How To Downsize And Simplify Life !

[DLRIDES]

I simply tired of maintaining a property at this stage in life, and realized impressing others with a home accomplished absolutely nothing. The engineering part of me started to have thoughts of practicality, maintenance free, simplicity, living cost, aging single, retirement, potential handicapped accessibility, etc. Being a motorcycle/auto enthusiast the answer was clear ..................... build an effective garage with a nice apartment, done for life !

From a two story hand built, high maintenance log home, two garages, ten acres, to the perfect garagedominium on a one acre lot, MY dream home ! Should have built this twenty years ago !

















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[DLRIDES]

The cupolas needed the perfect weathervanes.









The best view of all !




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[Old Expat Beast]

Great...a fun, purpose-built home...I like it. Hat's off to you for doing that!

[BNA/LION]

Looks Great!

[map782]

That is awesome! It's like a man cave on steroids.

[Chewbacca]

I like it.

[enjoythemusic]

Livingroom seems unnecessary, why not make it extra garage space?

Congrats!

[bdex75]

Perfect!!! I am thinking 35’ airstream and F350 and I will come visit all you crazy dudes!!!


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[kieselguhr]

Fantastic! Love the idea of simple living

[AF_Rob]

LOVE IT!!! I'm not a motor head but I appreciate the intent. Bold move. I try to live simple myself. I want nothing more than needed and a purposeful footprint to my home for me and my wife.

[interestedwatcher]

That's really cool. Needs more 2 strokes though.

[TheVTCGuy]

Excellent Don, I wish you many years of happiness.


PS Is my room ready?

[DLRIDES]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Excellent Don, I wish you many years of happiness.


PS Is my room ready?

Yep, it’s ready Paul !

Guest room has a twin over queen bunk bed, TV, guest Wi-Fi, bluetooth guest speaker, desk, chest, closet, and full guest bathroom.







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[colpol]

Your living in my perfect home

If nit picking - I’d maybe have your living area as a wash/ dry room for the cars/ bikes & the living quarters above the garage

[swatty]

Looks great, what a great idea

[superdog]

Wow.

You are the man. I’m so impressed. This thing is amazing. Someday I might just follow in your footsteps. Congrats on the new home. Looks perfect.

[Andad]

That is an 11/10.

Great work and my wife loves it.

Food for thought.

[mountainjogger]

My hat is off to you Don. I absolutely agree that impressing others with a home accomplishes absolutely nothing.

Stay safe my NC friend.

[Rock]

The thing I like most, apart from the 4 garages and the big driveway, is no close neighbours and the natural scenery at the back.

What I see here so often is real-estate developments made up of long narrow one acre blocks where everybody builds a big house across the block close to the road so that it is just like living in the 'burbs' but with a very big (unused) back yard that you have to mow.

[Speedbird-1]

Well done!:

Roof looks perfect for solar panels.

Love the, knee, nearly down, Weather Vane.


But, on reflection......
I'd have to disagree with some of what you stated.

As a 30yr old, I would have loved to have lived in your new place.
We have a fairly high maintenance home, but, we love it, and consider it 'paradise' and wouldn't change a thing.
'Each to his own', as the saying goes. I hope you'll be very happy there.
I've just mowed some of the lawns, watered the vegetable garden, the sun is shining, lunch is waiting......heaven!

[1st amg]

That is the perfect set up Don. Congratulations on the move and the perfect decision for you.....and only you. Enjoy for many many years

[Knappo 1307]

Love it Don! My wife and I are thinking of doing the same type of thing. Is the building a Morton? FBI?

[1William]

Great home and thoughts behind creating a place that you want and what caters to your lifestyle now and in the future. Congratulations.

[GoingPlaces]

I think more people will be heading in this direction in the coming years. Congratulations, well done!

[Bluside]

Can I be you just for a day? Fantastic.

[77T]

Freedom from costly maintenance of the previous huge space is a big plus.

And your ‘form follows function’ design is great.


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[brandrea]

Congratulations Don, you’re right sometimes less is more

I wish you many happy years there. Looks like the perfect set up for this stage and your next stage of life

[JTL31]

Very well thought out. Incredible design - love it! Enjoy in good health for many years to come :)

[travisb]

All you could really need. Looks great!!

[DLRIDES]

Thanks for the compliments !

The downsizing involved more than a new house, any item that was not used and cost to maintain, had to go ! It was time to evaluate means vs needs vs wants vs retiring comfortably in a few years, etc, etc.

A few details:

3 rural acres with 1 acre clear, 200 ft off a nice paved secondary road, 1 mile from a small +/- 600 population town, 8 miles to Hickory NC, 45 miles to Charlotte NC, 4,000 sq ft drive (can circle my truck and 20’ car trailer)

2,400 sq ft total, 835 apartment & 1565 garage

Insulated concrete pad, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 9’ceilings, maintenance free floor and walls, all LED lighting, 32’ front porch, 8’ rear porch, R26 walls, R30 overhead, all metal exterior, 12’8” garage ceilings, remote Wi-Fi door openers, 10k lb 2 post automotive lift, 2 motorcycle lifts, mig & tig welders, plasma cutter, welding table, drill press, steel rack, horizontal band saw, work bench, 2 @ 50k btu garage heaters, 2 exhaust fans, twin dual band Wi-Fi routers (1 garage, 1 apartment), security camera system, etc,etc,etc. Behind the garage is a 18’ x 42’ storage shed for trailers, tractor, implements, lawn mower, and an additional 2,500 sq ft gravel access area.

BTW, my average power bill is $71