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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 4 Jul 2016 10:33am
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So I'm still looking at properties, still working on selling my house, sigh. I thought I had a buyer but he couldn't get the financing he wanted. Anyhoo ...
While this is playing out, I had a thought as I'm looking at properties. There are some fixers at rock bottom prices. Now, the rules on raw land are that you can't add a "shed" unless there's already a house on the property. So, I'm thinking that if there IS a house on the property with a well, septic, and electric then I could add a "shed," right?
Which means that I could put a permitted shed over 225 sq. ft. on the property on a block foundation, wire it for electric and have it inspected as a shed. Then I could live in it while I worked on the fixer (after adding a compost toilet and some basic plumbing, etc.). In the end, I'd have a cabin and a little guest house.
Would that work?
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 4 Jul 2016 12:19pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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You may be able to build a shed without a house. I know in my state, its doable, especially with property that people use for vacation/camping at with no cabin at all, many leave the camping gear behind and store it in a shed. I know the rule has been 200 sq feet or a 10X20 max size basically, as long as it doesn't have a permanent foundation, no permit needed. It would not be signed off for habitation, so technically, not legal to sleep in, but doesn't mean one could not sleep in it. Build it sound. And besides, its only temp while the cabin is being built/re-hab'd etc. Build it to code, so you can covert it to living space etc later. If its not heated, no insulation is required. Its for short term/temporary anyway while cabin is being built.
In fact, build it as a remote laundry room, complete with shower, toilet and washer/dryer. Does the property have a well-house? Build on it and make the detached laundry room. Then just bunk in it while you are fixing or building your cabin.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 4 Jul 2016 04:08pm
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If you get a permit for a shed, the rule is that it can't be lived in, so you would be taking a chance that they would find out and prohibit you from living in it. That would be inconvenient if you were in the middle of your project on the main house.
But, can you afford to permit the second building as a residence? Tie it into the existing water, sewage and electrical. You want it for guests anyway. And if legal you could rent it out. It will cost more to build it as a residence of course, but maybe not that much more.
Whether or not you could legally use the existing septic with a second building would be an important issue to research.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2016 07:36pm
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bldginsp
toyota_mdt_tech
True, if I kept it under 225 sq. ft., no permit is needed. That's a thought. Now, I was told that you can't build a shed without a home but I'm not sure if that law includes a non-permitted structure. I'd have to find out!
I was thinking along the lines of one of a kit or one of those nice Old Hickory types. They're lightly insulated.
bldginsp
I wouldn't permit it as a residence -- I'd permit it as an auxiliary building/shed. You're not allowed to have 2 residences on a parcel, which has been a HUGE bone of contention in Oregon for a number of reasons and in a number of areas. One guy I spoke with had 2 generations working on a family farm of more than 600 acres and they could only have ONE house on all of that land. But I digress ...
The county is huge and the staff is small. The places I'm looking at are about 30 miles from the county offices. Fat chance they drive out just to see if I'm sleeping/living in the "shed." They'd probably be happy I'd gotten a permit for it in the first place because it wouldn't be difficult to simply put it on the property without one. Risky, but not difficult.
The homes themselves are livable so it's not a question of not having a habitable dwelling on the property. I've just seen on a small scale how difficult it is to live inside a home where construction is taking place while I was having my master bedroom renovated after the storm damage. Geez, the drywall dust, sawdust, paint and new carpet fumes infilatrated much of the house and I was coughing and dealing with headaches for weeks, despite keeping up with the cleaning and employing good ventilation. I need an option so I don't have to live in a construction zone for months.
Sorry for the delay in response! I couldn't get to this site for days! Did anyone else have that problem?
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2016 09:40pm
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Quoting: Julie2Oregon The places I'm looking at are about 30 miles from the county offices. Fat chance they drive out just to see if I'm sleeping/living in the "shed.
All it takes is one neighbor who, out of spite or a simple desire to see the law followed, makes the complaint phone call. Then the county is obligated to drive out to your place and "abate the violation".
That's bizarre that they don't allow two residences on a parcel. Never heard of that. Yuck. Messes you up.
Will they allow an RV?
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2016 10:47pm
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Quoting: bldginsp All it takes is one neighbor who, out of spite or a simple desire to see the law followed, makes the complaint phone call. Then the county is obligated to drive out to your place and "abate the violation".
Yeah, that's the risk. Less risky since there's a habitable cabin on the property that I'd also be spending time in than if there wasn't. But still.
There's a more stringent rule about not living in anything with wheels in the longterm. But, come to think of it, there's a county ordinance that says you can "camp" on your land for 120 days each year without any sort of placement permit needed or penalty.
So, would that cover me either way? If I bought a fixer, I wouldn't be displaced from the cabin due to construction for longer than 120 days. Well, as they say around here, "God willing, and the creek don't rise." 
Yep, the "no more than one dwelling" thing really sux and I've read that they're fighting it/trying to find ways around it in Portland where affordable housing is at a premium.
I really felt for the farming/timber family. I mistakenly typed 2 generations on that 630 acres -- it's actually 3. The dad and mum and their boys emigrated from Germany in the '70s, bought the land, and raise cattle and have a forest products business. Timber, milling, a bit of construction. The boys can't even build their own homes for their families on that land. They added wings onto the farmhouse for one of the families and then the other brother had to buy his own land down the road to build a house for his family. Absolutely daft, with all of that land!
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brooksm29
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# Posted: 7 Jul 2016 12:50am
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We have a temporary land use permit, that allows a person up to a year, to complete their residence. You can have a trailer, etc... on your property, for up to a year, to live in. If they have something like that, maybe you could build the "shed", live in it for X time and then??? All legally.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 7 Jul 2016 12:58am
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Julie, with lupus, I would just toss the disability card at the county guys, they will scatter like cockroaches and leave you be. Maybe even say you are a gay mooslim and identify as a black person (I know none if its true, but they wont know it). They wont even come withing a 100 mile radius of you. Besides, they wont know, and its just temporary anyway, so its not going to be long term, just during the rehab. 
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