Turning an Old Electrical Shop into a Guest House

[RDCanecutter 26551]

So in the late sixties my Grandad built a new shop for his electrical business. The building still sits in good shape behind my mother's house. Was wondering how much of a snake-pit I'd be entering if we tried to upgrade it to a little house.

We are working with a 30' x 15' cinderblock building on a concrete slab. Fairly new roof. Wiring has held up but I am sure codes have changed since 1969. No toilet, no kitchen. No apparent insulation though it seldom gets too extreme. Water supply is available on one side of existing wall it shares with a small greenhouse. I figure either run some pipes in, or maybe expand to include greenhouse.

So as far as I can tell, there would be

--Added interior walls to make maybe three rooms

--redo interior walls, add drop ceiling, put something civilized on the floor (this place is spartan.)

--upgrade/redo wiring

--install bathroom and kitchen

--possibly pay architect if required by law

--jump through hoops as the city demands its due

--????

--Profit.

 

Any Surly construction types got suggestions, and maybe a ballpark price to expect to pay for this? Thanks.

 

[Incredulity 11686]

Any idea if the building is lawful?  permitted at the time of construction?

I assume you have no drawings or engineering on current building.  Most architects are going to be reticent to “add on” to an unknown.  So whatever they provide will be structurally stand alone.  That equals more cost.

What are your goals?  Add a bunch of value and sell?  Have something usable for yourself?

 

[Gil Bang 26099]

Is the property on sewer?  If so, is there a lateral nearby?  If septic, the tank size will likely be inadequate. 

[RDCanecutter 26551]

15 hours ago, Incredulity said:

Any idea if the building is lawful?  permitted at the time of construction?

I assume you have no drawings or engineering on current building.  Most architects are going to be reticent to “add on” to an unknown.  So whatever they provide will be structurally stand alone.  That equals more cost.

What are your goals?  Add a bunch of value and sell?  Have something usable for yourself?

 

It was probably lawful for 1969, but would not be surprised if it was all winks and nods and handshake deals. Different world.

My goal is to remake it into anything useful (is currently receptacle for junked furniture and similar.) One elderly family member is obsessed with turning it into an apartment. She grew up in Mayberry where it's all smiles and manners. She does not know that Opie grew up to run a meth lab.

The Guest House idea is a compromise to improve it but not rent it. Do not want to sell. I am part-owner in the family home and may retire there one day, or pass it on to a younger generation. So usable for myself. I could probably leave it bare-bones, use it as an art studio/print shop.

[RDCanecutter 26551]

14 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

Is the property on sewer?  If so, is there a lateral nearby?  If septic, the tank size will likely be inadequate. 

Nope. Nearest lines I know of are probably 50 yards away. There is a washroom in a different nearby outbuilding that's closer than that, where the washer drains into something. My plumbing knowledge is small. City system. Prairie soil, like digging in chocolate cake.

[Gil Bang 26099]

That's a complication.  A man of your upbringing is likely familiar with the expression "shit rolls downhill".   That applies to plumbing too, not just life in general.

[Incredulity 11686]

I’d add on to it and beg for forgiveness if someone shows up asking questions.

[RPM 26428]

Electrical shop you say? Have you tested for pcb levels?

[TKthunder2 5016]

Figuring out if you got sewer/septic is probably the biggest hurdle like others have said.  Water and electric can run through the ceiling and new walls. For HVAC do you have something already installed or are you doing windows unit/mini splits?  Are the cinder blocks hollow or filled?  If hollow you can probably get them to inject spray-in foam for insulation, if filled you probably don’t need anymore.

[Fuck Tim Beck 3854]

This seems like alot of work for a sex dungeon. 

[ScottS 1091]

14 minutes ago, Fuck Tim Beck said:

This seems like alot of work for a sex dungeon. 

Is it still a dungeon if it is above ground?

[Fuck Tim Beck 3854]

3 minutes ago, ScottS said:

Is it still a dungeon if it is above ground?

Valid point. Perhaps "sex outhouse" is more appropriate. 

[RDCanecutter 26551]

9 hours ago, RPM said:

Electrical shop you say? Have you tested for pcb levels?

I guess the only upside of my grandfather dying about a year after he built the place, is that it was barely used for work. Not long after that, we sold off most of the electrical gear to a guy who used to work for him, and it sat empty. So we filled it with non-electrical-business junk.

There was an older shop on the same site for decades, the ground around it might ping somethin fierce. For shits and grins I metal detected back there a couple times, ground's full of random scrap. And somewhere, one gold ring buried by my mother as a child, then the construction crews came and built the old shop over it.

[UT_OB1 2227]

On 9/2/2022 at 7:42 PM, RDCanecutter said:

So in the late sixties my Grandad built a new shop for his electrical business. The building still sits in good shape behind my mother's house. Was wondering how much of a snake-pit I'd be entering if we tried to upgrade it to a little house.

We are working with a 30' x 15' cinderblock building on a concrete slab. Fairly new roof. Wiring has held up but I am sure codes have changed since 1969. No toilet, no kitchen. No apparent insulation though it seldom gets too extreme. Water supply is available on one side of existing wall it shares with a small greenhouse. I figure either run some pipes in, or maybe expand to include greenhouse.

So as far as I can tell, there would be

--Added interior walls to make maybe three rooms

--redo interior walls, add drop ceiling, put something civilized on the floor (this place is spartan.)

--upgrade/redo wiring

--install bathroom and kitchen

--possibly pay architect if required by law

--jump through hoops as the city demands its due

--????

--Profit.

 

Any Surly construction types got suggestions, and maybe a ballpark price to expect to pay for this? Thanks.

 

If it already has electrical and a relatively new roof the only thing that might be a pain is the sewer, and that just depends on where you are. I’ve got a property in one place they only charge me $500 to tap in to the sewer and I can run the line to it, property in another county they don’t let you do anything and charge about $11-12k. Since already have a connection, you might be able to tie in to it. 

[smuggs 9354]

Just set this in the corner. Behind a hastily constructed barrier involving a shower curtain.