How To Plan And Build A Guest House In Your Backyard

There are many things that make any residence we share with those we care deeply about a home. But, since that’s the case, it can sometimes seem like there is always something we can add or do to enhance the looks or functionality of our home. That is why there is such hype over renovations, but one aspect seems to dominate here, and even though many still consider it a luxury move or addition, building a guest house doesn’t need to be so costly. Yes, like with almost any type of construction process, there will be some unplanned expenses, but that’s nothing compared to how your whole backyard will look after a guest house appears. Now, since it is a delicate process, let’s get into details and focus on how to determine where to start, how long it takes to build a guest house, and what’s considered optional and not a must.

Get all the necessary permits

First of all, it is crucial to understand that it is impossible just to build a guest house or set the one already prepared in your backyard and move in. Before all of that, it is crucial to learn the laws and get the necessary building permits, or you can easily face legal consequences, and in the worst-case scenario, you will need to remove it. This step is first for a reason, and it is necessary to get all the permits before even planning the house, to know exactly how big you are allowed to build, so you can plan the house by having that in consideration. As for how it all works and how long does it takes, it all depends on the country and the state you live in. Besides that, certain periods like during the spring and summer are usually designed for renovations, meaning that many people apply for permits during this period, and it can get a little crowded. So, to avoid crowds and to reduce the waiting period for all the permits, gather all documents needed and file them in time, at least a month or so before you are planning to start building a guest house.

There are three different options

Now, after we are done with the paperwork, we can focus on the goal ahead of us, so when we have all the necessary permits for our guest house, it is time to choose the best option, and we have three of them. Each of them has its benefits and flaws, and we will describe them further to make a choice easier for you.

1. Starting from a scratch

The first option is building a guest house from scratch, and that is a great thing since we have so many options. Namely, we can decide how it will look, how many rooms there will be, and, of course, we can experiment and try new things, interior-wise. Now, even though this is a great solution as only by starting and doing something from scratch can we get exactly what we want from our guesthouse, but, on the other hand, you should also keep in mind that it is the most expensive option because of a few reasons. It is the same as constructing a new home, just a smaller one, which means we will need to pay the architect to make us a project, buy necessary material, and pay workers to build it. Yes, by the sole mentioning of the architect and home builder, you get the idea of how costly it can be. Of course, once again, it all depends on the features and how big the guest house will be, but when you start from scratch, just hiring the right companies can be a financial burden. Besides that, we need to consider weather conditions because it is impossible to work outside when they are not favorable, and because of that, the construction can take much longer than initially planned.

2. Buying the finished one

Even though this might look like a solution with many advantages and downsides at first glance, when we scratch under the surface, there are actually much more benefits of getting a guest house that’s already built. Yes, there is an option to buy a guest house that is already made and simply place it in our backyard, and okay, it is a little more complicated than that but much easier than building one from scratch overall. What we first need to do here is to choose the right one and make sure that it can fit in our backyard, meaning that much planning is a must before making any decisions. It is much more complex work than it looks because of the vast offer, and if you do not know where to search, and need help with this highly significant decision, make sure to visit ModnPods, and get detailed instructions along with some tips and guidelines. After choosing the perfect one, it is time to think about the site preparation because your backyard needs to be leveled, and the foundation needs to be installed before placing the guest house.

3. Transforming the existing construction

The easiest and most budget-friendly option is to transform the existing construction into a dream guest house. This is an ideal way to avoid spending too much and still get a brand new place to call home, guest home. It can be a garage or any similar construction that you probably use to put the necessary things but can easily be transformed into something beautiful and suitable for living. Keep in mind that it can be a cheaper option if there are water and sewerage systems and enough windows, but the price can be significantly higher if there are not. The price depends on the amount of work that needs to be done, and this option can be both the cheaper and the most expensive one. So, before making a decision, make sure to consult the experts as if the construction you plan to renovate is in not such a great condition, the whole process can get even more costly than buying a guest house or building one from scratch.