Help with 40x60 plans w/ apartment

[mrpizza]

Looking to build a 40x60 with a 600 square foot apartment in it. This would leave me a 30x40 section and a 20x30 section open, like a big L shape. Has anyone done something like this and would you recommend it or not?

I would live in it a few years until we build a home.

 

[larry_g]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=288923

The above thread may be of some help.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[mrpizza]

I took a look in that one, was curious how the apartment sits in the barn

 

[wnstwolf]

I have a 60x40 raised center which has 800 sq/ft above. Just another thought.

 

[shortykorte]

Definitely recommend this especially if it allows you to save money, be right next door to oversee the house build when the time comes. Once the house is built, you have a great guest/mother in law suite in the garage. My parents built and lived in a 12x24 apt/20x24 garage for 8 months while building their home. I even lived in this apt for 12 months.
When I got divorced, I had a small lot and considered a 32x60 Morton building with the same 600' for an apt. I ended up buying a 24x60 warehouse with the plan to put in a 1000sqft. loft.
I would recommend two 20x40 bays and then a 30' deep apt. The back 20x10 could be a mechanical room for air compressor, hot water, sink and storage. Also have it to where you can use the space above the apt. for storage.

Check out the Asylum. Shopnut did the exact thing you're thinking of. Also Morton Building has a lot of home/garage examples.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3148
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=262391

 

[Dragfluid]

Check out my build.
The basic shell is 42x72x14. There is a 12x32 apartment along one of the long sides. The floor is raised up 6" from the slab and insulated. Our son lives in it. A small bedroom upstairs with a 7' ceiling. Bathroom with full size shower, with a full size washer and dryer. Two people could easily live in it, but it would be "cozy".

 

[justanengineer]

I've never built one like youre suggesting but have lived in them on several occasions, personally I wouldnt recommend it as a waste of both space and money and a 2nd rate living space. The better choice if youre going that route is to build a garage and park an RV in it, you then get the space and money invested on kitchen/bath infrastructure back by simply selling the RV when done.

Out of curiosity, why not start by building the house and a small garage? If money is an issue you could start by having a heated shell built pretty cheaply, finish the basic kitchen and a bathroom yourself then move in, likely cheaper than what youre proposing. You can then do the expensive (3/4 of the price, 1/4 the work) finishing as time/money allows. SWMBO and I are planning to do that this spring if we dont find the perfect long-term homestead before then.

 

[tomroblee]

We bought some rural property about 25 years ago. About ten years ago we decided to build a large garage with a one bedroom apartment attached. We originally were thinking of pole barn construction, but finally decided on conventional stud construction with a crawl space beneath the apartment.

The footprint of the building is 36' x 64'. Our builder talked us into using attic trusses. The thought was that the attic trusses wouldn't add much to the cost, and would allow for cheap expansion in the future--if we ever wanted it. We ended up having the second floor finished while our garage/apartment was being built.

About half the first level is garage and the other half is living space in an "interlocking L" design. The living area had to be "L" shaped in order for all the rooms to be on an outside wall and have windows. We use the smaller open section of the garage as a big mud/laundry room. (It has a washer, dryer, laundry sink, freezer and has the rough plumbing for a toilet in case we ever want to add one.)

What we have suits our needs and after ten years we still love it. The downside is that there was a lot of cost escalation as the construction progressed, and potential resale value will suffer greatly because of the unusual design.

When it comes to recommendations for others, I think that you will be happy with about anything --- if you feel that you are maintaining or improving your standard of living. Our "city" home was a 1920's house with 9' ceilings, fairly large rooms, and lots of windows. We had our rural apartment built with 9' ceilings, fairly large rooms, and lots of windows. Since it was only going to be a weekend/vacation place we originally considered going the cheap route with baseboard heat, window air conditioners, bottom line cabinets, and cheap everything else. As the construction progressed, we realized we were going to be a lot happier with central HVAC, custom cabinets, upgraded woodwork and floor coverings, etc.
Ten years later we don't regret spending the extra money up front.

If you are considering going ahead, plan ahead for the sizing and location of your utilities, driveway, sewer/septic, etc. I eventually decided to have a pole barn built for additional storage. If I had anticipated this pole barn when I originally built my garage/apartment, I would have given a lot more thought to the location of my building, driveway, water line and buried electric line as well as the size of electric service I had installed.

 

[My Old Tools]

I did it. I had a 30x80 metal building erected, insulated. My dad sketched a simple floor plan on a sheet of notebook paper and we set the plumbing, windows and doors accordingly. I spent nights and weekends framing the apartment, 2x4x8 24" on center. I then insulated the wooden framing separately. Remember the building shell was already insulated. I wired it, plumbed it, hung the sheetrock, everything except tape, bed, and paint. I did acid stained concrete floors myself. I lived in it 10 years while I got my kid though high school and college (single). I still own it, but will put it on the market pretty soon. It was super efficient. 1200 sf all electric, all utilities under $100 a month. That includes central heat and air in the Texas heat. I wore down toward the end so it still needs some interior trim and I need to finish the cabinets. I built those too.

 

[mrpizza]

Thanks for the advice so far! I am really leaning towards the 40x40 open bay towards one end and a 20x30 with the 10x20 space for compressor, water heater, and such. Thst way i can use one bay like the reguLar garage while living there.

 

[Nighttrain]

I have a 40x60 with a 16x40 building (office-guest room) inside. In my build thread. I do loose some floor space but am happy with the lay out.

 

[shortykorte]

Thanks for the advice so far! I am really leaning towards the 40x40 open bay towards one end and a 20x30 with the 10x20 space for compressor, water heater, and such. Thst way i can use one bay like the reguLar garage while living there.

I think you will find this the most versatile while you live there and later when you have your home built. Definitely heed Tomroblee advice and create a site plan of future use not just right now use.

 

[61ford]

ive done the same exact thing your talking but mine is a 800 sq ft apartment. I love it I don't recommend a apt any smaller than 800 bc even at 800 the living space is a little small. I built a 40 x 60 garage and went 20 foot from back wall and made a 20 x 40 apartment. its a great way to get a cheap house. the only drawback there is that banks just freak out since its not a traditional house and you will only get a arm. I built mine bc I needed a good size garage a lot worse than a house, house in the plans later. the 40 x 40 is already full done a 40 x 12 addition on both sides that are almost done and plans to build another one.