I live in a very small house. It's about 1500 sq. ft. I have a 1.5 car garage and a finished basement. The house is very comfortable, and I've done a lot of work to it, but it's just too small for all my stuff. I do brewing, wood working, and I'd like to get back into classic cars (I had to sell mine a few years back). Every time I do a project I have to re-arrange everything in my garage. I can only do 1 project at a time.
I've tried convincing my wife to move, but she wants no part of it. I finally told her that if she won't move I'm going to go buy a workshop somewhere. She's fine with it. I'm starting to think about how to go about this.
My requirements are:
Here are my options:
Option #1:
Buy an existing building that I can renovate to suit my needs. I'll do 95% of the work myself.
I'm thinking of an old repair garage or a small warehouse building. I've been looking, but the cost is pretty high. Most are setup to sell as an ongoing business, so that's factored into the price. Plus, I really can't control location.
Option #2:
Build a new building from scratch. I'll hire someone to do the shell, then finish the rest myself.
I'm thinking of getting a small piece of land and erecting a pole barn, or possibly a 3-car garage with a large loft above it. I've actually found a suitable piece of land about 2 miles from my house. It's at the end of a small subdivision on a crappy corner lot along a very busy piece of road. It sucks for a house, but is perfect for what I want. It's cheap too. It has utilities available (gas, electric, water, sewer).
I have a rough idea of costs for the foundation and the building, but I have no idea about what it might take to get sewer, water, gas, and power to a building like this - or even if it would be allowed.
What do you think about each option?
Has anyone done something like this?
Can anyone give me some advice?
I've tried convincing my wife to move, but she wants no part of it. I finally told her that if she won't move I'm going to go buy a workshop somewhere. She's fine with it. I'm starting to think about how to go about this.
My requirements are:
- Must be close to my home.
- Must have at least 2 car bays.
- Must have a finishable room, separate from the car bays.
- Must have a basic bathroom.
- Must be heated and have basic utilities.
Here are my options:
Option #1:
Buy an existing building that I can renovate to suit my needs. I'll do 95% of the work myself.
I'm thinking of an old repair garage or a small warehouse building. I've been looking, but the cost is pretty high. Most are setup to sell as an ongoing business, so that's factored into the price. Plus, I really can't control location.
Option #2:
Build a new building from scratch. I'll hire someone to do the shell, then finish the rest myself.
I'm thinking of getting a small piece of land and erecting a pole barn, or possibly a 3-car garage with a large loft above it. I've actually found a suitable piece of land about 2 miles from my house. It's at the end of a small subdivision on a crappy corner lot along a very busy piece of road. It sucks for a house, but is perfect for what I want. It's cheap too. It has utilities available (gas, electric, water, sewer).
I have a rough idea of costs for the foundation and the building, but I have no idea about what it might take to get sewer, water, gas, and power to a building like this - or even if it would be allowed.
What do you think about each option?
Has anyone done something like this?
Can anyone give me some advice?