By Clinton Martin
Looking for a starter home? Why not consider a “Shop Home?” It seems to work well for the Amish! When an Amish couple gets married, they probably don’t have their dream/forever home already lined up. They likely have to start small, and build their legacy. Many of these couples start out in a “shop home.”
Basically, this is a very simple, very quick to build, relatively inexpensive structure. Often appears boxy and “barn-like.” Therein lies the key. It starts out as the family’s home, but once they get their feet under them a little and get some savings put away, they build a proper home on their land, and the “shop” drops the “home” descriptor and takes on the role of workshop, barn, business, while the family lives in the new home they built.
Often the second floor of the shop retains some semblance of living space after this conversion. With a bathroom and some gathering space, maybe even a small kitchen, this area can be used as a rec room for the youth, hosting space for events (like when it is their turn to have church) or even a small apartment to rent out for some extra income.