How To Choose Garage Plans With Apartment: 4 Tips

For a year at the beginning of my married life, my wife and I lived with her parents. We were waiting for our new house to be built. My wife was pregnant and we crammed into a bedroom upstairs with a small bathroom and tiny shower. After that year I was stir crazy, and, though my in-laws are awesome, our presence in their house was a strain. My wife and I struggled. I even found myself getting upset with the baby for being too loud.

Talk about miserable. My life is totally different now, thank goodness. It's the twilight years for my in-laws, so now my wife have figured out how we can set up a way for them to stay with us. We have a modest house on a little bit of land, so we've built a separate garage with an apartment above it. We use the extra space as a shop for some of my tools and projects, and the apartment is a guest suite for people visiting until my in-laws are ready to downsize.

Here are 4 things I found helped me find the right garage plans with apartment attached when I was searching for plans.

1. Consider what you're going to use the garage for, not necessarily the apartment. Different garage plans with apartment attached may not only have different layouts, but may also serve different functions.

Are you parking cars there or will it be a place for all your stuff? Think of tools you'll need, storage for college kids, all that kind of thing.

Be aware of the vent system if you're using the space as a shop. Figure out where your tools go so you can get a good idea of what floor plans works.

What about the door height and ceiling height? My father in law likes to store his boat in the garage, but every time he parks it he has to put the tower down. You'll want to consider that while looking for garage plans with apartment.

Think of recreational equipment you may have or things you can migrate from the house or main garage to make more room for living.

2. How much and what shape is the land you have available? Pick the right garage plans with apartment attached by asking how much and what shape the land is you have available

A double garage with extra deep bays could be just as good as a 4 bay garage. Play with different configurations and make sure your garage plans with apartment attached match your available space as much as possible.

3. How much can you spend on the build?

Right now, home add-ons cost about $100 per sq foot. A garage will probably cost less. Where you build can affect price. I've seen garages go up for as little as $20 per sq foot. Now, an apartment is going over the garage, so it will cost you more. Plan on about $35 to $50. Remember, you may find garage plans with apartment attached online, but a contractor may have to modify them for you.

4. Who is going to see the garage?

Consider the architecture of the garage plans with apartment attached when you're buying them or having them designed. If you're living in a subdivision you will probably need to make sure the plans are approved by the home owners association and adhere to the C and Rs. If you're not in a subdivision, you'll still want to make sure your design matches your property.

A ranch house may merit a barn type design. A rambler would need another design. Some parts of the design will be superficial, but don't forget the structural parts.

In my experience, you don't want to start from scratch. Look online for some basic plans, maybe even buy a couple of sets of plans to get you started. If you find one that suites you, great. If not, use the garage plans with apartment as a spring board and design what you need or have them designed.

Luckily, I found the right garage plans with apartment attached pretty easily. The contractor I worked with had a few changes, but we didn't have to bring in an architect. Now we have a garage with apartment attached. 2 bedroom, 2 bath, kitchen and outside access from side stairs. I finally have room in my main garage for my cars.

My 3 daughters live out of state and like to come visit. Between them and the in laws, locating the right garage plans with apartment attached was the way to make our house easier to stay at. If my grand kids eventually come here for college or when my in laws downsize, I'll be grateful I located the garage plans with apartment attached.