Little Giant posted:Hi! And welcome to the forum! You find much information here! Central Florida: you dont say exactly where...... Central Fl. is big and a lot of open space. Community or rural, they have it all! If you're getting a big piece of land, build a separate building. If not and only the garage, have it finished with insulation and sheet rock. Any AC will work overtime if only bare block walls. I would install a small but high efficient 2 part AC unit just for the garage. Seperate thermostat equals less money spent on cooling. Make sure you get the best hurricane garage door you can afford!! I agree to do all your plumbing in copper. Also give thought to impact windows. You may not be living near the coast, but it doesnt mean you're safe from the wind. Good luck with your future!! (I've been doing construction in South Florida for 30+ years)
Thanks for responding to my query. You raise a good question re: a room over the garage. The floor plan does not allow for one, as currently drawn, but it would definitely be a question worth asking. A 400 sq ft room would cost in the neighborhood of an additional $10k-$15k, if added at ground level. I do not know what the cost would be to resize and strengthen the trusses over the garage to support the additional weight and to add a staircase. I’ll add this to our list of questions to the builder.
As for converting the dining room…your spouse is more tolerant of trains than mine…
Thanks and regards,
Scott D.
