OT: Who all lives in a warehouse/shop?

I've been thinking about doing something like this for a long time. I makes sense and seems to be cost effective. I know where there is an old 30-40's machine shop with that era of styling and it's stuck in my mind. It's in a bad part of town but that seems to be the norm here except in the rural areas. Nothing some barbed wire and a couple big dogs wouldn't cure. This old building would make a great shop with retail space and living quarters. It has a lot of the old gl*** bricks and rounded corners, the art decor style, I guess that's what you call it. Anyway, great ideas on this thread.

 

i have been searching for an old fire station. already set up for living and garage.

 

good to hear. i'd jump on it right away...thats a great deal. i cant emphasize how difficult and expensive it is to live in austin...i wonder how people pull it off here with our special "car-needs".

 

Well, I got the shop space today, so I'm stoked. It's going to be rough for a while, but should be fine. I've got a plumber friend who's going to help me do the shower part of it, and an electrician buddy who's going to extend the 220 to both sides of the shop, and a buddy at work whos going to help me block off the air ducts that go into the shop so I don't have to cool off the whole place.

As far as peering eyes go, I think it'll be pretty low-key. The complex is dead after 5pm, and since it's outside of a small town, on a rural road, there's not much deadbeat traffic. I've got guns out the wazoo and an itchy trigger finger. Security will be a scaled down version of Fort Knox as well. My mail goes to a P.O. Box and bigger deliveries will go to my work, so that's all cov ered. I don't know how long I'll be living in the place because my gal and I are looking for a house to buy, but I'll keep the shop even if I move out because there's not another one anywhere for a similar price.

Thanks for all the comments...glad to see I'm not the only one with this disease!

 

shop party!

 

Haha, let me move in first! Damn! For real though, I'll have a 'shop warming get together' there when I'm settled in.

 

I don't know what the weather there has been like but I would make it so you can heat or cool the shop at will. It's been over 100 all week here, sure could use A/C in the shop... even at night...

 

Dude....well said.I say dito.

EVIL

 

We bought 4 acres in Odessa, Fl (N, Tampa) seven years ago. I wanted to build a garage/shop first but the county made us include an apartment even though I had plans to build a house after the garage was finished. As a result, we now have a 3,000 sq. ft. building with 1,000 sq. ft. as an apartment with a second floor of the same size that I use as an office, and 2,000 sq. ft. for garage/shop space. We have started construction on the house and, once it is finished, I will convert the apartment into additional garage space.

 

Remember Dan Tanner,used to drive straight into the living room with his 57 T bird.I.m not even running that one past her in of the doors!!

 

Here's a pic of our Business/Home. The 20' walk to work under the overhang isn't bad at all.
Don

 

I'm looking to do the same thing in/near Athens, GA.
I did it at my last shop. It makes those 3am "Eureka" moments possible.

 

"A plumber friend".

Be there to help him bro,and remember,
"hot on the left,cold on the right,and **** won't run uphill".
Almost forgot,don't bite your fingernails!

 

-My shop/storage building is 80' long, concrete floors, and finished inside. While I don't live in it generally...it does have a bathroom, fridge, stove, and central air. If I were single, I would have no problem living in it. I'd say rent the place, and if you ever get the money to do it-buy some land, and build your own warehouse/shop/apartment...

 

I've wanted to do this damn near forever. Never found the right place at the right time, and now the streak continues. Stumbled on this the other day and it's perfect for me, but right now the girlfriend and I have a nice little rental house in suburbia for more than twice the price. Ugh.

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/off/386376435.html

 

Update on my shop: I've been doing some work trying to get it ready to move in. Got the electricity & water on, replaced some lights, ripped out the AC ductwork mess that used to cool the shop so I can just run the ducts that go into the "apartment". Painting, caulking, sealing, t******* everything to make it liveable. Gotta build a 4x8 room as an entry way and place to put my fridge/cabinets. Gotta finish out the plumbing and run some wiring across another wall to get power to my washer & dryer. Alarm system in 90% complete, except the cameras, and I gotta fab up some window bars.

I talked to a neighbor there that owns a motorcycle shop across from me, as well as 2 other shops in the complex. He said he used to live in his shop, and that a few years ago like 6 people lived in their buildings there. As of now there is 2 others living in their warehouses and the landlord could care less. So that really relieves some worry about trying to keep it on the down-low. He said I could come over and use any of the tools/equipment they have anytime, so that's really cool of them. He's really interested in seeing all the **** I'll be bringing over.

The little "Choppers Inc." truck, built by HAMBer 'slamchop', resides across the parking lot from me in that motorcycle shop as well.

Now, I gotta come up with a name to put on the place and start moving my **** in when I get it all done up.

 

when ever I have to get a new shop dog.
I thrown a party and who ever comes up with the best name before dawn win`s!
some of the winners ? ****head, see'u'nta', elvis, bondo, "moondog".
shop party !
how about the name
" shop dogs "? ,
the bondominium!
south east Austin speed shop ?
or "we shower with a hose hot rod`s"
oh yea I have lived in some shop`s
ha..ha..good luck! Casey.

 

Just a lot too high @ $1.2Million.


-Jason

 

UPDATE: Moved in a few days ago. Cold showers ****, but I got a hot water heater from a friend today and will get that in over the weekend. Need to finish some little stuff here and there but all is well. It's pretty comfortable in the apartment part of it. My shop is stuffed with all my junk, but I'm sorting out all the **** I don't need to make room to work on stuff. Lots of help from some friends and my girlfriend. I'll be having a party soon, local HAMBers invited of course. Thanks to everyone's comments on this thread. See ya.

 

hell yea! this rocks! To be honest, Ive wanted to live above my garage for a long time, and have been thinking of just building a two story pole barn. But i honestly never thought of buying an old shop or warehouse. firehouse sounds even better! how cool would it been to wake up on a day that youre going to a rod run and after breakfast you slide down the firemans pole and jump in your rod! haha!!

Hey man, any kid that grew up with envy reading Kr*** and Bernie in a CARtoons mag knows just how cool it would be to live upstairs over the garage!

Im single, living with my brother and Im never having kids. Once my brother and I fix up and sell this one, Im looking for an old shop for a garage/art studio!

HELL YEA!! Cool thread! post some pics of your place as your fixing it up man, we all wanna see what you scored, right?!

 

I've lived in a large storage area with office and shower for $600. mo. You would be lucky to find something like that again. Times are a changing.

 

My da has owned his shop for 20+ years. He now has an apartment above his shop that he lives in. He has it for sale now as he wants out of the auto repair business. It's in Tampa. When I lived there with him, before joinng the military, I used to think how great it was to wake up, walk out the door, and see 3-4 projects across the shop. I guess he's tired of it though. anyone intersted?