In Law Cottage

[dreamshell]

My husband and I are trying to find plans to build an in-law cottage for my mother on our property (we are actually converting the garage and must remain in the blueprint which is 20 x 21 with a few extra feet possible for the width). I can't seem to find anything this dimension. Any suggestions? I like the 20'wide 1 1/2 story cottage and it would be nice to adapt to our size but not sure how to approach that. We are trying to do as much ourselves to keep costs down. Any thoughts?

[glenn-k]

John's plans can be adapted to your length with no problem.  You can just change the length and he tells you how to copy and paste necessary details for the changes.  He will be back here to help you about the middle of next week or so.  His wife is taking care of filling plan orders.  If you need more information I will try to help.  I have a set of plans to refer to.  I think there is also information somewhere here he posted about changing plans so you shouldn't have any problem.  

You will find that our forum members are the most helpful around - many have  or have done their own projects and they want others to succeed just as they have.  So --welcome to the forum, dreamshell.

The extra side room could possibly be used as a porch add on to the basic structure to keep the plans inexpensive.  (I don't want to call John "Cheap", but he is----it just sounds so--- well --- cheap.)

[trish2(Guest)]

Two places to check.

1.  Silvercrest homes has a modular granny flat that they call "Backyard Homes".  While you don't want to purchase their product, you may be able to modify and adapt  their plan to fit your needs.

http://www.silvercrest.com/backyardhome/index.htm

2.  Look at  house plans with apartments above garages.  What fits above a 20x20 garage should fit on a 20x20 building pad.   Most of the on-line libraries have separate sections for garages and garage apartments.

[Daddymem]

Epoch Homes has a 24x26 modular capefor In-Law use.  Looked into putting that on our lot and adding on after we moved in at one point...

[Amanda_931]

Somebody posted this in the home built trusses topic.  Looks to me rather as though it could have a couple of feet taken out of at least one dimension.

http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/5968.pdf

I have plans for a house that is about that size that we considered building as 17 feet on a side--kitchen and living room taking up the full length on one side, high counter between them, a bed room and bathroom on the other--bathroom completely framed in, bedroom curtained, closet between the two, mostly accessed from the bed room.  Loft suitable for shoving boxes onto over the bed- and bath-rooms.  

[ailsaek]

Epoch Homes has a 24x26 modular cape for In-Law use.  Looked into putting that on our lot and adding on after we moved in at one point...

That's meant for in-law use?  Butbutbut, it's not wheelchair accessible!  What's the point of a grandma suite without universal access?

[jhambley]

Might want to look at these:

http://www.weekendwarriorcabins.com/

Jerry

[jraabe]

The weekend warrior cabins are a good example of combinations of simple buildings. They are using a 16' wide module which is also used in the Victoria Cottage plans from this site.

Gives you a lot of possibilities. I also like the roof overhang they have over the front windows. An update to the craftsman style. Here's another example of the same thing.

[jhambley]

I ordered both John's Victoria Cottage and the Weekend Warrior plan sets. I then used elements from both
designs. The office is 16 x 28.

I really like the shed roof that John posted better than mine...wish I had seen it before I built.

Jerry

[Daddymem]

Epoch Homes has a 24x26 modular cape for In-Law use.  Looked into putting that on our lot and adding on after we moved in at one point...

That's meant for in-law use?  Butbutbut, it's not wheelchair accessible!  What's the point of a grandma suite without universal access?

Psssst...not all in-laws are invalid grandparents...one of our original thoughts was to add that one to my parent's house for them to live in and they are only in their mid 50s.  One major use of these "in-law" additions is using them to skirt tough zoning laws in order to allow two families on one lot where Duplex housing is not allowed.  The Town usually dictates how big the addition can be based on the size of the existing house and as you know, there are many Capes around here where this addition would be the only thing that fits the bill.

[Sassy]

Jhambley,  I really like your office!  All the special custom touches you added to it looks great.  Although you saw something you think you might have liked better, your place looks very nice.  

Yeh, Grandparents aren't always invalids - ha - Glenn & I have 7 grandchildren already & we are in our mid 50's... we still get around pretty good.  But if you are looking to the future, wheelchair access is important.  Even our underground cabin with all its stairs, crooks & crannies can actually be wheelchair accessed to the main parts... my nephew broke his back last November from a 30 ft fall down an embankment - he came here at Christmas & was using a wheelchair.  (I, too,have to think ahead about these things because I already have a lot of arthritis..)  

[ailsaek]

Psssst...not all in-laws are invalid grandparents...one of our original thoughts was to add that one to my parent's house for them to live in and they are only in their mid 50s.

My MiL is in her early 60s and in in a wheelchair, and my husband will probably be in one at about the same age.  I dunno, I think it's poor planing to assume a person is going to age in place and never have restricted mobility.

[Amanda_931]

Yes.  That's why I've always been--long before anyone here knew me--semi-passionate about  accessibility.