The worse part were the smells. Cigarette smoke, 2-stroke exhaust, paint, and the worst, fiberglass resin made the whole apartment stink. There were no ducks or anything connecting the two either. There was a huge hot water tank heating the garage floor and the apartment with rads.

Another PITA was going up stairs to get above the garage with 12' ceilings. In our early-20s it still got tiring with groceries and such. This would be of great concern for you if you plan on spending the rest of your days there.

I would suggest doing what my neighbour did. He built a ~2500 sq.ft., single-floor house with an attached 500 sq.ft. garage all on the same poured slab. He has no basement which made it cheaper to build and will have no basement problems (leaking, dampness, dark little windows, etc.). Has not a single stair anywhere and gets walkout access front, back and side. It's the perfect house for a senior (when you get there). The house is done in brick, looks good and resale would not be a problem. Even though you would plan on never selling, sometimes things don't go as planned, ie. nursing home and need house money to pay for it.

Lastly, I too can understand your daughter not wanting to "live in a garage", and whether you agree with it or not, most single women would hate it too.



LC.

 

[jeepjunky]

A buddy of mine did this and I think its cool. He started with a huge metel building 40x60 40x80??? and finished off one end of it as a 2 story home. Its him his wife and 3 mixed kids(boys and girl). He used high end finishes in the "home" and when youre inside you would be hard pressed to know that you are in a garage. As for the garage, 2 story high ceilings, and enough room for 6 project cars/ trucks.
He did mension he is careful when welding or working with odorious vapors (gas) due to smell transfers

 

[Groovy]

I stayed in a place built in the 1600’s in France out in the boonies that was once a barn\ house even had the feed trough that was carved out of stone and it was converted into a garage and shop it was huge and awesome. The owner was in to all these old brass euro cars from the 20’s anyway above that was basically what he called a carriage house but it had tons of space, lots of rooms, a great room and an enormous kitchen.

They built the living quarters above the barn and the owner said the warmth from the live stock acted as heating from the animals along with a very cool fireplace that was up there. Not sure how legit that was but it’s obviously a very old idea and he was a very smart, very rich dude (not that they always go together).

I agree with jack and the out gassing idea of carcinogens’ might be a concern.

Kmachts link was pretty cool too and I'm loving that stealth shop from Larok as well- way cool.

The noise, grinding, cutting material, engine revving, , stereo cranking when I have that “this song ROCKS!!!” air guitar moment, cussing when I break stuff or have the wrong part, is enough to keep the garage as far away from the house as I could get it on my next go round with property purchase.

If it all you can do to have a bad *** shop and house on your land then stack em up get some cows to keep it warm. If you have a choice do like that lame song says and, "keep em seperated"