commercial or residential?

guzziguy · Post by **guzziguy** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 5:20 pm

Hi folks

I am planning a move soon and will need to set up shop. My question is this. Should I build a shop on a property with a house or should I keep the shop separate and buy an existing commercial property?

If the costs were the same which would you choose? I realize there are advantages and disadvantages to both, any suggestions or things I should be concerned about?

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:52 pm

I built mine on my property. One I am at work, I can keep an eye on it, I don't have to fight traffic to gt to work and I might get a brainstorm in the middle o fthe nigh and can walk to work rather than haveing to drive. It really is according if the area will allow a shop on the property too
Tour

dadude · Post by **dadude** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:18 pm

guzziguy,

i had the same dilema prior to buliding my shop here on my home property, on the positive side no travel, work odd hours with ease, lower overhead to list a few.

on the negative, my property now is worth more than i could sell it for (this is location specific) sometimes being available is not so great for a work crunch, you tend to work more than if you had to travel at regular hours (or less!)

all said i like having my shop here on my property

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:43 pm

I undrestand the work more. I love woodworking. I work sometimes and forget to eat. I don't really consider it workeing sometimes because I get to be creative, do my own design work and a gambet of other things. It much better that satnding at a machine all day doing the same thing over and over and over........
tour

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:08 pm

GG,

I think it really needs to be a personal decision on how you want to live.

Having the shop at home is a lifestyle choice. It saves you a commute, allows you to be at home to meet a school bus, lets you take advantage of being home.

Normally the cost of a commercial property is substantially higher and comes with more overhead. Ours is an interesting situation, we are tweeners- needing an industrial feeling environment, but not needing all of the industrial overhead.

Having separate properties is probably economically smarter, but does not have the benefits of being home.

Pete

guzziguy · Post by **guzziguy** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:29 am

Thanks for the comments. So far everything I have heard are about lifestyle decisions. Which is important when making this kind of decision.

I never wake up in the middle of the night wanting to go to the shop, I usually just fart, roll over and go back to sleep.

I can't say that I work long hours either. I am strictly a 9-5 guy. When I did live in a situation where I had my shop a few steps from my apartment I never went back to the shop after dinner.

As far as deadlines go. It's weird (touch wood) I have never been in a situation where I had to burn the midnight oil (except when I was at school). I work like a fast turtle, slow and steady.

The being home when the kid gets back from school comment, well I'm a few years away from that, but not far off. But I remember when I was an apprentice many years ago. I worked for a guy who had his shop on his property, and when the kids came home from school, they came to say hi/ check in and i would barely see him again for the rest of the day. he either had to deal with some sort of dilemna, drive the kid somewhere, ect... he would then return to the shop after dinner when everyone went to bed to finish up what he had left behind that afternoon. The next morning he would show up late at the shop tired because of a long night at the shop. this happened more often than not.

One lifestyle advantage I see is if I am doing any work on the house all my tools are right there. i do not have to have two sets of tools (one for the shop and for the house).

The commute is an issue. I commute now ( approx 35-40 min each way) I would love to cut that in half. Seeing as though we ar looking for both a house and a shop we can possibly (with any luck) find something with an easy commute.

besides lifestyle any other thoughts?

nektai · Post by **nektai** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:11 am

I imagine you would be held to commercial building code if you buy a commercial building that needs any sort of work. I have no idea what this would impose on the project but I am sure that it would add something to the cost of the renovation. Anyone have any experience that would help Guzziguy?

guzziguy · Post by **guzziguy** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:43 pm

I think I am leaning towards the commercial. I thought of another point. Moving into a new area buying a house and building a shop is a MAJOR commitment. You are going to have to be there for a long time, otherwise you are throwing your money away. If we wanted to move to another house, or other nearby area in five years it will be easier not worrying about building another shop and settling all over again.

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:17 am

The great thing about separate properties is you can always build a studio later. Once you build that studio you are locked in to that property for a while. Unfortunately in most places the price of an industrial building is cost prohibitive.

P

nojo · Post by **nojo** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:26 pm

I know this is a non issue now, however for anyone else considering the same question, my commercial building makes me $1000 a month if I'm there or not on top of paying the mortgage.