nirion

My wife and I are putting an offer in on a piece of land next week (4 acres). We plan on building a house on it after she graduates nursing school (2009). I

I want to be able to have our house for sale and have a garage built on the property to store a 74 Nova, my tools, and some of our stuff while the new house is built. Is anyone familiar with the garages with apartments above them? This would be somewhere to live instead of an apartment while the house is being built and then a nice place for people to stay when they visit.

I liked this one:
http://www.behmdesign.com/garageplans/841440-1.html

Any idea on what something like this would cost to build in central OH?

If this idea doesn't pan out, I will probably do something like a 25x30 garage.

Thanks,
Nick

patdaly

Menards has very similar packages, actually pretty cheap if you can build it yourself.

Be very careful to know your local Zoning requirements, at least here in the pepuls republik of Illinoisistan, most are not legal to build.

AlpineRAM

If it's possible to build something like that for you, you should consider designing it for a double use in the future. Over here we try to install stuff like AC or heating (alternative stuff like inversed AC, solar etc) in and on the garage- we also use the space for a big hot water buffer to store heat energy while it's cheap and use it when it's cold. The advantage is that you have all the noisy and maintenance-intensive stuff outside the house and still have all the comforts. The only thing you'll need is some extra piping between house and garage.

Just my 2c

AlpineRAM

josterbauer

I am an estimator for a builder in Minnesota, and for something like that to be built you would be looking at 130.00 per sf here. That is if you did none of the work yourself, and hired it out to a builder. Materials and labor are going to run you around 90.00 per sf on something like that, if you subcontracted it yourself. Always take in account land costs.

nirion

Thanks for the reply. Is that for just the finished section (720 sf x $130 = $93600) or the garage section as well? $93000 seems pretty high for that, but I don't really know.

josterbauer

That would be for the whole shootin match. Garage with living above. Should be everything done. Depending factors are foundation costs, and different codes. We have to have a min of 5 course deep foundation to set that on top of here. Due to the frost. If you can get by with it try going slab on grade with the edges of the slab thicker. That would save around 2-2500.00. I am an estimator for the builder, and I also design the homes that we build.

dieselfuelonly

Thats a really cool idea, never seen one of those before.

Iron Mike

Wow, $93,000 for that. Dude you've got to be kidding me. I am sure glad I don't live in Minnesota.
Take a copy of the plans to a good Lumber Yard that deals with contractors and their estimator can tell you how much the materials will cost. In my area materials for that can be had for less than $40K. You will need to check locally as building costs, like housing costs vary greatly. Where I live you can buy a pretty nice 3 Bdrm home in a decent neighborhood for less than $93,000. Mind you, I am not talking about new construction.
I don't doubt that josterbauer is right on the money in his area. I'm just glad I don't live in his area.

wannadiesel

That's my dream house. A big shop with a loft apartment with picture windows overlooking the bays. I know, I'm not right in the head.

nirion

I very much agree with you Mike. The 1900 sf house we were looking at (stick built new build) was around $112,000 plus well and septic.

patdaly

Oh, but you are VERY, VERY right in the head.

My definition of a perfect house was Rutger Hauers building in the movie where he goes after the terrorists......man, I can't think of the movie right now, but it starts with him bounty hunting some scumbags and ends with the classic grenade in the mouth....

In any instance, he has a building where he pulls in, takes the elevator with car and all right to his floor, and pulls in. Has his own indoor range even!

Thats what I'm talkin about!

doomgaze

Actually, I want to do something very similar but with a horse barn. Everyone looks at me like I'm crazy when I tell them all I want is a horse barn with a living quarters in it.

It would be cheaper than a house and it would pay for itself if you rent stalls!

May be the only smart financial idea I've ever wanted to do!

06 DIESEL

My ideal house is a 40 X 100 garage with a basement underneath and a house above. The catch is that I want concrete floors and no supporting walls or posts, only posts aloud are the one's for the lifts.

josterbauer

Yep, our starter homes that we are selling are starting at 210,000.00 for a 2 bedroom 1100 Square Foot Split Entry Home in our area. It all depends on location, income for the area, local codes, and some other factors in the location. You could probobly use what starter homes are going for in your location and use the price that I just listed to figure out what price you should be paying. For instance if starter homes are going for 105,000.00 in your area just divide my number in half that I quoted you, and you should be really close.

nirion

Thanks. Its crazy that prices are that different (and not even in CA or NY)