Building a house on top of garage (floor plans, windows, insulated)
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I plan on building a small house under 1000 sq ft. on top of garage. Just curious what people think of this setup? I want to do this for many reasons but mainly i like the feel of being up above everything. Also the breeze coming in the windows in the spring and summer nights will be awesome. Lastly better security because it's harder to break into a house on the 2nd floor.
I can't find many examples online of houses like this because i guess it's not a popular setup.
I plan on building a small house under 1000 sq ft. on top of garage. Just curious what people think of this setup? I want to do this for many reasons but mainly i like the feel of being up above everything. Also the breeze coming in the windows in the spring and summer nights will be awesome. Lastly better security because it's harder to break into a house on the 2nd floor.
I can't find many examples online of houses like this because i guess it's not a popular setup.
I saw a few in Minnesota, but they were on a lot that sloped towards the street and were basement garages.
I have never seen any like the ones in your photo.
I saw a few in Minnesota, but they were on a lot that sloped towards the street and were basement garages.
I have never seen any like the ones in your photo.
Yeah i don't see them as main houses either but i do see them as accessory buildings behind the main house. Condos are also setup like this at the shore.
Very common to see accessory dwellings, formerly known as the Mother-in-Law apartment, over the garage. Maybe use those terms in a search for floor plans.
Just search on "garage plans" and then click the fields to indicate you want two stories, with living space. In fact, most garage plans that include an apartment or other living space put them on the second floor. I have seen only one plan that had everything on one level.
If the houses are smaller than 1000 sf for the house part, you can pay to have an existing plan modified to make the living space bigger.
The first level--the garage bays--would be "oversize" ones to provide the footprint for a 1000 sf house above. If you have the stairs inside, the stairwell will eat some of the space. A typical small double garage is only about 400 to 600 sf, but if you make the bays larger or have a workshop on that level, the footprint can easily be about 1000 sf.
But what you are asking for is not rare. It depends where you live.
There are a few around here. Obviously, there are some issues. If the garage is unheated they can have cold floors. In a tornado threat, you MUST evacuate. The big one though is fire. A fire in the garage could turn it into a death trap unless you have in-place exits. Personally? No way.
There are a few around here. Obviously, there are some issues. If the garage is unheated they can have cold floors. In a tornado threat, you MUST evacuate. The big one though is fire. A fire in the garage could turn it into a death trap unless you have in-place exits. Personally? No way.
The floor will be insulated and your fire concern is no different then 2nd floor apartments that exist all over the country. I am not worried or concerned with fire one bit. There will be stairs to the living space inside the garage and a staircase on the outside of the house.
I too have seen them as a detached garage from the main living quarters to serve as MIL apartment or art studio, etc. i have also seen a few built in Lake areas so the family can live in small quarters and have plenty of space to store the toys (boats, ATVs, etc.). They use it that way for a couple years and then build the "real" house.
If you're planning to live anywhere near civilization, I'd make sure you can build this as a stand alone structure.
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