# Anyone converted a portable building to living space?



## Mcompton1973 (Mar 17, 2013)

OK...so were working on getting to our homestead. We are so anxious to be at the property. Here is the current situation. There is power but no well or septic. There is a 20x20 metal garage that is insulated and has power with a lot of outlets etc. It has no plumbing or anything though. We are thinking that we could make it work (its bigger than an RV...) but we need a kitchen and bathroom. 

So were thinking either pour a small foundation and just add onto the current building. Money IS an issue. We do ok....but not a lot extra (athough we will save 1100 a month moving out there) The other option would be to rent to own one of those portable buildings we see everywhere. I have seen people living in them, and even a small BBQ place in one. 

I am thinking of using it as bathroom and kitchen and connecting it to the garage and so I didnt have to go outside to go ot the bathroom. Has anyone done this? There is room in the panel to add electricity to it. That wont be a problem. Just wondering if it would be pretty easy to connect the plumbing.

Has anyone done this before?


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

It could absolutely be done. But, by the time you do a foundation, buy the building, insulate it, put in interior walls, electricity, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, cabinets, water heater, etc, etc.....you could probably save a lot of money by buying a used mobile home.


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## Mcompton1973 (Mar 17, 2013)

we already have 400sq ft usable. its unsulated and foundation etc. I can get a portable building for a couple hundred bucks a month and connect it to the garage building. That gives me over 600 sq feet. for very little cash up front. Then all I need to do is run the electric...no problem, and the plumbing. and then insulate and close in the walls.

I guess my real question is this. Is there enough room under a prtable building to run the plumbing? We live in east central Oklahoma. What would I need to do to make sure pipes didnt freeze etc.


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

one could cut the floor or jack hammer, (I would suggest cutting it, first any way)

one wall placed about 5 foot out to frame in a bath room, the other side of the wall the kitchen sink, one short wall to put plumbing in, and if more walls tempory, if you want the shop back later, having the bath and sink most likely will be appreaceated, 

we lived in a old one room school house for a summer, about the same size, small bath in the corner and small apartment like kitchen , bed and couch in the main room, we were young and it was kind of fun, we had one little on at the time,

my other suggestion would be a small shed added on for the bath, and possibly kitchen.

one could haul water for a short time into a cistern type tank, (or a trailer with a water tank on it), filled when needed, 

get a wringer washing machine for water savings, (you start with your whites, use the same water wash the colors and then finaly the work clothes, all with the one water load, run through the wringer and rinse the same, running through the wringer to remove as much water as possible, and line dry or machine dry, will need baskets for the wet loads wafting to be rinsed,

if your hauling water, 
on the toilet, you can do the old if it is yellow let it mellow, and if it brown flush it down, to help conserve water, and if legal an out house for normal day time use,


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

I considered the same thing. If you can outright buy the building or finance it with a local bank I would consider it an option. Otherwise look at the find cost if financed or "Leased to own" through the building company. There interest rates are quite high and over a 3 year period the building will be almost double the original price. I did some simple math when I was considering it. The big benefit is a outer shell "RIGHT NOW" the downside was higher cost and you still have to finish it to some degree, so the right now aspect of housing is somewhat misleading. There is no doubt a used house trailer is cheaper per square foot, though not aesthetically pleasing by most standards. The better alternative for "Right Now" temporary housing may be a larger camper or used motor home, which can still be used for the intended vacation purpose or sold when moved into a more permanent house.


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## LauraD (May 25, 2014)

Would you be willing to forgo some personal comfort in order to meet your goals? If so, there are more primitive options available. You could use a composting toilet (some members use a 5-gallon pail and sawdust), and you could easily "plumb" a functioning sink using two 5-gallon pails: one with a spigot for the faucet, and another under the counter to collect the grey water. An outdoor shower, sponge baths, and a washtub can all serve for bathing.

Depending on your situation, you could use any or all of these to speed up the process and save money. It just depends on your comfort level, the needs of individual family members, your finances, and how long you plan to stay in the garage. Who knows - you may find that your motivation is higher with a more 19th-century lifestyle. :happy:


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## mpulse (Mar 12, 2013)

Mcompton where at in east central OK are you we are working on our place now south of Muskogee


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## wharton (Oct 9, 2011)

I would dedicate a small space for the bath in a corner of the existing building. A three piece bath can fit in a 5'x7' space. I would then build this room on a raised platform of 2x6 floor joists that will allow you to keep most of the drainage above the existing slab. In the end you would have a small area of concrete to chop, to make room for the 3" sewer line to drop below frost line before it leaves the building. This will be exponentially cheaper than adding any structure for the bath and kitchen. Of course, building the kitchen adjacent to the bath will eliminate any need for additional drain lines, if you plan well. Good luck.


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## vpapai (Nov 18, 2010)

Lived on a 33 foot boat for 5 years. You get used to the space you have. Put a loft in the shed/portable building, with your bathroom underneath, and a small refrigerator with a window heater/air conditioner and you have a place to stay. We converted a 12x20 shed and were very comfortable just the wife and I.


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## Fetherhd (Aug 16, 2012)

We lived in a 20 x 10 foot tent for seven months this winter. We have recently bought one of these cabins as financing any other way was out of our means. We put down our first months rent and 3 weeks later our cabin came trundling up the driveway...it was set up in very little time...now we have the fun of finishing it the way WE want to! Yes...it can work.


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## Fetherhd (Aug 16, 2012)

AND I agree with Mo Gal. A simple composting toilet works well and can be made very cheaply.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

You could just add a bathroom and use the existing outside wall and double up a new wall on bathroom side for the plumbing. Put all plumbing in the wall except the needed waterline, shower/tub drain, toilet drain and sewer line in before pouring the slab. Put water heater in a closet in the bathroom. This will give you full garage space with a wash room later....James


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## WildIdeas (Dec 28, 2012)

Fetherhd said:


> We lived in a 20 x 10 foot tent for seven months this winter. We have recently bought one of these cabins as financing any other way was out of our means. We put down our first months rent and 3 weeks later our cabin came trundling up the driveway...it was set up in very little time...now we have the fun of finishing it the way WE want to! Yes...it can work.


Where did you get your cabin?


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## Cookie2 (Feb 21, 2014)

Here was our plan ...

We wanted to buy a property that had nothing but a great storage building on it - much bigger than 20x20 but this still applies to you. We were going to pull in a used RV so it would be under cover and out of the way of horrific storms. That would provide our bedroom and a storage area for stuff that was too sensitive to be exposed to rodents and other critters (like electronics). In one corner of the storage building was a kitchen and eating area. It was walled off - including a simple ceiling - from the rest of the storage area. In another corner was a bathroom but no shower.

With a 20x20 building this is what I'd do ...

I'd pull in a used camping trailer that has at least a small kitchen. That way you have sleeping, storage, heat and A/C. If there was no bathroom, I'd build one inside the building using the raised floor method for running pipes. Since you are going to need a waste water method anyway, might as well install a septic system big enough for the eventual house. That will be your biggest expense. Your alternative will be using the waste tanks on your trailer then having to tow it to a disposal site periodically which will be a huge pain. In the rest of the building, set up an extended living space where you can spread out and get away from the 'cabin fever' of being confined in the trailer.

The deal for the land fell through and we eventually found land with a house already on it. During wet and windy winter, hot summer and tornadoes I often think about what it would be like to be living in that storage building. What would we be doing when DD wanted to invite friends over? How would we be feeling when money got tight? What would celebrating Christmas be like? What would it be like when I was sick? What about those days when I just needed to relax? One of our bug-out locations is an off-grid cabin in the woods. It is very rural but at least it is shelter if something happened to the main house. Still, it isn't as comfortable as the main house. When we are in the main house and fighting off a small critter invasion, dealing with a mosquito or fly that gained entrance or listening to the dogs bark at the large animals that wander around our property at night, I get very grateful for double glazed windows and doors that lock.


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

not a portable building but amazing what they did...
http://my99post.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/a-shipping-container-costs-about-2000.html


I had renters that moved out and they bought a portable building....made a really cute house out of it....


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

My Cabin is 10X20, I have spent weeks here just me but I'm going to double it in size so I can have regular Bed and Front Room with Wood Heating Stove.












big rockpile


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## Okgetawayhaus (Feb 19, 2021)

Mcompton1973 said:


> we already have 400sq ft usable. its unsulated and foundation etc. I can get a portable building for a couple hundred bucks a month and connect it to the garage building. That gives me over 600 sq feet. for very little cash up front. Then all I need to do is run the electric...no problem, and the plumbing. and then insulate and close in the walls.
> 
> I guess my real question is this. Is there enough room under a prtable building to run the plumbing? We live in east central Oklahoma. What would I need to do to make sure pipes didnt freeze etc.


I am currently planning a build similar to this in Oklahoma. I was wondering how yours turned out?


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Try to keep from sinking money in creating temporary creature comforts that is money down the drain later. You need water. You need outhouse. You need heat and a way to cook. Some areas you can get water with a driven well. Other areas it is a major expense, going down 2 or 300 feet. Site the well where you'll want it if/when a house is built. Then run a water line buried below your frost line to a hydrant in the 20 by 20 garage.If you plan to heat with wood, buy the woodstove you'll want in the house. Too large for the uninsulated garage, but useful later. Your climate makes a huge difference. I lived in an old small travel trailer two times. A plastic garbage can, set at the end of a picknic table can serve as a bath. The summer sun will warm the water in a couple days. I had two 40 gallon plastic garbage cans. Use one while the other warms. In winter, you can heat water, pour 3-4 five gallons of hot water into a tub outside, bathe and dump the water outside. A compost toilet is an option. Doing like the bears do is another option.
I'd avoid the temptation to sink money into an addition that is of no use later on. Tough it out in the garage and focus on a forever, well insulated, low upkeep home.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Okgetawayhaus said:


> I am currently planning a build similar to this in Oklahoma. I was wondering how yours turned out?


They haven't logged on since 2016. Don't expect a reply or update.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Mcompton1973 said:


> There is power but no well or septic.


Before you start worrying about plumbing, you need a water source. If the building is heated, adding plumbing is easy. The only place you need to worry about is where it enters and leaves the building. Take some 2x8's and raise the bathroom above the cement floor. 

The house I am building will have all of the plumbing above the slab. I want to be able to see it, and be able to get to it if I need to.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

muleskinner2 said:


> Before you start worrying about plumbing, you need a water source. If the building is heated, adding plumbing is easy. The only place you need to worry about is where it enters and leaves the building. Take some 2x8's and raise the bathroom above the cement floor.
> 
> The house I am building will have all of the plumbing above the slab. I want to be able to see it, and be able to get to it if I need to.


The zombies got you again! The poster you quoted hasn't logged in since 2016.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Danaus29 said:


> The zombies got you again! The poster you quoted hasn't logged in since 2016.


At the speed I type, my reply came out just right.


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