What is a garage apartment?
Sometimes referred to as Carriage Houses, garage apartments are more popular than ever! Many parents of older teenagers or college-age children have found these… Listed as a garage living design, this is literally a home with a drive under garage.
What is the cheapest way to build a small garage?
What is the cheapest way to build a garage? One of the simplest and most cost-effective solutions for building a garage is to erect a pole-style building. These are sometimes referred to as post-frame construction or pole barns, and many consider them to be superior to traditional stick-built garages.
Do you need more space for life or a custom garage?
You need more Space for Life but adding onto the house will cost a fortune and a customized garage also carries a large price tag. With a Prefab Garage that includes space for an apartment, you get the storage space you need plus a place to call home.
What to expect on the second floor of a garage apartment?
On the second floor is living space over the garage, you will find a large living room, full size kitchen, single bedroom and full bath. A large attic space is also accessible from the living space for lots of storage space. Garage Apartment Plan #garageapartment #garage #garageplan #COOLhouseplans @COOLhouseplans
9 Budget-Friendly Garage Apartment Design Ideas
You'll find quite the wide price range when looking at garage conversion plans, varying anywhere from $5,700 to $22,600. We recommend always building your budget from the ground up—starting with necessary and unavoidable fees.
1. Opt for an Open Floor Plan
The easiest way to keep costs low on your garage apartment is to stick to as open a floor plan as possible. Studio apartments can contain the same amenities as a one or two-bedroom without the additional walls. Keeping the kitchen, bedroom, and dining area connected also allows more light to filter through the space.
2. Position the Rooms Properly
Expect to pay about $1,100 to add plumbing to your garage and $3,000 for a full bathroom. In most cases, the new plumbing will attach to the existing system in your main house. So, if you add the garage kitchen and bathroom plumbing to the wall closest to your home, you'll likely spend less on materials and labor to bridge the gap.
3. Work with Existing Electrics
Here's some good news: Most garages already come with basic electrical wiring. Work with an electrician to add simple overhead lighting and properly placed outlets for necessary appliances.
4. Get Creative with Storage
Don't have enough room to add a closet and a pantry? The modern style encourages simplistic storage options such as built-in shelves and exterior kitchen racks. Premade built-in bookshelves can cost as low as $1,270, with materials and labor included.
5. Consider Cost-Friendly Floors
While you can opt for an industrial-chic look with low-cost polished concrete floors, you may not get the cozy vibe that you're going for. Still, there are plenty of budget-friendly flooring options that can tip the scales of your overall garage budget. For example, consider:
6. Know Your Wall Materials
If you do opt to add a wall, you have your pick of the following main materials:
What is pole building?
A pole building is an area where laminated wood posts are used to frame out the garage. They form the bare-bones structure and also support the load that the garage will have to carry when it snows or when there are strong winds.
What is a garage?
A garage is a convenient place that can house your cars and offer additional storage space for your home. The question is, what is the cheapest way to build a garage?
How much does it cost to build a garage?
The average cost to build a garage comes to $49 per square foot. The average cost to build a single car garage ranges from $7,500 to $14,200, a serious investment compared to what a pole building could cost.
What are the benefits of pole garages?
There are a lot of benefits of going with a pole garage. The first is that it has low to no foundation cost. This is the first real investment that most people are required to make in their garage, accounting for roughly ten to fifteen percent of the overall cost.
Why do people like post frame construction?
However, you may choose to install one anyway. Many people also love post-frame construction because it goes much faster than stick-built garages. There are fewer elements involved in the construction process, which allows you to move along quickly without as much room for error.
Why is post frame construction easier?
Storage is also much easier in a post-frame construction because there are no load-bearing interior walls required. Instead, you are given a wide-open space where you can conveniently park multiple cars, store your lawn equipment, and keep your Christmas tree safe until the next season .
Is a garage kit the direction you want to go?
However, you might find that a kit is not necessarily the direction that you want to go to. For many people, they have an idea in their mind of what their garage should look like and how it should function. They may even want to install a room over top of the garage where they can work or have guests stay over.
A Small Apartment in a Shed
If you love Tiny Living, this Small Apartment Shed will make your mouth water! The inside featured a bathroom, kitchen with an apartment-sized fridge, a sitting area, and a beautiful loft area for sleeping. It was created for a small living space that had a touch of modern class.
A Bed and Breakfast in a Shed
When Susan of Yorktown, VA bought this two-story shed, her plan was a Bed and Breakfast in the second floor. This Two Story Barn Shed sports a lot of space on the second floor. It features a wide-open area that could serve as a small suite for an Air BnB Guest House and would not cost a lot to get into operation.
A Beach House Home in a Shed
Your next Beach House could be a Prefab Shed or Garage that serves as a living space. Tom R needed more sleeping space next to his Beach House in Moon, VA. He bought a Two Story Workshop Shed from our manufacturing facility in Lancaster, PA, and then he set about to finish the interior himself.
A Modular Building Apartment
This is an amazing piece of work inside a modular double-wide garage from Sheds Unlimited. The customer bought the double-wide building and finished the interior for a lovely home-sweet-home. Notices the extra windows above the bed bringing in plenty of light into this beautiful space.
A Car Garage with a Man Cave
In The City of Brotherly Love, you’ll find this two-story garage where Don has created his own Garage Man Cave. A place to store and play with his toy train collection and a second floor that is big enough for an apartment, serving as his Man Cave. See another two-story garage which Rebecca turned into a business space.
Two Car Garage with Apartment Space
Honestly, we’re not sure what Steve O from Ipswich MA was planning to do with his two-car garage building, but taking a look at the photos, it would make a lovely 2 car garage with apartment space. The large dormers and the very nice sized windows would make a lovely place for a small backyard apartment or Bed and Breakfast.
Legacy Garage with Apartment Space and Deck
This Legacy Two Story Garage with Apartment space might look a bit plain, but the deck coming from the second floor gives Randy easy access to the loft/attic area.