Help with small home on property

[EddieWalker]

...
However, your idea made make me think of using our attached garage (never pushed that point where we had to think about it). Only about 500 sqaure ft, but it could be a possibility as we do have water out there added you go through the kitchen door to access it (it would be easy to heat or cool which is the one thing I could do myself). Washer and dryer is in a small laundry room right from the access door to the garage from kitchen. ...

I've done quite a few garage conversions, and bid a lot more of them that I never heard back from the home owners. In every case, the biggest issue for them was the sewer lines. Most people don't realize how simple it is to remove concrete and dig a trench for a new drain line. Diamond blades and SDS Max rotary hammer drills have made it very simple, or just renting a saw and jackhammer for bigger jobs. If there is a way to connect to the septic tank, or city sewer, then you can put a bathroom anywhere you want.

If there is a step down to the garage, then it's even easier to build up the floor to the same level as the rest of the house and and run everything under the new floor.

500 square feet is plenty of room for a one bedroom, bathroom living area with a small kitchen.

 

[EddieWalker]

25" is one of the standard size openings that Werner sells.

"While Werner Co. offers a large selection of attic ladders in various lengths and material, they are designed to fit standard rough openings of: 22-1/2“ x 54”, 25” x 54”, 25-1/2” x 64” and 30” x 54.”"

My guess is since everything seems to be out of stock, backordered, etc.... the oddball sizes are all that's left on the shelves at many places.

I stand corrected. I went to https://www.lowes.com/pd/Century-Elite-7-67-ft-to-10-25-ft-Type-IAA-Aluminum-Attic-Ladder/1001276226

and saw this "Designed for rough opening of 25.5-In. wide x 54-In. long"

Which kind of blows my mind since I've never seen this before, and I can't figure out why anybody would build this way.

 

[MossRoad]

I've done quite a few garage conversions, and bid a lot more of them that I never heard back from the home owners. In every case, the biggest issue for them was the sewer lines. Most people don't realize how simple it is to remove concrete and dig a trench for a new drain line. Diamond blades and SDS Max rotary hammer drills have made it very simple, or just renting a saw and jackhammer for bigger jobs. If there is a way to connect to the septic tank, or city sewer, then you can put a bathroom anywhere you want.

If there is a step down to the garage, then it's even easier to build up the floor to the same level as the rest of the house and and run everything under the new floor.

500 square feet is plenty of room for a one bedroom, bathroom living area with a small kitchen.

Heck, our first house was only 720. Two bedrooms with nice sized closets, 1 full bath, eat-in kitchen and a living room. Linen closet in hall between both bedrooms and bathroom. Coat closet in living room over the space over the stairs to the basement. Had there been no stairs, the kitchen could have been 4' deeper, too. You can fit a lot of good space in a small area.

My wife has commented many times that she misses that small house. Had we not had a 2nd child (and not been located in a down-trending neighborhood), we'd have stayed there. It would be a nice sized retirement home if it had a barn/shop out back. :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

I stand corrected. I went to https://www.lowes.com/pd/Century-Elite-7-67-ft-to-10-25-ft-Type-IAA-Aluminum-Attic-Ladder/1001276226

and saw this "Designed for rough opening of 25.5-In. wide x 54-In. long"

Which kind of blows my mind since I've never seen this before, and I can't figure out why anybody would build this way.

Me neither. That's why I googled attic stair rough opening, recognized Werner's name since we use their ladders quite a bit at my work and home, and saw those sizes. I wonder where those other sizes are used?

 

[buck12]

Heck, our first house was only 720. Two bedrooms with nice sized closets, 1 full bath, eat-in kitchen and a living room. Linen closet in hall between both bedrooms and bathroom. Coat closet in living room over the space over the stairs to the basement. Had there been no stairs, the kitchen could have been 4' deeper, too. You can fit a lot of good space in a small area.

My wife has commented many times that she misses that small house. Had we not had a 2nd child (and not been located in a down-trending neighborhood), we'd have stayed there. It would be a nice sized retirement home if it had a barn/shop out back. :laughing:

Our first house was 900 sq ft before we added on. We still miss that house. After we added on, it was 1600 sq ft. It was a great lay out with no wasted space. If we could have moved that house out of the neighborhood we would have. Our current house is much larger but not acgreat floor plan with lots of wasted space. It is amazing how much difference a good floor plan makes.

Our cabin is 720 sq ft with a 600 sq ft loft. That 720 square ft includes living room kitchen in one room, a laundry closet, 1.5 baths, and two small bedrooms. Again it comes down the floor plan making use of of every inch.

 

[Sigarms]

I've done quite a few garage conversions, and bid a lot more of them that I never heard back from the home owners. In every case, the biggest issue for them was the sewer lines. Most people don't realize how simple it is to remove concrete and dig a trench for a new drain line. Diamond blades and SDS Max rotary hammer drills have made it very simple, or just renting a saw and jackhammer for bigger jobs. If there is a way to connect to the septic tank, or city sewer, then you can put a bathroom anywhere you want.

If there is a step down to the garage, then it's even easier to build up the floor to the same level as the rest of the house and and run everything under the new floor.

500 square feet is plenty of room for a one bedroom, bathroom living area with a small kitchen.

You actually answered my question on sewer lines which did cross my mind, thank you. Thing is, I didn't even think about raising the floor which falls right in line with your line of thinking and makes complete sense.

 

[3Ts]

If you decide to cut/break up concrete slab, check to see what kind of reinforcing (if any) it has. The majority will probably be wire mesh which won't be a problem. Some will have rebar and only be a little more difficult to cut thru. HOWEVER, if it is post tensioned cables that are now being used more in residential construction you'd better find out what will happen before you cut it. The guy that will be doing my driveway has broken out slabs that are post tensioned and said you can feel the whole slab jump when the cable is cut.

The post tension slabs are nice. It does not stop the cracking, but it keeps the cracks together. I have 2 slabs, one with standard rebar, one is post tensioned. The post tensioned has much smaller cracks than the rebar one.

 

[newbury]

Another vote for a stair lift. And if you are buying without medical insurance paying keep your eye out for a used one, they often go for half the new price.
We bought one for my 96? yr old MIL and it's let her continue living in her house (which she desperately wanted to do).
Thread here:https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/406037-94-yr-old-mil-needs.html#post5288222

 

[JethroB]

If you should find a suitable house nearby purchasing and moving it to your property could be an option. I recently had a 20x30 cabin moved across my property for $2500. No damage whatsoever and only took them (professional house movers) 4 hours. Granted it was only a 200 foot move. A new septic was required along with rerouting utilities.

 

[MossRoad]

Thinking about it, this summer I built a 24x24 garage addition on a 5.5" slab for around $8000. Extrapolate that out to a 24 x 30 size would put you around $10,000. 24 x 30 is the same size of our first house.

Granted, this was just walls, roof, 1 service door, 1-7x9 overhead door, shingles, vinyl siding and soffit, and exterior trim.

I'd bet I could do a livable house for $30K in that footprint. None of the interior walls would be load bearing, so they'd be easy to remove in the future for something like a game room with a bathroom and a bar area where the kitchen was.

Lot's of options, that's for sure.