Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Talk to a couple of local builder's. Kitchen sinks are not for cooking only)) With little people you will need enough space for a queen bed and bunk beds. Space - enough plus more equals enough.
Yes! This is exactly the type of shed I was talking about. I'm not sure what type some of the others are thinking of, but this is it. Around here they are advertised as possible hunting cabins.
Talk to a couple of local builder's. Kitchen sinks are not for cooking only)) With little people you will need enough space for a queen bed and bunk beds. Space - enough plus more equals enough.
If by "little people" you mean possible grand kids, that's covered. We have a couple of spare bed rooms. The grand kids would be more than welcome to stay inside. The parents could get a break from their children. and we could get a break from ours.
Big difference between converting a shed and framing up a small or tiny house.
You don't want to start with a shed.
You will be basically building a small house.
It is like anything really. If you have the skills, it is easy, if you don't, not that easy to do, but with residential construction, it is pretty easy to learn. It sounds like you have some skills already. You could hire out what you can't do and do what you can. Since it is a small guest house, you don't have the pressure of it being your primary house so being your own GC won't be nearly as stressful. This type of small project is perfect for hiring guys to do the work as side jobs.
Here is a website where a lot of people who are building their own small house hang out.
Yes! This is exactly the type of shed I was talking about. I'm not sure what type some of the others are thinking of, but this is it. Around here they are advertised as possible hunting cabins.
Yeah, people around here call them “sheds”, but really I think storage building is a more accurate term. Most of them are really built just like a small house, 2x4 studs 16” on center, and some even come pre-wired with lights and outlets.
Some of the shed dealers around me have some on their lots already wired, plumbed and interior framing. Just left for you to insulate and finish out.
I think by "shed" some people may be pictures something more like the classic farm shed -- basic post construction, very lightweight framing, often with a dirt floor or not much better.
You might as well put in a kitchen sink, because they'll just use the bathroom sink as a kitchen sink anyway.
This year I stayed in an AirBnB for the first time with a friend who came to the area for business. It was a guest house that was built over a horse tack barn (the horses were kept in another barn in a different building. It was a two-story building, with the guest quarters on the upper floor.
It was one bedroom, with a bathroom with shower only, sink and some cupboards/storage space. The kitchen had a stove top and a convection/microwave oven and sink. the living room was in the same room as the kitchen, and it had a fold-down sofa and TV and some chairs. There was an island with stools between the kitchen counter and the living room.
It had a covered porch/balcony area with a table and chairs, and it only had stairs up to the unit (no handicapped ramp or elevator).
It was a really nice get-away.
Unless you're somewhere nobody would ever want to go, you could also rent it out in-between relative visits on AirBnB. the man we rented it from told us that he and his wife (who was recently deceased when we rented the unit) used to travel and stay in AirBnBs and they had a conversation with a guy they rented from in New Zealand who mentioned he was a lot happier since he started renting out his guest house on AirBnB. And, it got them thinking about renting out their guest unit, that they only ever used for family prior to that time.
He just hired someone to clean it after each rental, and he himself was often away from home - the rental basically took care of itself, with him just having to pay someone to clean it up and he had family members who could greet guests if he was away. Basically, it was a very low-maintenance money maker.
So, I say go for it, and think about listing it as a possible AirBnB rental.
The one we rented, which was on a small ranch outside of Sacramento, CA, also had horses and dogs on the property and he allowed us to have my dog. Allowing dogs kept him solidly booked up. FWIW.
I am from FL and I have heard them called casitas, but I would think you would at a minimum need to put in a kitchen sink or small wet bar area even if you don’t really put in any other cooking appliances. I have one friend who lived in a casita in California on his brother’s property for a few years. I think it was pretty small- probably about 300-350sqft or so.
Before you can do anything, you need to figure out the plumbing. How it ties in to septic or sewer lines. Lots of digging up the yard with large excavation equipment, plumbing, etc.
Next, how are you going to get water to it? Excavation, plumber, etc.
Next hard part is the electrical. It wont be cheap. Again, excavation equipment, bury underground wire, electrical box, wire up switches and plugs.
Then...... when all that is done, you can think about making it pretty with dry wall, paint, etc.
Last edited by 399083453; 09-23-2018 at 07:08 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
)) With little people you will need enough space for a queen bed and bunk beds. Space - enough plus more equals enough.
