# Turning shed into home



## Piney Woods (Jul 5, 2006)

My plan is to put a shed on my lot for now - like the ones you get at Lowe's or Home Depot and at least have a dried-in place to camp. But I would like to turn it into a small home in the near future. I will need to put it on skids to begin with and figured I would do a level gravel base. Can I trench utilities in under the building when the time comes? Will it be okay to leave it on skids and concrete blocks? 

The small bathroom and kitchen will be back-to-back with an interior wall between them at one end of the barn and the rest will be open. I was thinking that if I couldn't trench under, I could add a small lean-to on the back wall that would house the plumbing connections from the ground. I'll need incoming water and outgoing for septic.

If I do propane, the stove, hot water and space heater will also be connected to that same bath/kitchen wall.

Am I going about this the right way? I cannot afford to build a regular new house from scratch.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

It will be built on skids. When you order the shed, you'll have several options including larger dimension skids and heavier flooring. I'd go with both of those. Whoever delivers it will level it up on blocks. I'd put down geotextile over the area where the shed will go and cover that with crusher run smaller sized stone. 

Pack the stone down well. Since it's crusher run it will eventually setup almost like concrete. I would order the shed without vents or openings for vents. You can cut those in yourself to install a small fan to ventilate the "attic" area.

Take a close look at how the sheds are built. They normally use a non-standard distance between studs. You may want to order without windows to save money and avoid the cheap ones they use. Add your own later. I would upgrade the door to a security door without glass if you're concerned about break-ins.


When you go to trench for the utilities simply remove the stone and cut the geotextile.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

We've looked at one of the little barns at Lowes / Home Depot with a small upstairs a few times and thought about how it wouldn't be all that hard to make a small home out of one of those. We had thought maybe a small bathroom built onto the back side of it and the kitchen up against the same wall would make for nice centralized plumbing and mostly on inside walls. Simple, but could still be nicely and tastefully done.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

WAY before all the "tiny home" hoopla, DH and I talked about how relatively easy it would be to turn one of those two-story sheds into a small home. We even talked about adding on or tying two of them together, but then the same issues that adding on/tying together two mobile homes would come into play (shifting), unless you poured a single foundation big enough for both buildings/add-ons in the beginning.

Still, considering the unit price (back then one of them was less than $5000...they're almost $8000 now), the cost of the foundation, and all other costs associated initial setup, it wouldn't have been a bad way to go.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Here you can buy them without a floor. Pour a slab, put a treated 2"x on the slab, place shed on top and bolt it all down with redheads. Trench in drain pipe under slab, put shower, toilet flange, water pipe sleeve and electrical conduit in slab. I use an electrical conduit 90 degree sweep bend for sleeve for pex water pipe.

This cottage we are living in was an old garage. I raised the shed, poured the slab and lowered the shed onto treated 2"x and bolted it down. Needed new roof anyway so I added a leanto on one side. Added a new raised top plate/header to old wall, placed 2"x6"s along side old 2"x4" rafters, from peak, over the new leanto. Shed was 12'x20', addition is 6'x20' for kitchen and bath. Back wall is only 6 1/2' but works well for kitchen and bath with the sloped ceiling. Door between bath and bedroom, living, kitchenette/dining open concept.

Same could be added to bought shed....James


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

If you're not opposed to doing the work yourself, build the thing on site. That way, if you want something a little different than what comes as the typical shed, it's not a special order at the shed company. For instance, you can build it using 2X6 studs instead of 2X4 studs. You can build it with quality windows and the style doors you'd rather have instead of the cheap windows and "shed style" doors. You can extend the roof lines a little farther if you want to. If you're putting it directly on a concrete slab, there's no need to have the runners or the extra heavy floor boards. 

I've built quite a few sheds. They're not difficult to build. I've never bought a set of plans, either. What I have is a large (like 2' X 2.5') book of graph paper that I draw things out to scale. It's easy to change things on paper. It's easy to adjust things on paper, too, to try to eliminate waste. And then, when I have it all figured out, then start collecting materials and begin building. 

Or... just buy it.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

I'd "stub in" the utilities. Bury the water, sewer and electric lines, run them up into the shed and put duct tape over the openings. Then your vapor barrier and gravel. So when you are turning it into a house, no need to crawl under and dig out a sewer line. Cap it off outside and add to it when ready. Around here, I'd bury it 4 feet deep, but guess you don't get much frost. With only 3 1/2 studs and roof rafters, in a hot climate, you'll cook in there unless you bump up the budget for high R rated insulation. I'd use 3 inches between the studs and an inch over the whole wall, under the drywall. In the ceiling, put that 1/2 inch space between the plywood roof and the insulation. That will help air currents cool the roof.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

@OP Piney Woods,

I have looked at many many of these pre-built packaged sheds from Lowes, HomeDepot and others and there is one thing in common with them all... They are designed and built to the most basic & lowest cost possible. Most often then have Grade-3 lumber and short walls (6' instead of 8'), almost always 2x4 (1-1/2x3-1/2) and usually have the exterior cladding (Smartside LP or similar) attached to the studs. No vapour barrier, no wrap to control moisture. The "Shed" you pay $1000 for only has about $300-500 worth of material used in it.

PLEASE Look at Amish Sheds built by their craftsman, you get much more bang per $ and quality to boot. They can built it better with better materials for the same price and even do a few upgrades now at reasonable cost versus trying to retrofit things in. 

You can install it on a gravel base (remove the top soil "organics") which extends at least 12" from all sides of proposed shed, put in commercial landscaping cloth and pack in 6" of crushed gravel, place good precast cottage blocks (18"x18"x6") for your skids (best to use 6x6 skids) and place the building on that.... You might consider running some drainage tile from under the "pad" out and away towards the south of the pad.

Also when doing the "Pad" run in the conduit pipe for your electrical & plumbing works, just make sure you are under the frost line if that applies to your location.


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## Bottleneck (Apr 22, 2014)

I agree that you can build the same shed for much less, or go with a contractor or another manufacturer for some higher quality. I wouldn't buy any new windows, I would either go to the ReStore or craigslist. 

If you build it yourself you can figure up a list of materials and take it to multiple lumber yards and get better prices than what you pay off shelf. 

If you build it solid now, even if you only have it on skids it can be moved onto a different foundation later.


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## Huntmo1 (Nov 30, 2011)

My wife and I bought 30 acres in Missouri a couple years ago. The previous owner lived out of state (so do we) and put a small 1 room cabin/shed on skids on the property to use as a place to stay on weekends and for short hunting trips (which we do as well). I've attached a picture. He brought an electric pole to the property line and then ran 2 lines of wire...one to the cabin and one for an outside outlet. Inside the cabin, we have several outlets that we use to power a small fridge, fan/heater, skillet, etc., There is currently no kitchen or bathroom as we don't have water yet...but, we have a few cabinets on one side of the first floor that we use as a makeshift kitchen. On the other end of the first floor, we have it set up as a small living area and use the loft the sleep in.

My wife and I still work full time in NE and have a 2 teenagers that are still in school. But, if it was just her and I, we could easily live in that cabin (even without water) for a year or two pretty easily and comfortably. During the colder months, a small electric heater can keep the inside 60+ degrees. Once it starts dipping down below 30, I will run a propane heater as well and it stays nice and warm. If we were to live there long-term, we'd definitely put more work into it, to include plumbing and a more permanent heating source. But, most likely, we'll end up building a slightly bigger cabin with a basement that we'll retire to. That said, we really enjoy spending long weekends in that small cabin and, like I said, we could see ourselves living in it and being very happy too. Best of luck to you.





Piney Woods said:


> My plan is to put a shed on my lot for now - like the ones you get at Lowe's or Home Depot and at least have a dried-in place to camp. But I would like to turn it into a small home in the near future. I will need to put it on skids to begin with and figured I would do a level gravel base. Can I trench utilities in under the building when the time comes? Will it be okay to leave it on skids and concrete blocks?
> 
> The small bathroom and kitchen will be back-to-back with an interior wall between them at one end of the barn and the rest will be open. I was thinking that if I couldn't trench under, I could add a small lean-to on the back wall that would house the plumbing connections from the ground. I'll need incoming water and outgoing for septic.
> 
> ...


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## eXo0us (Nov 14, 2015)

I do not know the area where are you live. Just telling, that where I live you can get mobile homes all the time for the value of their metal frame. 

Look on craigslist. Or research for one of this 5th Wheel Camping Trailers. They are darn nice inside these days for a temporary home. 

Build a Pole Barn over the Camper and it's like a normal home. Half of Floridas population lives in Campers these days and it's not the lower part of the society.


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## vpapai (Nov 18, 2010)

For the price that you pay for the shed you can build a bigger, better, and use higher quality components for less than or the same price. If it is on skids, it is usually not taxed as an "improvement" and will keep your taxes down.


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## Bottleneck (Apr 22, 2014)

You might want to check into something like this:

 http://www.homestead.org/MarkChenail/SimplestHouseofall/SimplestHouseofAll.htm


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## cindilu (Jan 27, 2008)

Here is a shed project I am working on... I bought this from Old Hickory Sheds... 










In the process of painting and getting it done...


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

Bellyman said:


> If you're not opposed to doing the work yourself, build the thing on site. That way, if you want something a little different than what comes as the typical shed, it's not a special order at the shed company. For instance, you can build it using 2X6 studs instead of 2X4 studs. You can build it with quality windows and the style doors you'd rather have instead of the cheap windows and "shed style" doors. You can extend the roof lines a little farther if you want to. If you're putting it directly on a concrete slab, there's no need to have the runners or the extra heavy floor boards.
> 
> I've built quite a few sheds. They're not difficult to build. I've never bought a set of plans, either. What I have is a large (like 2' X 2.5') book of graph paper that I draw things out to scale. It's easy to change things on paper. It's easy to adjust things on paper, too, to try to eliminate waste. And then, when I have it all figured out, then start collecting materials and begin building.
> 
> Or... just buy it.


I'm with you on this. You can get it done cheaper, better and most often less time yourself. Custom is much easier too.


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## Bottleneck (Apr 22, 2014)

Or hire a local contractor even. Buying from places like HD means that you are paying them and a contractor. All they do is go down a list of contractors. Plus a local guy could probably get better deals on better lumber.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Build your own, whatever size.... for ~10/sq. foot.... Afterwards, you'd have something rock solid, instead of whimsy flimsy.... 

you can put insulation and wiring in, along with vinyl flooring, drywall, paint, windows.... etc.


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