Posted: 3/15/2008 10:47:02 PM EDT
| Ok ARFCOM I have a question. My and the fiance are looking some cheap housing for the next few years. We own about an acre and a half in the country (well outside city limits). I want to keep the land bc it has a 12' deep creek that I can shoot to my hearts content in. We are wanting to have a house built in a few years but need something better for now. The idea I had was to have a metal shop type building put in toward the back of our land and section off a "living quarters" and keep the rest as my man space (shop). I can get a 40' x 50', plumbed, insulated, electricity, etc. for about 20k. I've seen it done before and it was actually quite nice. The square feet was comparable to an apartment. I've always lusted over having a big shop to do my thing in. And once we build the house i'll have the shop there and be all set. The place we live in now is a mobile home but i'm tired of living in it. It came with the land so we've been living here the past 2 years. I'm 23 and shes 21. Oh, and we've been together since 9th grade (before the fiance comments) I am looking for everyones opinion on this idea and pros/cons, etc. |
| This is an excellent idea. Don't forget to budget in for septic and electricity. Expect min 10k for septic at a minimum. I've known people who have done this and they have been very happy. Plan EVERYTHING out in advance - especially what you plan to do with the building AFTER you build your house on the property later on. 40x50 sounds big, but for a garage it's not as big as you think. Put your intended floorplan on paper and account for tbe space you intend to build your apartment with. Plan on about $6-7 per sq ft for concrete foundation, and about $5 per sq ft for any driveway. As you can see, the $$$ will start adding up pretty quickly. The $20k you quoted I'm assuming is for materials only - no labor. If it includes labor, it sounds low to me. I'm guessing that it'll cost at least $75k to do what you're thinking, unless you plan to do most of the work yourself. However, it'll be worth it! |
| Thanks, well we have septic already out here so that's covered. I need to go talk to a few people bc there is a guy at my old job who had this local builder come of and he said that his 40x50 with slab, instal, electric, insulation, and plumbing came out to 20-25k. I've seen his place and it is nice. But that of course is just the shop, not the insde sectioning. As far as the price goes, I'm just going by what he told me. I'll have to actually go talk to the builders and get a more concrete estimate. I will be doing the inside myself as far as the living area goes. When we do build a house I am going to use it as my shop so it will stay. A friend of my grandfather has a shop like that. I think it is awesome, you go in and it's like an apartment sort of. Then you go out a door and it's a huge shop. |
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The farm next to my in-laws was owned by out of staters, and they had a little apartment in the machine shed. Nice place to stay for a week or so. I wouldn't mind owning that farm. It's dry, but there's a nice spring fed pond that would be awesome with a little mowing. The hunting is good there, too, due to its isolated location. |
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I'm looking at the same thing for 6-8 months. considered a trailer and living in a shop. If you have a trailer stay in it. Use the big shop money for the house. We decided to buy a travel trailer since we want one anyway and to get a metal building for house hold goods and use as a shop after the build. My .02 |
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2000 square foot metal building with concrete and plumbing and electrical for $10 a foot. This must be 1990 not 2008. Just 3 years ago metal buildings erected without concrete were about $12 a foot. Just materials were $8 a foot. Today you could easily add $2 to those numbers. All I can tell you is to get 2 or 3 quotes from area contractors, pick the one in the middle and add about 15% to it. That is where you will end up. Good luck! |