We briefly considered prefab too, but ended up going DIY with a converted shed. Saved a bit on upfront costs, but man, the weekends we lost...not sure I'd do it again. Curious if anyone's tried renovating an existing structure instead—like a garage or shed—to dodge some of those permit headaches? Might be another way to keep costs down.
"Curious if anyone's tried renovating an existing structure instead—like a garage or shed—to dodge some of those permit headaches?"
Did exactly that with an old detached garage. A few quick points from experience:
- Permits were simpler since the footprint didn't change, but still had to deal with electrical and plumbing inspections.
- Insulation was tricky—had to retrofit eco-friendly cellulose insulation into walls not originally designed for it.
- Saved money upfront, but hidden costs popped up (foundation repairs, moisture barriers).
Overall, worth it for sustainability and cost savings, but definitely not headache-free...
Did something similar with a shed-to-office conversion and can confirm the hidden costs are sneaky little monsters. Thought I'd save a bundle, but insulation and waterproofing ate into my budget more than I expected. Also, critters made their homes in the walls before I got insulation up—fun times. Curious if anyone else ran into pest issues during their reno...?
"Also, critters made their homes in the walls before I got insulation up—fun times."
Yeah, been there. When I converted my garage into a guest space, mice decided it was their new Airbnb before I even finished drywalling. Ended up sealing every tiny gap I could find with steel wool and spray foam—worked surprisingly well. Also, peppermint oil-soaked cotton balls seemed to help keep them away temporarily while I was working. Pest-proofing definitely wasn't something I'd budgeted for either, but it's worth the peace of mind. Hang in there, it gets better once you're past this stage...
Peppermint oil's hit or miss in my experience—worked briefly, but the mice seemed to adapt pretty fast. Steel wool's definitely the way to go. Had a client once who skipped sealing properly, and squirrels moved right into their guest cottage roof...ended up costing them a small fortune. Did you end up doing anything special with the flooring to keep pests out, or just standard subflooring?