Looking at a shop/land... need opinions.

I'm looking at a piece of property and need y'alls opinion. It's around 4.5 acres and has a 30x50x30 metal building that looks to be in decent shape ( the tin is weathered). Property has 3 phase power and a water well.

My idea is to put a full size apartment at the top and live in there and use the bottom as a shop. I would have to put in septic and get insulation of some sort sprayed. The rest I would do myself.


- 30x50x30 dimensions
- Inside of building is unfinished.
- 3 phase
- well on property
- ~4.5 acres
- 2 man doors (from and back)
- 1 roll up (~12-15ft tall)
- land located in rural sw louisiana

what would this be worth to you? Once i get some replies i will try to post a pic and possibly the price. If my thinking and y'alls lines up I'll probably be alot more active and asking alot more questions before long.

will be posting another thread on how to frame for the apt.

it wouldn't be hard to make a loft area and insulate it, the 4.5 acres is nice. the real question is if there is a misses Jcouch1, what is she going to say about living over a shop. I would also check into if the land is zoned mixed use, one thing that fubars a plan like this would be to find out its zoned commercial use only. I would make the "apartment" as close to something you could make into an office area later, only because if you get married you might eventually have to put a house for the whole family etc. this also keeps the space as close to business ready as possible if you ever need to sell it.

does it already have an upper floor? if so, you might look at making your walls sheeted and painted, then raising them on the upper floor, will be more work but then you would be better insulated from the shop below with a double wall thats not attached (vibration resistant) basically build a house inside the shop in simple terms.

if theres not a second floor, you'll need (i recommend steel) pillars and you'll need to make sure theres enough concrete under them to support the rooms above.

It's 30ft high?? Walls or total height??

what does it cost??

Ryf said:

the real question is if there is a misses Jcouch1, what is she going to say about living over a shop. I would also check into if the land is zoned mixed use, one thing that fubars a plan like this would be to find out its zoned commercial use only.

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There's going to be in less than a year! She's fine with it. We are both looking at it as a way to get into a brand new "house" for the right price.

Ryf said:

does it already have an upper floor? if so, you might look at making your walls sheeted and painted, then raising them on the upper floor, will be more work but then you would be better insulated from the shop below with a double wall thats not attached (vibration resistant) basically build a house inside the shop in simple terms.

if theres not a second floor, you'll need (i recommend steel) pillars and you'll need to make sure theres enough concrete under them to support the rooms above.

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No upper floor and this is the approach i was thinking. Just not sure how to proceed on it.

the price is $45k. The place is a little overgrown and has a few problems that need to be adressed, but for that price range it's almost like paying for a building or the land, but not both. That is what s making this place catch the eye so much. That and the fact that I've been needing a good project, want to buy a place, and need a shop to put my stuff in.

Mind you I'm just getting out of college and have just started my first career job. So this is the first time that this has been a possibility for me and it just makes it that much more appealing.

tdkkart said:

It's 30ft high?? Walls or total height??

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not sure by looking at it. Everyone I have ever known has used wall height. I couldn't reach my tape up there though. Whatever it is it's the tallest 30x50 i have ever seen. IDK why s/o would build a building that high for other than for something along what im thinking about doing