Do you have elderly parents who need a family member to take care of them?
Are you hesitating out of fear that you will not have your privacy if you do move back in with them?
Or are you looking for a cheaper option to have your own private space?
If your answer to these questions is “Yes,” then the Tiny House Movement may be the solution to your problems.
WHAT IS THE TINY HOUSE MOVEMENT?
The Tiny House movement is a social movement that encourages people to start living in small houses.
Living by the movement’s principles will simplify your life. You will be encouraged to live with just your basic needs and a few accessories.
So if you are someone who has no problem living in tiny houses or small cabins, then this lifestyle is for you.
This is especially true if your family has a detached garage, a storage shed, or a garden shed
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Also of Interest: 7×7 Shed Plans: Build a Shed In A Weekend (New 2022 Tips). These small spaces can be converted into new homes.
You just need to redesign the space a little bit for you to transform it into your unique living quarters.
This could also be a good option for college students who will be at home often but would like to have some sort of privacy.
TINY HOUSE AND SHED APARTMENTS
A tiny house is any living quarter with small square footage.
It just needs ample space for a small kitchen, a small bedroom, and a bathroom. It can be as small as 100 square feet to around 400 square feet.
The idea is unique and has provided a certain sense of convenience to people.
Because of this, many people are now converting their extra spaces into something more useful.
These extra spaces can either be their garden sheds or garages. These structures were originally meant to simply store tools and other objects.
But, with the concept of tiny houses, these extra spaces are now turned into guest houses.
Once you have converted these spaces, they will now be called “Shed Apartments.”
This could mean extra income for many households
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It could also mean private living quarters for your family members that you want to live nearby.
The obvious choice for this type of redevelopment is an external separate structure like the garden shed.
This does not mean that garage bays beside the main house cannot be turned into rental spaces.
You can still convert it; you just need to come up with a good way to limit the access of the guests to the main house.
This is especially necessary if you are renting the place to people you do not know.
You do not want them to easily enter your main floor and private spaces. For you to be able to do this, you will need to limit their access points.
Luckily, there are already many websites that feature many shed designs.
You can check their available shed plans and base your project on them. Or, you can choose to consult an architect for the project.
They can provide you with different directions and options. And, they can also ensure that the ending layout has a great visual.
TYPES OF TINY HOUSES OR SHED APARTMENTS
- BARNDOMINIUMS.
Barndominiums are tiny houses that resulted from the conversion of barns.
Usually, a barndominium has at least two parts. The first part is the living quarters, while the second part can either be a shop or a storage area.
Barndominiums are actually low maintenance and more affordable to build than regular houses.
Their most notable feature is the spacious living rooms with high ceilings.
Since barns are often rectangular, you will not have to worry about wasting space.
This means that you can be more creative in planning your spaces.
You can also be playful with your exterior facade The most popular concept for the exterior is the modern farmhouse look.
If you are unsure of what to put in your barndominium floor plans, you can always research on the net for ideas.
If, however, you are planning to build a new separate structure, then we suggest you talk to an architect.
This could also be the perfect home-style In-Laws suite for your partner’s parents.
The high ceilings of barndominiums can make the living quarters more comfortable for them.
- GARAGE APARTMENTS.
If your family has a large property, then you can choose to build a garage apartment.
People build this type of accessory dwelling unit (ADU) so that they may be able to host guests properly.
This is especially true since most of our guests, even our family members, still need privacy.
With garage apartments, you can give them this. You can choose to build a detached ADU if you want to provide your guests with the right amount of privacy.
Or, you can convert your attached garage into a living quarter. In this case, you will need to build a partition.
This will separate your storage room from the guest house. If you have a double garage, then the need for separate access is now solved.
The first door will be for your storage, while the second can be the access point to your garage apartment.
The most common way of building a garage apartment is by transforming the extra space on the second floor of your garage.
You can choose to build an exterior spiral staircase that will serve as their access point. You can do this if you only have a single garage door.
By doing this, you will be able to prevent your guests from accessing your storage rooms.
Before we proceed, let us first clarify the definition of a “garage apartment.” Garage apartments are living quarters on top of or beside a garage.
It gives people a chance to rent their extra space to other people while still having ample space for storage.
Its square footage usually reaches hundreds of feet.
So now the question is, “What are the different spaces that can be found in a garage apartment?”
A garage apartment has a heated living space of its own. It also has access points and bedrooms.
Lastly, garage apartments have their own bathrooms and small kitchens. This means that a garage apartment is also a kind of tiny house.
WHERE TO START WITH BUILDING SHED APARTMENT PLANS?
- FAMILY HOME PLANS AND OTHER WEBSITES
If your house already has a huge loft or an extra room with clerestory windows, then you are lucky.
- You can turn this space into a garage apartment. And, you no longer need to spend more money on building a separate building.
- Plus, there are also many websites that can help you with this project.
- These websites include the Family Home Plans.
These kinds of sites feature many unique garage apartment plans that you can choose from.
- You can also choose to just check these plans. Then, base your garage apartment plan on them if you want to create your own.
2. ARCHITECTS AND INTERIOR DESIGNERS
If you have no readily available room but you have a large open space, then do not worry.
You can just choose to build separate new structures.
- Architects and interior designers can also help us develop the best custom plans.
- They can help you come up with the best garage floor plans at a price.
- If you are building a new structure, we recommend that you talk to an architect. They can help you create the best garage plans.
- They can also give you an idea with regards to the many different architectural styles.
- Also, architects can provide you with the AutoCAD versions of the garage plans.
This is necessary as it can allow you to measure the spaces accurately.
It can also allow you to print more copies of the building permit and other legal documents.
Autocad versions of the plans make plan modifications easier, which are important to have and why it is necessary for you to talk to an architect.
- Lastly, architects can help you consider some of the technical aspects. These include the location of the septic system.
- If you want to use solar panels for electricity, an architect can also help you with it.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- HOW BIG IS A GARAGE APARTMENT?
Garage apartments usually have several hundred square feet of square footage.
Exact numbers may vary but it is usually around 500 to 700 square feet.
- HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BUILD A GARAGE WITH AN APARTMENT ABOVE?
The average cost ranges from $100 to $200 per square foot.
For the entire development, you may need a minimum of $50,000.00 to around several hundreds of thousand dollars.
The overall cost will depend on the price of the materials that you will use.
- WHAT ARE GARAGES WITH LIVING QUARTERS CALLED?
They are known as “garage apartments.”
- IS IT BAD TO LIVE IN A GARAGE?
It depends on how well the garage and the living quarters were constructed.
If it followed the necessary construction codes and had a complete set of permits, then it may be okay to live in it.
Ultimately, the only reason why it could be a bad idea is safety.
Sheds, barns, and garages are created for different purposes other than being a living quarter.
That being said, it is often not created to be as safe as a regular home.
This is why we recommend that you talk to an architect when you attempt to turn these spaces into a dwelling place since they help address safety concerns.
We hope this article helped. Now go and plan your new shed apartment!