WarehouseLife

YourGuideToUnconventionalLivingSpaces

Discoverhowtoliveinlofts,warehousesandcommercialspacesatafractionofwhatyouarepayingforanapartmentorhouse.

MichaelVilla

Disclaimer

Iamnotalawyerorrealestatebrokeroraccountantandthisisprobablyallbadadvice.Itakenoresponsibilityforanyactionyouchoosetotakebasedonanythinginthisbook.Mysituationmaybedifferentfromyoursandlawsorregulationsinyourareamaybedifferentormaychangesincethiswaswritten.Iliveinawarehouse!Whywouldyoutakeadvicefrommeanyway?Allcontentinthisbookisforinformationalpurposesonly.Iamnotsuggestingoradvocatinganyactivitywhatsoever.Idonotrecommend,endorse,orsuggestthatanyonetakeanyactionthatisnotlegalinyourarea.

ISBN13:978-1-943257-00-3©2015AllRightsReserved

GuangzhouPublishingNopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permittedunderSections107or108ofthe1976UnitedStatesCopyrightAct,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthePublisher.

Thosewhoareslavestotheirownbeliefswillneverfindfreedom.Whatwouldyoudowithmorespace?

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Introduction – What are Unconventional LivingSpaces?

Discoverhowyoucan:

• Savemoney• Liveinanunusualandexcitingspace• Haveenoughroomtoworkonprojects• Avoidneighbors• Enjoysolitude.

Doessavingmoneyandhavingmorespacesoundappealing?

I remember when I was young and watched a TV show called Vega$(1978-1981)starringRobertUrichwherehelivedinacommercialspacewithagaragedoorthatopenedandlethimpullhiscarpracticallyintothe

livingroom.Whatcouldbeanycooler?Idreamedofhavingsuchaplacetolive.AsIgotolder,socialprogrammingchangedmyperceptionandI,as most people, became programmed with the limiting idea that weshouldliveinahouseoranapartmentanditmusthaveabedroomandakitchenandashower,otherwiseitisnotlivable.MydreamwassetasideforwhatIthoughtwerepracticalreasons.Fortunately,Ieventuallybrokeoutof thisprogrammingand foundaplace I amhappierwith thananyhouseorapartmentIeverlivedinbefore.

My only regret is that I did not do this yearsearlier.

MoviesandTVprogramsshowunconventionallivingspaces.

• Vega$(1978-1981)• TronLegacy2010hastheprotagonistinashippingcontainer• InEnemyoftheState1998thereisawarehouse• TheConversation1974hascharacterslivinginawarehouse• Wanted:DeadorAlive1986• WintersTale2014• Karam• TheFrenchromanticthrillerDiva• UnmadeBeds• NashTVshow• BlindBeast1969• Cavemen2013

Whatisanunconventionallivingspace?

The termunconventional livingspaceoftenbringsup imagesofpeopleliving in missile silos in the Nevada desert or in apocalypse-proofundergroundbunkers.Thoughtheseareunconventional,theyarenottheonlytypesofunconventionallivingspaces.

Other types of unconventional living spaces include warehouses, retailsales space, trailers, shipping containers, remote commercial servicebuildings that are no longer used, government buildings where theagencymovedtoanotherbuilding,churchesorunusedschools.Manyofthese are hard to rent or sell due to the work required to make themusableforabusiness.Thatmakesthemperfectforlive-workspace.

Iamnotinterestedin“roughingit”myself.IlikecomfortandIwillrevealhowyoucan finda location thatmeetsyourneedsandhow tomake itnotonlyascomfortableasahouse,butinsomecasesmorecomfortable,atalowercost!

A residential area is an area zoned and primarily used for personalhousing.Acommercialor industrialarea isanareazonedandprimarilyusedforcertaintypesofbusinesses.Therearegoodreasonsforzoningthese separately. No one wants to live next to a loud manufacturingbusiness,andbusinesseswanttobeinanareathatiskeptcleanandisconvenient for their clients to visit. Having a bunch of families withchildren leaving toys around or taking up parking spaces or being thelone business in an area that otherwise might draw customers fromsurroundingbusinesses isnotwhatmostbusinesseswant. It isusuallyprohibitedforsomeonetoliveinacommercialarea,buttherearewaysaroundthiswhichIwillcoverinmoredetailshortly.

Commercialrentcanbemuchlessthanresidentialrent.Thiscomesfroma number of factors including lower taxes and less desirable locationscomparedtoresidentialareas.

Thereisanentiresubculturelivinginunconventionalspaces.

Let’stalkspace.

Housesaredesignedinaveryinefficientmanner.Theyhavewallswherethey are not neededand nowallswhere they are needed.You cannotadjustroomstomeetyourneedseither.Ihadahousewithafairlylargesquare footage of 1700sqft.One small bedroomwas used for storage,butthatmeantboxeswerestackedaroundthewallsandthewalkingpathin the centerwas completelywasted, plus I could only stack things sohighduetothesevenfootceilingheight.Ialsohadanicebigbedroom,butwhatgooddoes itdomewhen the living room is toosmall? Ican’tmovethatextrabedroomspacetothelivingareawhenIneeditortothegaragewhen Iwant toworkonaproject, so the largebedroomspacewaswastedallofthetimeexceptfortheshortpartofthedaywhenIwasgettinguporgoingtobed.Ididn’tneedthespacewhenIwassleeping.

Inthishouse,IhadapatiothatIrarelyused,andanodd-shapedkitchenthatmeant someof itwasnever usedefficiently, somorewasted floorspace.ItwasveryinefficientandIneverhadenoughroomtoworkonmyartandsculptingprojects.Thekitchenislandwasconstantlycoveredwithaproject,andthecrampedgaragewhereIhadamakeshiftshophadasmall table covered with other art projects I was working on. I wasconstantlyshiftingthingsaroundandneverhadenoughstorageorworkspace.

Alargespaceisthebenefitofawarehouse.Youhavesomefixedroomsforbasiclivingandahugespaceyoucanarrangeanywayyouwant.Ifyou are an artist or work on big projects then you know how valuablespacecanbe.

Today the separation between work and home is not so clear. In the1950’syoulefthomeat7AMandreturnedat6PM.Yourworkwasleftbehindandyouenjoyedhomelife.

Today,we are tweeting on our phonewhenwe are riding in elevators,checkingemailforclientquestionsduringTVcommercials,awakeinbedat2amwhilethekidsaresleeping,andansweringemailsfromthebossona laptop.Whyissleeping inyourofficeprohibited,butofficingwhereyou sleep is not? If your neighbor can run a business from his homefixingcomputersorknittingsweaters,aslongasheisnotdisturbingtheneighbors, then why should you not be able to run a home from your

business inacommercial location ifyouarenotcausingadisruption?Isayyoushould!

Let’stalkcost.

Atone time Iwasrentinganofficeandahouse. I rentedacommercialspaceformycomputerprogrammingbusinessandlivedina900squarefoothouse.Whenmybusinesswasexpanding, I first rented thespacethinkingImighthavenochoicebut togiveupmyhouseand live in theoffice if thebusinessdidnotdowell,but itdidwellenough that Icouldcoverthebills.ThismeantthatIwaspayingrentonalargeofficeandonasmallhouse.Whatawaste!

IfoundthatIspentlittletimeattheoffice.IwoulddowhatworkIhadtodo,thengohomeassoonasIcouldbecauseIhadacomputerathomein one of the bedrooms where I could work in comfort. I could take abreakandwatchTV,cooksomethingtoeat,workonanartprojectforawhile and even take a nap. I could not do any of that at the officebecauseitwasnotsetupforanythingusefulotherthanwork.

Eventually business droppedoff and I decided I needed to cut costs. Irealizeditwascheapertomovetoalarger1700squarefoothouseandrunmybusiness out of it insteadof renting a small houseanda largeoffice.Atthatpoint,IwasstillaslavetomysocialprogrammingsoIdidthings exactly backwards. The change did save me about $1000 amonth,butIsoonoutgrewthehouseandthepoorlayoutwasaconstantissue.Ineverhadenoughspace.HavingalargerhousedidnotsolvemyproblembecauseIcouldnotusethespaceIhad.

Iwaslivingaloneinathree-bedroomhouseandpaying$2300/monthfora 1700 square foot house. In reality, less than 900 square feet wereusable. I looked for a larger house many times, but they were tooexpensive.Ilookedforahousewithalargestoragebuildingmanytimes,butthosearealmost impossibletofind.Noonehasa2000squarefoothousewitha2000squarefootstoragebuildinginthebackyard.

I thenwoke-up, broke out ofmy social programmingwhich had falselyconvincedmeIhadtoliveinahouseorapartment,andrealizedIcouldliveinawarehouse.Imovedtoa2100squarefootindustrialspacewith

16ftceilingsinthewarehouseareaandniceseparateofficesinthefront.This space allowed me to store all my stuff on the top level over theofficesandIstillhadtheofficespacetolive.The1500sqftwarehouseareawasavailableformyprojects.Theofficeareawasheatedandair-conditionedsoitwasverycomfortable.Theactualofficesquarefootagewassmallerthanmyprevioushousewhichmeantitcostlesstoheatandcooltoo.

Myhouserentwas$2300permonth,plusIhadtopayutilitiesandotherexpenses. Most of these expenses went away when I moved to acommercialspace.Mycommercialrentincludedtrash,sewerandwater.Therewasnoyardtomowandthelandlordtookcareoflandscaping.

AfterImoved,thegasandelectricbillsbothdroppedduetoheatingandcoolingasmallerspaceandhavingamoreefficientACsystem.

I had been paying a total of $2767 permonth for the house includingutilities. Aftermoving tomy commercial spacewhich had a $1600 permonthbaserent,Iwaspayingatotalof$1840includingutilities.Thatisalmosta$1000permonthsavingsandIhadmorespace.Itislikehavingafive-cargarageplusalivingspace.

Here is what I was paying for my 1700sqft house compared to myexpensesaftermovingtoa2100sqftwarehouse:

Commercialrentvarieswidely.Largespacesobviouslycostmore.Itpaystoshoparound.Theareathatmaynotbe ideal formanybusinesses isusually ideal for a live-work space.Thismeansyoucanoften find lessexpensivecommercialspacesinout-of-the-waylocations.

Howmanybathroomscanoneortwopeopleuseatonce?Movingtoalargerhousegainsbedroomsandbathroomsbutnot real space. If yourentedahouselikethisbecauseyouneededspaceforprojectsoranartstudio,mostof it iswasted.Youdon’t needmoresmall roomsorextrabathroomswhenyoucanonlyuseoneatatimeanyway.Housesarenotbuiltforpeoplewhoneedwideopenspace.

I would rather live in my commercial space than in a 10million dollarmansion.IfIhadamansion,thefirstthingIwouldwanttodoisbuildanindustrial-style storage building to work on projects and then I wouldspendmuchofmytimeinitworkingonprojects.Sowhynotjusthavea

reallyniceofficeintheindustrialbuildingtosleepandsave$10Mbynotbuyingthemansion?

Whoneedsabunchofroomsthathavetobemaintainedandheatedorcooled,oranicelawnthatsomeonehastomow?ThemoneyIsaveonrentletsmefeelfreetorentapartyspaceifIwanttoentertainmorethana few friends. Sowhat if it costs $200 to rent a party space for a fewhours when I am saving so much each month compared to renting ahouse?

My 2100 square foot space is actually larger than a similar residentialspacebecauseIhaveover500squarefeetofadditionalstorageabovemyofficearea.

Livingincommerciallyorindustriallyzonedareasisnotuncommon,butitis also not legal except in special circumstances. I will outline thosecircumstances and explain how this lifestyle can be accomplishedsuccessfullywhetherornotyougetpermission.

Isthisforyou?–ChanginghowyouthinkaboutwhereyouliveLivinginawarehousemakesyoudifferent.Takingadatetoyourtinyandmessyapartmentmayseemcreepy,buttakinghertoyourwarehouseloftisanadventure.Beingastarvingartist inastudioapartmentmayseemnoble, but being a successful artist in a warehouse live-work space ismuchmorecomfortable.

Findthespacethatmatchesyourneedsandwhoyouare,notthecookiecutterspacesoffered to thegenericmassesascrampedapartmentsorpoorly designed homes or extravagant homes that are horriblyexpensive.

Finding a loft space that was commercial and has been rezoned asresidential isadreammanypeoplehave.Suchspacesareusuallyveryexpensiveifyoucanfindoneavailableatall.

There are peoplewho buy commercial spaces and spend hundreds ofthousandsofdollarsconverting them into livingspaces.Theyoftenbuyretail or commercial buildings in residential areas and have the zoningchanged.Thesepeoplebuygasstationsorretailcornergrocerystoresina residential area because those are easier to have rezoned asresidential since they are already in a residential area. The obvious

problemhereisthatyouhavetobuythepropertywhichisexpensiveandyouhavetorebuilditwhichismoreexpensive.Iwillnotcoverthatkindofconversionandwillfocusonrentalsbecausetheyrequirelessworkandare far lessexpensive.Mygoal is to showyouhowyoucan live inanalternative space and save money, not spend it. This book is aboutrentingcommercialspaceandmakingitintoalivablespace.

Youmayhavebeenscaredoff the ideaof living inacommercialspacefrom watching TV shows about massive conversions of artist lofts orclosed schools which seemed out of reach due to the massiveconstruction costs and permit nightmares. Those shows onwarehouseconversions are about the hard way to do it and are very expensivebecause that makes for good TV. There is no reason to go to suchexpense or trouble. Converting a warehouse/office space to a livablespace is easy and less expensive than a onemonth’s rentwhendonecorrectly.

Inothercountries(nottheUS/Canada)peopleliveincavesorhandmadehuts. A shipping container can be turned into a home. These peoplesurviveverywellandoftenconsidertheirhometobeverycomfortable.IntheUSsuchahomewouldbeconsideredbelowthepovertyline.Thesepeoplehaveadifferentview.Theyseetheirhomesaspracticalandfillingtheirneeds.

Multiplegenerationsmay live in thesamecaveorsmallhut. InEuropemanyapartmentsareverysmall.Thepeoplewhorentthesedonotstayinthemallday.Theyspendmostoftheirtimeawayfromwheretheylive.Theychoosea livingspace thatmatches their lifestyle,onewhere theyonlycomehometosleepandspendmostoftheirtimeoutside.Therearemanyalternativestolivingthewaywehavebeentoldweshouldlive.

Consideryoursituationcarefully.Livinginacommercialspacewouldnotworkforsomeonewithchildrenorsomeonesociallyactivewhohaslotsof people visiting constantly. A spousemay not be as crazy about thelifestyle so it is best suited to the bachelor or bachelorettewho enjoysfreedom and self-expressionwithout the limits of a regular house. It isalso great for artists, photographers, engineers and others who needspacetoworkonprojects.Someofusgetuplateatnighttoworkwhenwehavean ideaoranartistic inspirationandwant toworkonaproject

rightthen.

Roommatesofsimilar ilkcansplit thecosts, furtherreducingexpenses.Thosewhoenjoyalonetimecanfind livingwithnoneighbors ina largespace liberating. At 6 PM almost everyone goes home and you don’thave to listen to music or TV from a drunk neighbor’s apartment orslammingdoorsandcarscomingandgoingallnightthewayyoudoinanapartment.

If you have a history of not paying your rent on time or have hadproblemswith landlordsona regularbasis, thismaynotbe foryou.Tosuccessfullyliveinacommerciallocation,youneedtokeepalowprofileandnotcauseproblems.

Petssuchasdogsmaybeacceptableifyouhavenoneighbors,suchasifyouhaveanisolatedbuildingnotconnectedtootherswheretheanimalwill not disturb other businesses. Cats make less noise and may beeasier tokeep.Thebestpetsareones thatmakenonoiseanddonothavetobewalked.IfyoumusthaveyourpairofGreatDaneswithyou,then a commercial spacewould have to be chosen thatworks for thatlifestyle.

If you have lots of parties, commercial spaces may not work for youunlessyouhavearemotelocationwithnoneighbors,suchasaremotefarm warehouse. If your business is hosting parties and you have thepermits, then you canhold private parties it in your space. Iwould notrecommend having big parties in your commercial space and certainlynotonaregularbasis.Evenifitisafterbusinesshours,itwillcauseyouproblemswiththeothertenantsandthelandlord.Ifyourentachurchorother large space that is designedas ameeting location, then it is notunusual for events to be held there, so having 10 or 20 friends overwouldnotstandoutasunusual.

Ifyouarethetypeofpersonwhoneedstobeoutsidealotandspendslotsoftimeonyourpatioorintheyard,thenyoushouldlookforaspacethatmeetsyourneeds.Youmight look foragolf course thatyoucouldrun as a golf course to pay the rent or sublet to someone to run as abusiness.Lookforotheroutdoororientedcommercialspacesorisolatedspaceswithnoneighbors.

This lifestyle is best for someone single. I say that because a single

personwithonecarwillmoreeasilyfindalocationwhereheorshecanpark that car inside a warehouse area. A couple or a person with aroommate may have difficulty finding a location where they canconveniently park two vehicles inside. This depends on the space yourent,but Iamconsidering thatmostpeoplewill rentawarehouse/officecombo space. Such a space usually allows one vehicle to be easilypulledin.Evenifthewarehouseisbig,twocarsmaybetoomuchunlessitisreallybig.Ihavealargespacebutwouldhavetodosomeshufflingto keep two cars inside orwould have to sacrifice a lot ofwork spaceunlessIwaswillingtopull thecarsoutwhenIwantedtoworkonabigproject.

Acombinationoffice/warehousespaceistheeasiesttoconverttoalivingspace because the offices are air conditioned and heated, are alreadydivided intousable rooms,alreadyhaveabathroomwithplumbingandhave a large warehouse area for work projects or art projects. Awarehouse/officemaynotbeagoodmatchifyouliketogooutdoorsalotor need to talk to neighbors a lot. A more remote servicebuilding/warehouseintheforestoraretailspacenexttoaparkmaybeabettermatch. Ifyou live inawarehouse/officespaceandspenda lotoftime chatting with neighbors, walking around outside, or they see youcoming inbutnot leaving routinely, then itwill eventuallybecomeclearthatyoulivethere.Itisbettertokeepyourdistancefromneighbors.Youcanbefriendly,butyoucanbefriendlyonceamonth.Ifyourneighborsseeyoucomeinandthendonotseeyouforacoupleofdaystheywillassumeyouleftwhentheywerebusyordidnotcomeintoworkthatday,and theywon’t thinkabout it any further.Theymayseeyou leaveandnever see you come back, perhaps because you return after businesshours.Theywill notbesuspiciousabout you leaving.Suspicioncomeswhentheyseeyoucomeinwheneveryoneelseisleavingorleavewheneveryoneelseisarrivingorifyourpersonalvehiclesitsoutfrontallnightandisseenbytheoneortwopeoplewhocomeinat9PMtogetsomelate-nightworkfinished.

Ifyouenjoythesolitarylifestyle,ifyouworkathomeandmaynotleavehomefortwoorthreedaysinarow,thenthislifestylemayfityourneedsverywell. Ifyouneed togetoutmoreoften, thenyoushould look foralocationwhereyourbehaviorwillnotarousesuspicionorwherethereare

noneighbors.

You should be handy. If something needs to be fixed, you will fix ityourself or you will hire someone to fix it. You will not be calling thelandlordeverytimethesinkisbackedup.Therearetworeasonsforthis.First, it is going to be your responsibility under a commercial lease tohandleminorupkeep.Second,youdonotwant tobugyour landlordallthetime,notevenwithlegitimateissuesifyoucanavoidit.Itisbettertopay $100 to fix something than call your landlord to fix it for free.Remember, if youseteverythingup rightyoushouldbesavinga lotofmoney eachmonth compared to a residential rental anyway.Youwantyour landlord to forget you are there except when he receives yourcheck.Even ifyour landlordcouldsendacontractor to fixsomething inyour unit, you do not want someone poking around in your unitunnecessarily. Fixing an air conditioner on the roof is one thing butworkingonplumbingissomethingtoointimate.Makesureyouareabletodobasiccarpentryandelectricalworkorarewillingtohiresomeonetodoitforyou.

WhyLiveInAnUnconventionalSpace?Therearemanyadvantagesanddisadvantagestolivinginacommercialspace. These should be carefully considered when choosing yourlocation.

Pros

Spaceisahugebenefit.Thisisthenumberonereason,withthepossibleexceptionofcost,thatpeoplechoosetoliveincommercialspaces.Ifyousimplywant a larger space or if you need space for art, woodworking,metalworking,engineeringorotherprojects, thenawarehousespace ismuchbetterthansqueezingintoaoneortwocargarage.

Therearefinancialbenefitssuchasreducedrentcomparedtoresidentialrent,andcommercialspaceoftenhas trashpick-up,sewageandwaterincluded. No HOA dues either. You will cut your expenses greatly byhavingonelargelocationinsteadofasmallhomeandasmallaffordableoffice.

Younolongerhavetodrivetoworkifyouhaveyourownbusiness.Wakeupandyouarethere.

Utilitycostsarereducedbecauseyoumayhaveasmallerspacetoheatandcool.Youcanuseasmallerandmoreenergy-efficientoven.Whenwethinkofakitchen,weusuallythinkofabigstove.Mostpeopledonotneedabigstove.Ifyoulivealonethenyouareunlikelytoeverusemorethanoneor twoburners at once.Thismeans youdonot have to dealwith installing a big bulky stove in your commercial space. A smallcountertop convection oven uses half the electricity of a full size anddoesnotrequirea220Voutlet.Youcanuseahotplateforyourstove-topcookingneeds.Itcanbetuckedawayonacounterwhennotinuseandtheyaresocheapyoucangetasecondforthetimesyouneedasecondburner.Thesmallovenandtwohotplateswillcostmuchlessthanafull-sizestove.

Ifyoubuildyourkitchenandbathroom inamodularway,as Idescribelater,andrealizeyoudonotlikewhereyoulive,youcanmoveintoanewareaveryeasily.Youcandisconnectyourkitchenandshowerandcarrythemtoanothercommerciallocation,makingtheconversiontoalivablespaceeasierthesecondtime.

Thereareadvantages to isolation, too.Somepersonalitieswill thrive inthecombinationoftotalisolationatnightandthehustleandbustleofthedaytimeactivity.

Living in a commercial space is also a benefit for your neighbors. You

cancallthepoliceifyouhearadisturbanceorbreakinorseesomethingfishyafterhours.

Ifyoudoitright,badneighborsareeasilyavoided.Blackoutorotherwiseobscurethewindows,asIwilldescribelater,andputavideodoorbellonyour front door. Keep it locked and do not answer it unless you areexpectingsomeone.Voilà,nocontactwithneighbors.Ifyoudonotleavethefrontdooropen,leavetheroll-updooropen,orhangaroundoutsidethenyouneverhavetodealwithneighborsaskinganyquestions.Oneofthe things I like best about my location is no obnoxious neighbors.Neighborsareusuallybusyrunningtheirbusinessandtheyleaveattheendofthebusinessday.Theyrarelyhavetimetobotherme.

Cons

Commercialspacesdonothavelive-inreadybathroomsorkitchens.Youwillhavetobuildyourownkitchenoraddtoanexistingkitchenette.Youwill havea bathroom inmost locations but itwill not includea shower.TherearemanyoptionsforaddingashowerwhichIwillexplainlater.

Inaresidentialareayoucancomplainifsomeoneisplayingmusiclateatnight.Inacommercialareathereisnoordinancethatrequiresquietaftera certain hour because it is expected that businesses may run nightshifts. Your neighbor may have a garage band and they may practiceafterworkhoursuntil2AM.Youcannotcomplainas longas it iswithinthezoningrules.Youmayhaveaneighborwhoworksoncarstereossoyouhaveto listentothumpingbassdayandnight,orhetunesenginessoyoulistentoracingenginesallthetime,oraneighborwhousesaloudPAsystemalldayorsomeother industrialmachine thatmakesa lotofnoise.These issuesareavoidable.Makesureyouspendsome time intheareayouareplanningtomoveto.Visitthelocationatdifferenttimesofthedayandnight.Walkaroundifyoucantoseewhattheplaceislike.There isalwaysarisksomeonenoisymaymove innextdoorafteryoumovein,sopickingastand-alonebuildingorthecornerspaceofalargerbuildingisalwayspreferred.

Dogs,cats,orsimilarpetsthatcancauseanysmellmaybeprohibited.Itisalsogoingtobeanissueifyourpetsrequirewalking.Myadviceis,ifitdoesnotfit inanaquarium,don’tgetit.Theonlyexceptionisifyouareactually running a business that involves animals, making it normal tohavedogsorhorsesaround.

Be prepared for only one bathroom. Large office spaces may have awomen’sandmen’sbathroom.Mosthaveonlyone.Commercialofficeshavebathroomsthatarerequiredbylawtobehandicappedaccessible.This means there is usually enough room in front of the toilet for awheelchairandthisspotmakesagreatplacetoaddashower.Youcanuse a self-standing shower or one of those step-in tubs for the elderlythatisupright.IwilldiscusshowIaddedashowerlater.

Another downside is that you are responsible for repairs. Commercialleases routinelymake the tenant responsible for everything that is notstructural.

You cannot register to vote using a commercial address unless youcontact theelection commissionandnotify themyouare ina live-workspaceand this is youronly residence. If you file your voter registrationusingacommercialaddress,itwilllikelyberejected.

LegalConsiderationsIfyouhavenot read thedisclaimerat thestartof thisbook thenread itnow.Iamnotalawyerandamnotgivinglegaloraccountingadvice.Thefollowing isbasedsolelyonwhat I heardacoupleofguyswho lookedlike lawyersdiscussing inadarkandsmokybaronenight.The laws incountries other than theUSmay vary and they can vary from state tostate.

Themagicphrasetoopenupacommercialspaceforresidencyis“live-work artist space.” Many cities allow live-work exceptions for artistsbecauseartistsdonotkeepregularworkhoursandneedlotsofspace.Live-workzoningexceptionsareoftenallowedforartists,suchastheM1-5a/bzoneinNewYork.

When I pickedmy commercial space, I had the benefit of knowing thelandlord from a previous rental. I was able to secure the location as alive-workspaceforartists.Thismaynotalwaysbepossibleandyoumaynotwanttobothertrying.Ifthelandlordthinksrentingtoyouisgoingtobeahasslethenthelandlordmayturnyoudownflat.

Youcannot“live”inabuildingzonedasindustrialorbusiness.However,itisnotalwaysclearwhatthatmeans.Ifyouworkuntilmidnight,thenliedown on the couch for an eight hour nap, then get up and wash off,changeclothesandgoback towork,areyou“living” there?As longasyougosomewhereelse...eventually…inmyopinion,youarenot “living”there.

Thisdoesnotmeanyouhavetorentanapartmentorownahousethatyouvisitoccasionally.Thedefinitionofresidenceisnotalwaysclearandmany courts define it on a case-by-case basis. You could officially livewith familyas longasyoucanthrowafutononthefloorsomewhere intheir house orwith a girl/boyfriend. You could even live out of a hotel.Many people live temporarily in hotels and some hotels have monthlyrates with people living there as their main residence. How manybusinesstravelersflytoadistantcity,spendsixmonths“living”inahotelwhentheyreallyspendmostoftheirtimeinaclient’sofficeworkingwellintothenightandevennappingthere?

Toavoidmakingtheofficespacelooklikearesidence,youonlyhaveto

act in a way that is appropriate for the location. Avoid disturbing theneighbors,keeptheappearanceofabusinessorstoragewarehouseandgenerallyblendin.

If you do not have an official live-work designation from your zoningcommissionor theproperty isnotalreadyzonedas live-work, thenyouwanttokeepaplaceyou“live”inmindifanyoneasks.Youcansay,“Ilivewithmyparents,sixstatesaway,butmybusinessishere,”or“Iamgoingtoahoteltonightand’live’there.”Youcanevensay“IamhomelesssoIsleep inmycar; youdon’tdiscriminateagainst thehomeless,doyou?”Howaretheytoproveonthespotthatyoudonotlivewithyourgirlfriend,your parents, in a hotel, or in your car? Unless an inspector or thelandlordhasitoutforyou,oryouarecausingproblems,theyareunlikelytoaskanymorequestionsorfollowupagain.Justsayingyouworklateat night or that you have clients on the opposite side of theworld andhave to be in the office to conference with them during their businesshoursisusuallyenough.

Most zoning codes for industrial/manufacturing spaces allow onecaretakerorsecuritypersontoliveonthepremisesbutonlyinaspecialspacereservedforjustthispurpose,andtherearelimitationsonthesize.Ifyoubuyaspaceorrentandaretheonlyoneonthepropertyandthatpropertyisnotconnectedtoanyotherbuildings,youmaybeabletousethe caretaker/watchman loophole. So what is a “living area” for acaretaker?Youneeda bathroom, kitchen and bedroomso that is yourliving area. That means the rest of the property is yours to setup anemployee rec room(living room)andwarehouse for anything youwant.Thiswillnotworkifyouarerentingaspaceinalargebuildingdividedupforothertenantswhorentsimilarspacesunlessyoucangetthelandlordto agree to make you the official caretaker. California zoning rulescommonly include statements similar to: “Caretaker quarters in theM1(light industrial) district consisting of permanent quarters for a guard,custodian,orcaretakerarepermittedintheM1districtwhenincidentaltoa permitted primary use. These include some space limitations on thelivingarea.”Thisexclusioncansometimesbeusedbutcheckyourlocalcodesfordetails.

I have never seen any zoning rule that clearly defined what “living”meant. Ifyousleepoveronenightaweek inyouroffice is that“living?”

Twonights,threeoutofseven,sixoutofsevennights?Mostpeoplewilllikelyspendat leastpartofonenightaweekawayeitherona trip,onbusiness,orwithagirl/boyfriendsomyinterpretationisthatifyoudonotsleeponpremises365daysayear,youarenotcompletely livingthere.Howcanazoningboarddeclarethatsomeonewhoworksuntilmidnightmustdrivehomeeven if thatperson isdrowsyandwouldbeunsafeontheroadbecausetheyarenotallowedtotakeanapforafewhoursonthe couch of their office? There is no way they can require you to dosomethingunsafesonowaytoprohibityoufromsleepinginanoffice.

Somecodeshaveanexception foremployeerecreationalactivitiesandfacilities.Iconsidersleeparecreationalactivitywhichthereforerequiresafacility.

Someareasletrentersliveintheirofficebutstateitcannotbeconvertedtoaresidence,sonoactualkitchenorfullbathroom.Thisruleappliestothe landlord and not necessarily to the tenant. They cannot prohibit ashowerbecauseyoumayneedtowashoffoilymechanicalpartsorneedashowerasachemicalsafetyshower.Ashoweralsodoesnothavetobe in the bathroom. They cannot prohibit a kitchenette if it is part of abreak room and has reasonable facilities for that purpose such as amicrowave,small toasteroven, refrigeratorandsink.Rememberwhat Isaidaboutnotusingalargeoven?Hereisanimportantreasonthatyouwant touseasmaller toasteroven.Havingabigovenanddishwashermakes a kitchenette into a kitchen. Having a room with a microwave,toasteroven,hotplateinadrawerandrefrigeratorisalwaysakitchenetteforabreakarea.Itwouldbeillegalforyourlandlordtoconvertthespacetoalivingspaceandthenrentitoutassuch,butitisnotillegalforyoutomakethesechangesinmostareas.

There are places offering special artist lofts as live-work areas. Theseareasusuallyhave longwaiting lists forartistswhowantaspace.Theymay have a tiny bedroom in a loft area and a small kitchen and largeworkareadownstairs.Artistscangetlowerrentsbecausetheseunitsareoften in commercial or industrial areas which cannot be rented asresidential.Thesespacesusuallyhavealonglistofpeoplewhowanttorentso it isnearly impossible toactuallysecureoneof these locations.Theyare the ideal live-workspacebecause theyare legallydesignatedaslive-workareas.Theproblemistherearenotenoughofthemandthey

canbeasexpensiveasaregularapartmentorhouserental.

Businessevictionisdifferentfromresidentialeviction.Commercialtenantlaw and residential tenant law vary substantially. Statutes protect therights of residential tenants who will be eating, sleeping, and raisingfamiliesontheproperty.Commercialtenantsaretreatedasiftheyhavemorebargainingpowerandthereforehavefewer legalprotections.Thisdifferenceisnotsignificantifyoupayyourrentontimeanddonotcauseproblems.

Commercialpropertyisoftenmoredifficultforthelandlordtorent.Thereis frequently a glut on themarket and finding a business that needs aspecific space is not alwayseasy.This is very beneficial for you if youpickpropertiesthatareonthelessdesirablecommercialside.Theseareperfect for live-workspaces. If you renta lessdesirablespace that thelandlord has not been able to rent for years previously, that landlordswants to keep you in the space if you pay the rent and you are notcausing problems. The landlord is likely to overlook suggestions byneighborsthatyoumightbelivingthereinsuchcases.Evictionisonlyanissueifyoudonotpayrentorcausebigproblems.

If a landlord does want you out of a commercial space the rules aredifferent than for residential eviction. They vary from locality to locality,butIwillgivesomegeneralguidelines.Commercialtenantsmayreceiveonly threedays’noticeofeviction.The landlordcannotevict tenantsbychanging locks or canceling utilities and not by removing personalproperty to force the occupant out. These rules apply to residentialrentals too, except for the notice requirement. Notice can be 30 to 90days.Alandlordcannotevictyoufromacommercialspacewithoutgivingadequatenotice first.Youdonothavetomovefromaresidential rentalimmediatelyandmusteithermoveonyourownorcomeintocompliancewithwhatever the landlorddislikes.Getting ridofabarkingdog,payingbackrent,orwhateverthelandlorddislikescanbefixedtobringyouintocompliance in a residential rental. If the problem is not resolved, thelandlordthenfilesalawsuittoevictyouandthelandlordmustproveyoudid something that violates the lease or otherwise justifies ending thetenancy.

Incommercialrentals,a landlordcanissueanUnconditionalQuitNotice,

which means get out, no negotiation, after repeated violations of asignificantleaseagreementclause.Thismayincludebeinglatewiththerent multiple times, causing damage to the space that is serious, orengaginginillegalactivityonthepremises.

Othernoticesare thePayRent orQuit,whichmeanswhat it says—payrent in a week, or get out.Cure or Quit means cure a misbehavior orviolationoftheleaseorlawinaspecifiedtimeorgetout.

Just as with residential rentals, the landlord can ask you to move outevenifyouhavepaidyourrentandnotviolatedanyclauses.Sometimesthebuildingissoldorthepropertywillberezonedandrebuilt.Thisisveryrare forcommercialproperty.The landlordcansenda30daynotice tovacateor60or90dayinsomeplaces.Ifyourleasehasexpiredandyouareonamonth-to-monthplan, the landlordcando thisanytimewithoutprovidingareason.Ifyoudonotmoveout,thelandlordfilestheevictionlawsuitandservesyouwithasummons.Rentcontrolareashaveotherexceptions.Commercialspacesarenotnormallysubject to rentcontrollaws.

Athree-daynoticetovacatecanbesentbycommerciallandlordsifyoudonotpayrentonemonth.Inreality,theywillneverdothisbecausetheywantyoutopaytherentandunderstandthatsometimesabusinessthatoperates frommonth tomonth can have a badmonth. In such cases,theyshouldchargea latefeeandacceptthepaymentwhenit ismade.Aslongasyoudonotgopastthreemonthsofunpaidrent,thereshouldnotbeaproblemotherthantheextrafeesyouultimatelyhavetopay.Ifthisdoesbecomeanissue,beproactiveandcontactyourlandlordbeforehewonderswhereyour rentpayment is.Theonly timea landlordmaywant youout is if hehasother renterswhowant the spaceat amuchhigherrate,andthatisnotacommonscenario.

Youcanfightthelandlordbypointingtoerrorsinthefilingoftheevictionnotice or in the original Quit Notice. You can also bring up any illegalbehaviorbythelandlord.Showanycellphonevideoofthelandlordactingaggressively or irrationally that demonstrates bad behavior, indicatingbad-faith in his filing. Illegal behavior can include not maintaining thepropertyorturningoffutilities,whichmayindicatethelandlordistryingtoevictyouinretaliationfordemandsthepropertybemadehabitable.

Unlikeinresidentialrentals,atenantcannotstoppayingcommercialrentjustbecausethereissomeissuethatneedsrepairorattention.Aholeinthewall of a residence that goes unrepairedmay justifywithholding ofrentorevenabatementofunpaidrentduringthetimeasignificantissueexisted that causes the residential renter to live in an unsafe, unclean,unhealthful space or one subject to outside crime unnecessarily. In acommercial setting, the tenant will usually be responsible for such arepairunlessit isamajorstructural issue.Commercialrenterswillhavetocontinuepayingrentevenwhenfilingalawsuitagainstthelandlord.

ArighttoprivacyisguaranteedinCaliforniaandotherplacestorentersof residential spaces but not to commercial spaces. This means thelandlord can drop by anytime or otherwise inspect the premises. Theycan even use a passkey to access the property when there is noemergency or maintenance needed. This is almost never a problembecauselandlordsusuallyhavemanycommercialspacestomanageanddonothavetimetodropbyandconductrandominspections.Ifyouhaveacamerasystem,whichIdiscusslater,thenyoucanalwayscatchsuchbehaviorifitoccurs.

Commercial tenancies inmostareasareviewedthesameasanyotherarms-length transaction between commercially sophisticated entities. Inresidential tenancy, it is often assumed by law that the renter is notsophisticatedandthereforerequiresmoreprotections.

If there are any privacy violations by your landlord or a landlordrepresentative,evenifnotlegalviolationsforcommercialproperty,oranyother violations, always notify your landlord in writing or in a follow-upletter after a conversation. Do not rant but simply give the facts andcalmlystate theprocedureyouwouldprefer forentry toyourbusiness.Thisgivesyouevidenceoftheincidentandthatitwasdiscussed.Ifyoulaterneedtotakelegalactionthenyouarebetterprepared.

As long as you are paying your rent and not causing problems thelandlord is not going to kick you out because theywant a reliable rentpayer and are not concerned with the business or whether or not youspendthreehours,eighthours,16hoursor24hoursinthespace.Thereis no difference between running two 12-hour shifts and one personbeingtherefor24hours.Ifyouarepayingyourrentontime,notcalling

thelandlordforproblemstobefixedconstantly,nothavingwildpartiesallthe time, all you have to say is, I work late at night and sleep oversometimes.Nofurtherexplanationisneeded.

For insurance purposes, a primary residence is usually defined as aplaceyouliveforninemonthsoutoftheyearoratleast50%ofthetimeandisconsideredprimarilyowneroccupied.Thisseemslikeadefinitionbut is still vague.What is “a place you live for ninemonths?” Are yourequired to document 6480 hours were spent within the walls of theplace?Ifyouareworkinginthedayandpartyingatnightthenyoumayonlyspendeighthourssleepinginyour“residence,”whichis2160hoursoverninemonths.OK, this isgettingsilly, Iknow.Thepoint is thatyouarenotrequiredtohaveatimeclockbyyourfrontdoortocheckexactlywhenandhowlongyouare“living”there.ThereisnostatutorydefinitionforprincipalresidenceintheTaxCodeoftheUS.TheIRSdoesnotevenuse the term primary or principal residence and instead says “mainhome.”Amainhomedependsonthecircumstancesofthecaseandthegoodfaithofthetaxpayer.Itissimplytoocomplicatedtolayouthardandfastrulestodefineaprimaryresidence.

Ageneralruleofthumbisthatyourprimaryresidenceiswhereyouhaveyour driver’s license, car registration, voter registration and taxinformationsent.So,don’thavethosesenttoyourcommercialaddress.Getaprivatemailboxandhavethemsenttoitortoaparent’shouse.

Youmayhavetocontinuepayingacommercialleaseevenifthespaceisdamagedbyfireorflood.Evenifthespaceisunusableforyourbusiness,youwillstillhavetopayrentunlesstheleasesaysotherwise.

Anylatechargesshouldalsobespelledoutinyourlease.Iftheyarenotlisted in an exact amount or percentage, then you may be subject toexcessivelatefees.Suchexcessivefeesareillegalinresidentialrentalsbut not in commercial rentals. Make sure any extra fees are clearlyspelledout.

Keep inmind that no commercial lease provides a right of habitability.Even if you have a live-work space clause in your lease, it may allowhabitability but not require the landlord to provide a habitable spacesuitableforliving.

Beware of Estoppel Certificates. An Estoppel Certificate gives a third

party information on the relationship between the tenant and landlord.This third partymay be a person or entity interested in purchasing theland or building. It may also be for a lender who is reviewing a loansecuredby theproperty. These certificates arepart of duediligence toshow a third party that renters exist and are paying rent. The generalwording is to confirm that certain things about the property or rentalrelationshiparetrue.Thesecertificatesmustbesignedandthiscanalterthetermsofyourcommerciallease.Anotherriskofsigningtheseisthatifanystatementsyoumarkastrueturnouttobeuntrue,youmaynowbeliabletothethirdpartybecauseyoucertifiedtheyweretrue.It“estops”orprohibits itself fromclaimingapositiondifferent towhat isstated in thecertificate.Therefore,youmustmakesure thestatementsyouagree toaretrueandnotoverlybroad.Youespeciallywanttoconfirmthattheydonotincludethingsyoucouldhavenoknowledgeofsuchaspastdefaultsby the landlord. Try to include a “to the best of my knowledge” linesomewhereinthestatement.Leasesmayspecifythatifthetenantdoesnotrespondwithinareasonabletime,thelandlordcansigntheEstoppelCertificateonbehalfofthetenant.Youwanttoeitherrespondorextendyourtimeifyouareintheprocessofrenegotiatingalease.AnEstoppelCertificateisnotacommonlyusedtoolincommercialrentalssobeverycareful ifyouareaskedtosignone,andhaveacommercialrealestatelawyerreviewitfirst.

Whatifyougetcaught?

Findingtheperfectspacethatisalreadyapprovedasalive-workrentalisgoing to be very difficult. Convincing a landlord to let you live in acommercialspaceisalsonoteasyevenifyougetzoningboardapprovalinadvance.Therealityisthatmostpeoplewholiveincommercialspacesaresimplygoingtomoveinandkeepalowprofilewithoutthelive-workexemption.

Evenifyoudon’tgotothezoningboardandrequestavariancetoallowyouto liveinacommercialspacelegally,andyougetcaught livinginacommercialspace, there is little theycando.What iscaught?Howcantheyproveyoulivethere?Unlessyouhavethreekidsandawifeandsit

inalawnchairintheparkinglotdrinkingbeereveryafternoon,thereisnoway to prove you live there and not in a hotel or with relatives or agirl/boyfriendorthatyoudon’t live inanothercityandsimplysleepoverwhen you are working. As long as the interior looks like it could be aworkspace, which I will cover later, then it is difficult to prove you arelivingthere.Evenifyoutelleveryoneyouarelivingthereandthezoningboard or landlord finds out, youwill get a notice to stop living there orpossiblyasmallfine.Soyoumovetoahotelforalittlewhileormoveinwith friends, pay the fine, problem solved. Move back in a few weekslaterandkeepalowerprofile.

Ifthelandlordknowinglyallowsyoutolivethere,notonlyishebreakingthelaw,he’salsoviolatinghisinsurancepolicyandopeninghimselfuptolegalissues.If,instead,yourlandlordcanpretendheisignorantthenhewill not care as long as you are paying the rent and not causingproblems.

TheIRSmaynotagree.Ifyourcompanyisnotasoleproprietorshipthenyoumay need to pay the rent from your personal account and take ahome-officededuction.IfyouhaveacorporationorLLCthatpaysfortherent and you live there, that could beprosecutedasmoney launderingbecauseyouareusingthecompanytopayyourpersonalrentwithpre-taxcompanymoneyand that isnot legal.Thisall comesback toproofthatyouarelivingthereandnotwithagirl/boyfriendorwithfamily,whichcanbetrickytoprove.

Live-workarrangementsarenotsomethingpropertyownerswanttodealwithbecauseitmightmeantheirtaxstatuschangestomixeduseinsteadof the less expensive (or more expensive, depending on your area)commercial use. If the landlord thinks youmay threaten that status hemaywantyouout.Ifthathappens,movetoahotelforafewdays.Unlessthelandlordsitsout frontandnoteswhenyoucomeandgo,hehasnowayofknowingifyouarelivingthereorworkinglate.

Ifyoubuyawarehouse,livethereforalongtime,andthenarecaughtbythezoningcommission,theymaywantalotofbacktaxes.Butthenweareback to thequestionof howdo theyprove you lived thereandnotwith a girl/boyfriend or with your parents? As long as you do not telleveryoneyoulivetherethenthereisnoproblem.Justsayyouworkthere

alotlateatnight.

Ifthereisanyproblem,youalwayswanttobeabletoproveyoudonotlivethere.Thatissimpleenough.Movetoamotel.Ifyourplaceissetupcorrectly, nothing in it should scream that you are living there. If youmakethesleepingareasothebedcanbehidden,thekitchenandlivingroom look professional and the front office reception area has acomputer,desk,phones,andfilingcabinets,itlookslikeanoffice.

Imadethereceptionareamymainofficewithadeskandcomputer.Thisis what anyone entering through the front door sees. I put a bed in aseparatesideofficeandcoveredthewindowswithwhiteplasticsheetingsolightcomesinbutnoonecanseeintheroom.

IuseanotherlargerofficeasthelivingroombutitlookslikeaconferenceroombecauseIhaveseveralofficechairsinit,alargescreenTVandaconferencetableIcanfoldupwhenitisnotinuse.Ipickeduptheofficechairs cheap at yard sales. My kitchenette has a table for eating, arefrigeratorandmicrowavesittingout.Everythingelseisincabinets.Idonotkeepfoodoutoranythingthatscreamspersonalkitcheninview.

Mybathroomisaregularcommercialbathroomwithashoweradded.Myshowerhasanemergencysafetysignonit,butitcanbeusedanytimeasaregularshower. ItwasbuiltoutofPVCpipeanddecking lumber.Thewarehousearea isused forstorageandbusinessorartprojects.Otherthantheshower,thereisnothingtheaveragepersonwouldseecomingintomyspace thatwould indicateanyone livedhere full time insteadofsimplyspendingalotoftimehereworking.Theshoweriseasilyenoughexplained in that Isometimesneedtoshowerandchangeintoasuit tomeetclients,whichisalsocompletelytrue.

YourlandlordmaybeOKwithyoulivingthere,butifyouaskpermissionyou put him on the spot and he either has to approve something inviolation of the zoning code, which means he breaks the law, or herejectsitwhichmeanshetellsyouthatyouhavetomoveout.Youmayseethedisappointmentonhisfaceashetellsyouthisbecausehemayhaveknownyouwerelivingthereforalongtimebutneversaidanythingbecausenothingneededtobesaid.Bytellinghim,youhavelimitedhisoptions.Helikedthearrangementwithyoupayingrentandnotcausingproblemsandnowit isruinedbecausehecanno longerdenyheknew

youwerelivingtheresinceyoutoldhim.

Doyou tell the landlordyourplan?Never!Youarenotbeingdeceptiveeither.Youarerentingaspaceforyourbusinessorasanartstudio.Thatis100%true.Anythingbeyondthat the landlorddoesnotneedtoknowanddoesnotcareaboutaslongasit isnotaviolationoftheleasethatcancausethelandlordproblemsorcostthelandlordmoney.NoticethatIdidnotsay justaviolationof the lease. Ifyouareviolatingsomeminorterm of the lease, but you pay your rent and cause no problems, thelandlordwillnotcare.Inindustrialareastheyareoftenhardpressedtofillspacessoarenotanxioustokickyouout.Theycannotgetridofatenantand jack up the rent for the next family standing in line like they do inapartments.

If you are uncomfortable keeping your private life private and feel youmusttellthelandlord,thenthisisnotanarrangementforyou.Theoddsare the landlorddoesnot carebutby tellinghimyounowputhim inasituation where he must take a position. Do not say anything to yourlandlord, your friends, co-workers, anyone unless they have a need toknow. If anyone asks just say it is a live-work space and that shouldsatisfytheircuriosity.Iftheykeepaskingquestionslookatthemliketheyarecrazyandgivethesameanswer inatoneas if they justaskedyouwhyyouhadtwobathroomsinahouse.

Ifyourlandlordflatoutasksyouifyouarelivingtherethenyoumayhaveto be honest and say yes. You do not want to lie about it. You canimmediately offer to move out and temporarily relocate to a friend’shouse. Ifyour landlordsuspectsbutdoesnotwant toknow, thenheorshewill notpressyou forananswer. It ismore likelyyour landlordwillsay something vague like, “I heard youwere sleeping in your unit,” or“some of your neighbors think you are living in your office.” Neither ofthesestatementscomesrightoutandasks ifyouare livingthere.Theyarenotevenquestions,theyarestatements.This indicatesthelandlorddoesnotwant toaskthequestiondirectlyand ishopingyouwillsimplyplacatehimorherwithareasonableexplanationtheycanpassalongtoanynosyneighbors.Youalsodonothavetogiveaflatyes,butcangivea“sometimes,”which isopento interpretation. Ifyouarenot there24/7365daysayear thenyou reallydo live thereonly “sometimes.” If yourlandlordsuspectsbutdoesnotcare,thenheorsheisunlikelytoask.If

thelandlordasks,thenheorshemaysimplywanttoknowwhatisgoingontomakesurenothinginappropriateisabouttogethimintrouble,andhemaybehappytofindoutyouarelivingthereandthatistheendofit.

I once rented a commercial space long before I lived in a warehouse.Thatoldspacehadtwoannoyingneighborswhowouldparkacarinfrontoftheofficedoorsatnight,blockingmefromloadingandunloadingtomyownoffice.Iwouldoftenworklateandintheeveningthisneighborwouldgoouttoeat,thenreturnandparkinfrontofthedoor,whichmeansheparkedbehindmycarandIhadonlyhalfthepreviousspacetosqueezemycarthroughwhenbackingout,whichwasveryannoying.Therewerethreecars in the lotat that timeofnight—mycar,whichwasparked infrontofmyofficeinthemarkedparkingspace,andtwooftheneighbors’cars,oneofwhichwasparkedonespacefrommineandtheotherwhichwas blockingmy office entryway eight feet from the parking spaces. Itwas like oneof those ridiculous commercialswhere there areonly twocars in a huge parking lot and another car comes along and barelysqueezesbetweenthem.Iwasparkedlegally,thelotwasempty,andthisguyparks rightbehindmebecausehewas too lazy towalka few feetfrom themarkedparkingarea.Hewasalsoblocking the fire lane.Onenight he tried to change his car oil in front of the door and spilled iteverywhere so forweeksmy customers, employees and I had towalkthroughkittylitterheputoverthestain,andtrackitintotheoffice.Thisisnot how to keep a low profile. This is how to annoy neighbors whichmakes themwantyouout.Onenight I came in towork lateandmadenoise asmy keys hit themetal door adjacent to the neighbor’s office.Throughtheglassdoor,IsawmyneighborbusinessownercomeoutinhisboxersfromadarkbackroomtoseewhatwasgoingonandIknewhewaslivingthere.Sincehewascausingproblemsforme,Ireporteditto the landlord. The landlord called me the next day and said myneighbors worked with suppliers in Asia so stayed late to talk to theirsuppliers during China’s business hours. That is why they slept theresometimes.Yeah,right.Thatwastheendofit.Ididnotreallycareiftheylivedthere,butIdidcarewhentheyblockedmydoorandmessedupthewalkwayinfrontofmydoor.Mylandlordknewtheneighborswerelivingthere but as long as they could give a reason for being there late heaccepteditbecausehewantedthemtokeeppayingrentandtheywerenotcausinghimproblems.

Ifyouhavea9to5jobitcanbecomeobviousthatyouarelivinginyourspace ifyou leaveat thesame timeand returnat thesame timeeveryday.Ifyoudohaveajobyoumustleavefor,thenitislikelytocomeupwithyourneighbors.If itdoes, letanyonewhoasksknowyourspaceisanartistwarehouseoryourunyourownbusinessinadditiontoworkingfulltimeuntilyourbusinesstakesoff.

Isyourlandlordgoingtogotothetroubleandexpensetohirealawyer,fileforeviction,thenpayarealtortofindanewtenantforaspacejusttogetridofsomeonelivinginthespacewhoisalreadypayingrentandnotcausingproblems?Itisveryunlikelybecausehehasnoreasontogetridofapayingtenantandspendmoneytodoit.

Makesureyour landlorddoesnot liveon theproperty, too. It isa surewaytogetcaughtbecauseitwillbetooobviousyouarelivingthereifheisthereallthetimeandcanseeyoucomeandgo.

Ifyoutellyourlandlordyouplantoliveinaspace,youlikelywillnotgetitunlessitisalreadyusedasalive-workspaceorartistlivingarea.Aslongasyoukeepalowprofileandyoudonotbragaboutlivingthere,nothingis likely tohappen. Ifsomeonedoescomplain, thenweareback to theexplanationsalreadycovered.

Youcanapply for live-workstatus throughyourzoningboard ifyougetoustedandhavetomoveintoahotelorinwithrelativesorafriend.ThiscanbeyourPlanB,but if thelandlordkickedyouout,youcannotforcethelandlordtoletyoulivetherejustbecausethezoningboardsaysitisOKwiththem.Itisbettertohaveaplaceyoucancall“home”andspendall your time in your commercial space. If you keep a low profile andfollowmyadvice,itwillwork.

Whattosaytothezoningboard

Youcangotoyourlocalzoningboardandaskforavarianceorwaivertouseaspaceasalive-workspace.Usingitasanartistspaceisthebestapproach because you can explain how the artistic processworks andhowyouneedaccessatallhourswheninspirationstrikesandthereisnodifference between your leisure and working time. Many jurisdictionsallowaspacetobealive-workspaceiftheuserisanartistandanyone

whohasacamera isaphotographer,anyonewhocanbuyapaint setandmakebadpaintings isapainter,andanyonewhocanmoldclayorworkwithmetalisasculptor.Youhavetobeanartist.Youdonothavetobeagoodone.Anothergoodjobtoclaimisvideoeditor.Youcanjustifyplayingmusicandmoviesduringthedayorapersonaltheaterbecausetheyareallclearlyrelatedtoyour“editor”job.

If they question your business plans, point out that if you have a soleproprietorshipmakingandsellingyourart,thereisnorestrictiononusingyourgarageforawarehouseaslongasitdoesnotdisturbtheneighborsand you have a business permit. All you are doing is reversing thisequationandinsteadofasmallworkspaceandalargelivingspaceinaresidentialareayouhavealargeworkspaceandsmall livingspaceinacommercialarea.

Pickingyourspace

You will not find a live-work space using the keywords live work. If aspace has an official live-work designation then they do not have toadvertisebecausetheyhaveawaiting list.Spacesthatarenotofficiallylive-workapprovedbutarebuiltoutenough tobe livableare rentedonthedown-low.Youcanaskartistsaboutfriendlyplaces,butiftheyknowofaplace,itislikelyalreadytaken.

Commercial locations that are already set up for live-work but are notzonedfor live-workarenotadvertisedaslivable.Lookforkeywordslikekitchenette to find them. It is illegal for a realtor or landlord to offer acommercial spaceasa livingspacesoyouare lookingata “don’t-ask,don’t-tell”policy.

Somelandlordsorrealtorswillusekeywordsin listingsthat indicatetheplaceislivable.Itisawink-winkwayofsayingyoucanlivehereandwewill pretend you are not living here. Some phrases they use are “fullbathroomandkitchenetteforlong-termuse”or“suitableforanoccasionalovernightstay.”Anothersignofalandlordwillingtohaveawink-winklivein iswhentheyshowaphotographofakitchenettesinkinthelistingormakeapointofshowingthebreakroomandbathroominphotographs.This is theirwayofsaying “look,youcould livehere”withoutspelling itoutinthetextwhichtheyarenotallowedtodo.

Anadvantagetomostbusinesslocationsisthattheycloseatnightsoitisquiet.Adisadvantagetoamanufacturingorindustrialareaisthatyoumayhaveextranoiseduring thedaysuchas forkliftsoperating,peopleshouting,hammeringormachineryworking.Youcan’tcallthepoliceandcomplainsayingyouaretryingtosleepandyourneighborsneedtokeepthe noise down. You have to live with it, so visit the place you areinterestedinduringthedaytimeandatnightatdifferenttimestoseewhatthenoise level is like.Drive through theareaat 10PMonaFridayorSaturdaynight.Lookforanyvehiclesthatareobviouslypersonalvehiclesormultiple vehicles. Listen for noise or a band practicing. Youwant toknow if your neighbors are using the space at night or if someone isalready living in the complex. Personal vehicles parked in commercialareas late at night are a dead giveaway. Youwould prefer to live in a

complexthathasnooneelselivingthere,butthisisnotnecessary.Itissimplyunwisetohavesomeoneelselivingthere,especiallyifyouarenotinanofficiallive-workspace,becausetheywilllikelyknowyouarelivingtherejustfromseeingyoucomeandgo.Iftheycauseproblemsandgetkicked out, the first thing they will say is, “Well, Bob in unit 2 is livingthere,why dowe get kicked out and he doesn’t?” Even if you are notcausing problems, the landlord may have to tell you to move, notbecause of anything you did, but because he cannot selectively evictpeopleforlivingincommercialspaces.Soevenifthelandlordsuspectsyoulivethereanddoesnotcare,heorshemaybeforcedtotellyoutomove.Youcanalwaystemporarilymoveoutorprovetothelandlordthatyouwork late hours andhavea residence,which could alsomake theissuegoaway.Simplymoveinwithafriendfora littlewhileor live inamotel whilemaking an effort to arrive in themorning and leave in theafternoon in front of theother tenants.Youstill “live” in your spacebutyoutemporarilysleepsomewhereelse.Whenthingscooldown,youcanstopleavingatnight.

Publichealthandsafetyarealsoanissue.Youdonotwanttolivedownthestreetfromornext-doortoabusinessthatuseshazardouschemicalsofanykind.

Look in the newspaper, or craigslist.org, or Google for “commercialpropertyCity-Name,State.”Somerealtorspost tocommercialsites likeloopnet.com and not to craigslist. You can also drive around industrialareasandwritedownphonenumbersonfor-rentsignstofindrealestatecompanies.

Youneed tobeable to talk the talkwhen rentinga commercial space.Theywillaskbasicquestionslikehowmuchspaceyouneed,whatkindofbusinessdoyouhave,howmanyemployees,howlonghaveyoubeeninbusiness,areyouasoleproprietororacorporation.Youneed tobepreparedtoanswerthesequestionsandothers.

Youneedtoknowthedifferencebetweenagross leaseandamodifiedlease.Youneedtoaskiftherearecommunityfeesoranyotheradditionstothelistedrent.TheseareoftencalledCAMorCams.Listingsthatsay“No Cams” or “No CAM fees” mean no community area managementfees.CAMfeescanincreaserentanywherefrom$150to$600amonth

abovetheadvertisedrate.Bewareofanyrealestateagentwhooffersalowrateonawebsiteandthentriestoslipinthattherentisonlyforthefirstmonthwhenyoumeetinperson.Donottrustthiskindofagent!Hehasusedbait-and-switch togetyouonthehookbyofferinga lowpriceandthenadmittingthatisnottherealprice.Itisunethical.

Partof talking the talk involvesknowinghowmanysquare feetyouarelooking for. From your web research you should have an idea whatcommercialspacescost inyourarea.Youwillmost likelywantaspacewith office and warehouse space. These are the easiest to convert tolivablespaces.

Makesureyouhaveenoughofficespacesothatthereceptionofficecanbe made into a real office with your computer and look business-like.Confirm that the other offices meet your living needs. Make sure youhaveakitchenetteareaoranareayoucanconverttoakitchenette.Onenicethingaboutawarehouseisthatyoucanbuildonifneeded.Justaddaroombybuildingafloatingwallthattiesintotheexistingoffices.Thisishow Iaddedashoparea tomywarehouse. Ibuilta floating roomwithstorageaboveit.

Ifyouneedtoaddakitchenette,youmaywanttowaituntillatenighttodo any noisy plumbing. Your neighbors might become curious if youmakealotofnoiseduringtheday.

Cover the floor of any added rooms with carpet or inexpensiveinterlocking flooring or leave it concrete. Yourmain air conditioner andheater shouldbeable to heat a small addition. If it doesnot, then youmayneedtoupgrade,atyourownexpense,theair/heatoraddaheaterorairconditionertothenewroom.Youwillneedpermissionifyoualterthe existing offices or structure but usually you do not need anypermission tobuild something in thewarehouse thatdoesnotalter thestructure.Buildingaroomthathappenstobuttupagainst thedoor thatpreviouslyenteredthewarehousedoesnotalterthebuildingandthenewroomcanbetorndowneasily,soitshouldnotbealeaseissue.

Mychoicewasanoffice/warehousespace,butIdidlookatanumberofretailspacestoo.

Youcanrentalargeretailstorefrontwithpermissiontosublet.Walloffasmallfrontareabythewindowstorentoutwhileyouliveintheback.Tell

yourlandlordyouwantthebackforwarehousespaceandanartiststudiobutwanttorentthefronttoasmallshopowner.Theresult isyougetalegitimate business up front and the back is all yours. The subletbusinessmaypayasignificantpartofyourrent, too.Youmaynotwantthesublettingbusiness touseyourbathroombecause their employeeswould have to come through your private living space. It is no longerprivate if strangers are walking through while you watch amovie. Youmaysuggest theyuseaportable toilet foremergenciesandcompletelylock thedoor connecting the front andback, telling them it is a securestorage area. You could make arrangements with a neighboringbusiness, perhaps some tradeof services, or let a neighborput a signadvertising their business on your store window, in exchange for thesublettingemployeesusingtheirbathroom.

Blackingoutthefrontwindowsofaretailspacemaylooksuspiciousifnoother space does the same in your area. An excellent alternative is tocreate anoffset display area.Create a barrier two to three feet behindyour front display windows. This can be a movable wall made frompainted foam 4x8 foot insulation sheets available at any home supplystoreandheldupwithsimplebrackets,orlight-blockingcurtains.Ifyourbarrier is carefully built to cover from ceiling to floor so no light comesthroughandyouadda few lights to the frontdisplayspace,youwillbeabletodisplayproductsorartworkandnoonecantellifyouhavelightsonbehindthedisplay.Forthefrontdoor,youcancurvetheoffsetdisplaywalls in or let them continue across the front door and hang a blackcurtainbehindthedoor.Youcanblackoutthedoorbut it lookslikeyouare trying to hide something when doing this in a retail space. In anoffice,blackingoutthedoorisnotunusual.Inaretailspaceitcanseemodd,especiallyifyouareinahightrafficareawherearetailerwouldnotwant to keep people out. Using the offset area lets you actually offeritems,displayasignwithaURLwherepeoplecanpurchaseproductsorart, and keeps the actual store area private for living and workingassuming you do not plan to actually open as a business acceptingcustomers.

Don’tbeafraidofaneighborhoodthat looksrundown.Remember,youcareaboutwhat is inside thebuilding.Youarenotgoing tobewalkingyour dog and chattingwith the neighbors in areas like this.A rundown

area past the edge of town that looks like it is ready for the zombieapocalypseisthebestplacebecauseitmeansnoonewillbewalkingbyortryingtopeekinyourwindows.

Donotaltertheoutsideinanywaythatmightindicatethatthebuildingisnot a warehouse or other commercial building. If you have a realbusinessthenasignisexpected.Otherwise,youdonotneedany.Ifyouareanartistorlivingthereonly,thennosignsatallareneededexceptforanosolicitorssigntoavoidunwanteddoorknocking.

Make sure your space has some level of insulation. Awarehouse in acold or hot part of the countrymay not be capable of being heated orcooled inanaffordableway. Ifyouhaveamoremoderateclimate thenthismaynotbeasimportant.Amoderateclimatemakesthewarehouseusableyearround.Roll-updoorsusuallyarenotsealedorinsulated.Airwillpassaroundthem.Youwantalivingareathatisorcanbeseparatedfromthewarehouseareaotherwiseyoumaybehot in thesummerandcold in the winter as air flows freely around your roll up door. This isanother reason I prefer warehouse/office spaces where the office isseparate.Youmayhaveasmallerspacewithagaragetypedoorthatisinsulatedorsealedwhich isalwayshelpfulwhen itcomestocontrollingthetemperature.

Youdonothavetorentawarehouse.Youcanrentastorefront.Youmayeven find onewhere you can live upstairs and sublet the bottom floor.Oneof thebest locations isastand-alonebuildingontheedgeof townwith little to no traffic and no neighbors. A stand-alone building has noother buildings or rental units attached to it. That means no nosyneighborsandnoonewhocanhearyouoryourTV through thewall. Ilookedatalocationlikethiswhenconsideringmymovebecauseitwouldhavebeenanidealspacewithastand-alonebuildingonthecorner,largeopen retail space, air conditioned front area, roll up door in the backwarehouseand super low rent.Retail spaces on the edgeof townareoften hard to rent, especially if they are not on a major roadway, solandlordsmaybehappytorenttoyouatanyprice.

Avoidofficespacesthataresharedorhaverestrictedaccess.Ifyoutrytouse an office which has a shared secretary or assistant, it will quicklybecomeobvioustoyourneighborsortosecuritypersonnelthatyouare

livingthere.Avoidanylocationthathassecurityyouhavetocheckinwithor that has a security gatemonitoring your entry and exit. I would notwanttoliveinalocationthathadafull-timesecurityguardeither.

Churches are great locations because they usually havemany smallerclassroomsyoucanuseforofficesorstorageorbedrooms.Achurchcanbe rentedbutyouwillbehighprofile.Beprepared toadmityouareanartistandifthisisthesteeple/stainedglasskindofchurch,youmayevenconsideranopenhouseartshowfortheneighbors.Thisletsthemcomein and see that you are “working,”What? You don’t have any art? Noproblem,invitelocalartiststoshowtheirwork.Yourneighborswillseeartandnoonewillbemakingalistofwhopaintedwhat.

Checkyourlocalshipyard.Anolderlocationoftenhaspotentiallylivableofficesor office/warehouses that the landlordsareanxious to rent.Youmayhavetodealwithshiphornsatallhourswhenshipscomeandgo,butmostofthetimeitisquiet.Oneproblemwithshipyardrentalsisthatthe landlordmay only want shipping-related businesses. These rentalsmaynotbeopenlyadvertisedsoyoumayneedtogotoyourlocaldockand look around if possible. I have suggested avoiding locations withsecurity;howeveronadocktheremaybepeoplecomingandgoingatallhourssopassingthroughsecuritymaynotbeaproblem.

Missile silos seem likea reallygreat place to live, but theyhavesomedrawbacks.Theyareexpensivebecausemanypeoplewantthem.Theyareamessbecausetheyareundergroundandhavebeenabandonedformanyyears.Therustypipesareunusable.Theyarefarfromcivilizationso electricitymay not be available from the power grid. If they have awaterpumpandwellyouwillbeluckyifitworksoryouwillhavetomakeotherarrangements forwater.Theyare very remote.Silos canbebuiltouttobeluxuryhomesunderground,butthatisextremelyexpensive.

Myapproachformywarehousewastokeepthecostsaslowaspossiblesothiswasnotevenaconsiderationformeduetotheremotenessandexpenseofasilo.Thereareotherundergroundpropertieswhichmaybeeasier to convert to a living space.Manywebsites offer these unusualproperties, but they are usually for sale, not rent. My website blog atwww.WarehouseLife.com has a list of sites offering missile and otherundergroundstructures.

Analternativelivingspaceoptionmanydonotthinkofisahotel.Smallerindependent hotels or motels often rent rooms by the month. I oncerentedahotelfor$350amonthwhenroomsweregoingfor$30anight.Theyoffered thisnon-publishedspecial tokeep the rooms filled.Priceshave gone up, but there are still hotels that will rent by themonth forratesequivalent to$20anight($600/month)which is cheaper thananyapartment I have seen. You have the advantage of someone cleaningyour room, andwater and electricity. Disadvantages are limited space,lackofprivacywith themaidcoming indaily,possiblenoise fromotherguests,nosecurity foryourcar inanopenparking lot,andyoucannotmodifytheproperty.

Commercialshippingcontainersarecommonlyavailableoncraigslist.organdthroughvariouswebsitesfrom$1500to$2500.Thesearethelarge,tractor-trailer-sizeshippingcontainersusedonships. Ifyoucanrentanopenlotcheaperthanrentingabuilding,youcouldconvertoneofthesetoalivablespace.Youdohaveissuesofwater,electricityandsewagetodealwith.Climateisaconsiderationanditwouldnotbesuitableforsomeareasunlessyoubuildininsulationofsomekindsuchasfoamsheeting,or build in walls and use fiberglass insulation. They are also availablewith insulation and even refrigerated units for temperature controlledshipping. Shipping containers may be a good choice if you rent awarehouse that haswater anda bathroombut no offices.Warehousesliketheseareoftencheaptorent.Theshippingcontainerprovidesinstantrooms,arewellbuilt,andyoucanplumbandwirethemfromtheexistinglines.Whenyouneedtomove,youcandisconnectthecontainer’swaterandpower linesandhave it transported toanew location. Ifyouuseavacant lot, you will need a second container to park your vehicle inbecauseyoudonotwantitparkedintheopen.

Anyspaceyouchooseshouldallowyoutoparkyourvehicleindoors.Avehicle outsidebecomesa signal to everyonewhen youare thereandwhenyouaregone.Notonlywoulditbeobviousyoulivedtheretohavethevehicleoutallnight, itwouldbecomeasecurity issuebecause inacommercial areamanymore people are passing by than pass by in aresidential area. Strangers who notice your car there as they passthrough and then notice your car is gone when you are away for avacation will know your place is not occupied and could take the

opportunity to break in. If there are homeless people in the area orapartmentsnearbythatcanseeyour livingspace,theywillnoticewhenyouarethereandwhenyouareaway,too.Alwayslookforalocationthathasaroll-updoororsomewaytohideyourvehicle. It isevenbetter tohavealocationwhereyoucanpullinandoutwithoutattractingattention.

Inmybuildingcomplex,thereissomeoneelselivinginaspace,butitisobvioushelivesthere.Hispickupandhisroommate’spickuparealwaysparked out front instead of inside. Thismakes it easy to see they aretherealldayandallnightbecausenoothervehiclesareusedandtheseareclearlypersonalvehicles.Getaplacewithconcealedparking.

A vacant lot orwarehousewithnooffices canbemade livablewith anequipped van, RV or Airstream-style trailer. Some areas may prohibitparkingatrailerorRVinavacantlot,buttheycannotprohibitparkingitina warehouse. This arrangementmay work if you need very little livingspace and a lot of working space. Some considerations are sewagedisposal, electricity and water supply. These may be available with awarehousebutareunlikelywithavacantlot.

There are a number of people on eBay and other sites trying to sellCaliforniaorotherstatecoastalpropertycheap.Theywilltellyouthatyoucanbuildahomeandhaveabeautifuloceanview.Whattheydonottellyou is that this is a common scam. They sell the property cheap andwhenyoutrytogetabuildingpermit,youdiscoverthatahousecannotbebuiltbecausethegroundissolidrockandthereisnowaytoinstallaseptic tank or there are no access roads. Thismay sound like a deadend,butnotnecessarily.IwilladmitIhavenotdonethis,buthereisaninterestingidea.Findoneofthesecheapplots.Seeifyoucanputupatemporary or permanent service building by contacting the countycourthouseorzoningcommissionandaskingwhatrestrictionsareontheproperty.Theymaynotallowahouse,butmayallowshippingcontainerstobeplacedthereiftheywillbeusedasaweathermonitoringstationorantennafarm.Youcanbuyweatherstationkitsforunder$100toturnitintoarealweatherstation.IfyounevergetaclientorFAA/FCCapprovalfor your antenna farm, then it will forever be an antenna farmwith noantennas. It doesnotmatter if youneverhaveasuccessfulmonitoringstationorantennafarmifyoureallywantitaslivingspace.Someissuestocheckareavailabilityofwater,electricity,sewagedisposalandaccess

roads.Someoftheseplacescannothaveelectricityruntosucharemotelocationsoyoumayhavetouseageneratororsolarenergy,havewatertruckedinorsewagetruckedout.Youcanalsofindoutfromthecountyifyou can build a service building with a bathroom. Have that built andsignedoff.Thenyoucanaddashower,kitchenandamenitiesyourself.Ifyouhavesolarpoweryoucanuseadesalinizationunittoconstantlyaddwatertoawatertankfromtheocean.Abovegroundseptictanksmaybefineforoneor twopeople.As longasyoukeeptheoutsidebarrenandyourvehicleinacontainersoitlookslikeacommercialbuildingandnotahome,youshouldnothaveanyissueslivingthere.

Malls are not a good choice for a living space. They will likely be tooexpensivebecausespaceisatapremiumandyoucouldnotcomeandgoatwilloncetheylockitup.Theyalsomayhavefull-timesecuritywhowouldquicklyrealizeyouarelivinginyourspace.

Makealistofthingsyoumusthaveincludingabathroomwithasinkandcommode, hot water, the number of rooms (offices), heat and/or airconditioning,andaroomthatcanbeusedasakitchenette.

Youneedaspaceyoucanuseforakitchenettethathaseitherasinkoraplaceyoucaninstallone,anditshouldhaveaplaceforamicrowave,toaster oven and hot plate. You can easily add a sink as long asplumbing canbe run from thebathroomsink.You canbe creative too.You do not have to use traditional plumbing and can use food-safeflexible water lines and a sump-pump to drain water back to thebathroom.

Youwillwantalivingroomarea.Thiscanbeaseparatelivingroomoracombination living room and bedroom. A small bed or a couch thatconvertsintoabedcanturnanyroomintoabedroom.Asmallbedcanbeconcealedbehindaprivacyscreenorascreencanbeusedtomarkoffasleepingareainalargerroom.Arollawaybedcanbefoldedinhalfand tucked inacornerbehindboxesordividerscreens. I triedusingablow-upmattress.Thesearenice for visitorsbut theyeventually leak ifyouuse themall the time.FutonsandJapanese roll-up typebedsalsodidnotwork forme.Theyeitherdonotmaintain theircushiondepthorareuncomfortable. Iwasplanning touseasofa-bedbutalreadyhadafull-sizebedsousedittoavoidbuyingsomethingnew.

Doyouneed220Vpower foryourclothesdryer?Thinkabouthowyouwill clean clothes. You can always go to the laundromat, but that getstiring quickly. You will want to think about where you would install awasherand runwaterandadrain line to it.Youalsoneed to considerwhereyouwouldplaceadryer.Ithastobeclosetoa220Voutletandavent hole for the dryer is necessary. You do not want to vent a dryerindoors. There are indoor vent systems, but they create a lot of backpressureforthedryerexhaustandreduceefficiency.Thedryerexhaustputsouthigh-humidityairandsmallparticlesfromthelaundry,neitherofwhichyouwantspraying inyour livingspace. Iplacedmydryernearabackdoor.WhenIwanttodryclothes,IpushtheventhoseoutthedoorandbringitinwhenIamfinished.Iwaituntillateatnight,aftereveryonehasleft,todolaundry.Thereare120Vdryers,buttheyareinefficientandcantakealongtimetodryclothes.Ifyoudonothavemanyclothes,thismayworkforyou.

Is the space usable for your actual business or as an art studio? Youwantaspacethatyoucanmakelivable,butitalsoshouldbesuitableforyour business or for whatever other purpose you want to use it. It isalwaysbettertogobiggerandthantogogetasmallerspaceandrealizeyouneedmorespace.

Askwhatutilitiesareincluded.Water?Trash?Isagashookupavailableorneeded?

What about airflow? Can windows be opened or is airflow otherwiseavailable? Do you need airflow or is an air-conditioning and heatingsystemenough?

Whataboutheatingandcoolingofyourwarehousearea?Doyouneeditheatedorcooledduetoyourlocalclimate?

Doyouhave24houraccesstocomeandgoasyouwish?Whatabout24 hour guests?Can friends come by or is there a security area theymustgothrough?

Isitprivateenoughtolivein?Areyourneighborsgoingtobeloud,suchas an automotive service center that uses an air wrench or amanufacturingbusinessthatusesloudmachines?Doyourneighborsrunabusinessthatproducesnoxiousfumesorusedangerouschemicalsorproducesmoke?

How noisy is the location during the day? How noisy or active is it atnight?Isthereanightshift?Avoidplacesthathavenightshiftsorlotsofnight activity even if they are not loud. It simply creates a privacyproblem.

Talktoneighborswhereyouareconsideringmoving.Youdonotwanttoaskifthelandlordisnosybutaskquestionslikedoesthelandlordkeepupthemaintenance,andhowoftendotheydoinspections.Youwanttoseeifthelandlordrentsthespaceanddoesnotbothertenantsorifthelandlordwillcomebytochatorhavemaintenancepeopledoinspectionsrandomly. Most of the time, the landlord rents and walks away unlesssomethingneeds tobe fixedorupdated forbuildingcode reasons.Youdon’twant themcoming intoyouroffice/homeanytime theywantand ifyouhavenotsharedthatyouarelivingthere,youdon’twantthemtoseeyourbedroom.Youcanputanaccesscontrollockonthebedroomofficesoeveniftheirmaintenancepeopleletthemselvesin,theycannotopenthatdoorwithoutthecodeorkey.Havingabigdeadboltonaninternaldoorwillmake themsuspiciousbut aSimplex typepush-button lock isnotunusualforabusinesstohaveonastoragedoor.

Makesureyour location includestrashpickup.Otherwise,youwillhaveto sign up for trash removal and that will be more expensive forcommercial spaces than residential. Most warehouse/office spacesincludecommunitytrashremovalintherent.

Makesureyouhavecontroloverheatingandcoolinginyourspace.Youdonotwant to rent aplacewhere you cannot control the temperature.The landlord may turn off heating or cooling at night, which would bedisastrous for you.You do notwant a heating/cooling control that is inanotherofficeoranotherunitwhereyoucannotaccessit.Makesureyouhave your own heating and cooling system with a thermostat in yourrentalunit.

I have read stories from people living in warehouse or commercialpropertywhocomplainabout rodents, problemswith trashdisposal, noheatorcoolingorloudneighboringbusinesses.Theseallcomedowntomakingpoor choiceson the locationor theway they live. If you rent awarehouse that has no office space and is surrounded by homelesspeople,withaslaughterhouseononesideandamotorcycleserviceshop

ontheother,itshouldbeobviousyouwillhaveproblems.Exercisesomegood judgmentwhenpickingyour location.Check it outduring thedayand night tomake sure it is safe and suitable for living. In digging formoredetailsinsuchstories,youwillfindthatthesepeoplewerenotlivingalonebutwithmultipleroommateswhoweremessyandtherealcauseofrat infestations,or they triedcuttingcornerson trashdisposalorsimplydidnotknowwhattheyweredoing.

Onestory I cameacrosssaid therewere20 “artists”whowerehappilyliving in a warehouse and when the landlord found out they were allevicted.Itsoundssosadwhenallthefactsarestrippedaway.Thiswasnotthewholestory.Someprobingrevealedthetruthwasthat20hippieswhowere living inunsanitaryconditionsbecause theydidnotkeep theplacecleanwereevictedbythehealthdepartmentfromawarehouseandthey were all living in the same space. They were clearly causingproblemsforneighborswithsomanypeopleinoneplace,notkeepingitclean,attractingratsandroachessoitisnowondertheywereevicted.Ifithadbeenoneortwopeopleandtheykepttheplaceclean,itisunlikelyanyonewouldhavenoticedorcared.

Avoidingevictioniseasierifthestuffyouownlookslikeitwouldbeinabusiness,andpersonalitemsarestoredinboxeswherenoonecanseethem.These20peopleobviously lived in thespaceand it didnot lookliketheywereconductinganybusinessthere.

Gettingaplacewithanofficeareasolvesmanyproblemswithelectricity,heating, and cooling because the office area is expected to becomfortableandlivable.

Doyourmathfirsttomakesureitisreallythepriceyouexpectwhenyouincludeinsuranceandutilities.

If your space does not already have a sink in the kitchenette, thenmentionthatyouwanttoaddakitchenettewhenfirstseeingthespace.Mostlandlordswillnotobjecttoyouincreasingthevalueoftheirproperty,but it is something youdonotwant tobeapoint of contention later. Ifthere is already a sink of any kind then there is no need tomention itbecause thewater lines are already run. If there is a bathroom then itshould already have a hotwater heater. The heatermay be small, butevenasmallhotwaterheater isusuallyplentyforashowerorwashing

clothesordishes.

Makechecklistofthingstodooninspection.Takeacameraandmakeanarratedvideobecauseyouwillforgetwhatitlookslikeafteryouseetwoor three spaces and youwill likely always remember a place as beinglargerthanitactuallywas.

Checklist

• Do you hear neighbors through the walls, then they can hearyou.

• Askhowmuchinsulationisbetweenofficespaces.• Whatpartisheatedorcooled.• Whereisthethermostatandcanyoucontrolit.• Whatisincludedsuchaselectricityorwaterandtrash?• Whereisthebathroom?• Isthereakitchenetteoranareaclosetothebathroomplumbingthatcanbeturnedintoakitchenette?

• Howmuchadditional storagespace is theresuchasoverheadstorage?

• What about internet service. Is cable or FIOS available in thespace?

• Does the space have a roll up door where you can pull yourvehicle inandonce thevehicle is indoyoustillhaveplentyofspace?

• Can you comeand go freely or is there security or an accessgate

• Canyoublackoutthefrontdoorandcoverwindowsforprivacy?• Isthespaceadequateforyourneeds?Willitmeetyourpersonalneedsandyourbusiness/artisticneeds?

• Whatisthemonthlyrent,termsanddeposit.• Isthereanydamage,willitberepairedbeforemovein.• Will the place be painted and carpeted before move in ifneeded?

• WhoisresponsibleforrepairsandforHVACrepair?• Are any neighboring businesses noisy or do they have noisybusinesseslikemotorcyclerepairwithenginesracingallday?

• Are you required to post a sign or can you just have a blankdoor?

Addyourownspecialrequirementstothislist.

Beforeyoumove in, takephotosandmakeavideowalkthroughof theempty area, inside and out, so you have a record of any pre-existingdamageorconditionissues.Getclose-upsofanyproblems.Thismaybe

useful when youmove out if the landlord wants to charge you for olddamage.

TheLeaseandRealtors

Commercial spaces are normally rented through realtors. The realtorhandles advertising and all the details of the lease signing. Using arealtorshowsthatthelandlordisexperiencedandprofessionalandlikelyhasseveralpropertiestomanage.

Don’t be afraid to negotiate. There aremany spaces available.Even iftheysaynotoyouroffer,ifyouwalkawaytheymaycallyouthenextdayandsayyes.Askforareductioninthepersquarefootcostofatleastacoupleofcentseven if it isalready lower thansimilarproperties. If it ishigher, then don’t be afraid to ask for a huge reduction that takes itseveral cents belowmarket. Always ask formove-in time. Thatmeansyou want the rest of the current month and the next month for FREEbefore your lease begins. It gives you time to move in, and mostlandlords will accept this rather than let the property sit unrented foranothersixmonthsormore.

Ifyouofferamonthlyrent lowerthantheonerequestedandthebrokercomesbackandsaysitwasdeniedandthenadvisesyoutotaketheoneoffered,beware!Hemaynothaveevenpassedyouroffertothelandlord.Realtors get paid based on the value of the lease. They have littleincentive to reduce your lease value by having the landlord accept alowermonthly rent. Any landlord should at least counter a reasonableoffer.

Thelandlordwilllikelywantathreeorfive-yearlease.Thatisacommontermforcommercialrentalsanditisreasonableifyougetabreakonthepriceandearlymove in.Readyour leasecarefully to findout if itgoesmonthtomonthattheendofthelease.Findoutwhatrentincreaseswillbe.Do not accept a vague description. The lease should spell out theexact numbers you will be charged in the current and following yearsthroughthetermofyourlease.IfthebaserentincreasesbasedonCOLA(Cost of LivingAdjustment) it shoulduse the current yearCOLAasanexampletoshowwhatyoucouldbepayingfortherestofyour lease.Ifyourrentdoesnotincrease,thatisevenbetter.Ifyourenewyourlease,negotiationsareopenagainandyoucanask thatyour rentbe reset totheoriginallyagreedamount.Ifthereareemptyspacesinyourcomplexthenyoumaygetthisreduction.Iftheydonotwanttoreduceyourrent,

sendanoticethatyouwillbemovingandmakeitclearthattherentistoohighwithout the reset and it ismore economical tomove to a smallerspaceelsewhere.Theymaycallyouiftheyreconsider.

Beware of landlordswhowant to push you into a longer-term lease. Ifyou are a multi-million dollar business renting a 100,000 sq ftwarehouse…then they may want a longer lease. Any small businessshouldexpect two to threeyears. Insloweconomic times landlordswilloften try toget you intoa longer leaseso theyknow thespacewill befilled.

Bewareofanyrealtororpropertyrepresentativewhoisnotabletomeetyouinperson.Thisisacommonscamwheresomeoneoffersapropertyforrentwhichtheydonothavetheright torent.Theymaygiveastoryaboutworkingoutof stateorbeingonahumanitarianmission inHaiti.Theywanttocollectasecuritydepositandthendisappear.Neverrentaspacewithoutseeingitinpersonfirst.

Beware of impersonators. Landlord or realtor impersonation is verycommononcraigslist.org.Youcancheckonthelandlordandrealtorandverifytherealtor’slicensenumber.Thispersonmayhavenoconnectiontothepropertyormaybethecurrenttenantwhohasmovedoutbutstillhas the keys or copied the keys and is pretending to represent theproperty. You may meet with someone claiming to be the realtor whointroduces you to the “landlord,” but they are working together. Theyobtainedthekeysfromsomeonewhohasaccesstothebuilding,oroneorbotharethecurrenttenantswhohavemovedoutorwereevicted,orthey cut a key-holder box off the property door and took the keys out.Theymayhavedrilled out the existing lock and replaced itwith a newlocksotheycanopenthedoor.

Beware ifyouareshownaproperty that isdifferent fromtheone in thelisting.Thescamworksby listingonepropertyandwhenyoucall, theygiveadifferent locationand tellyou thepropertyyouwere lookingat isnolongeravailable.Ifitisnotavailablethenwhyweretheylistingit?Thesurprise property is usually more expensive, in worse condition, orsmaller. The realtor may also be using the good property that is stillavailabletoattractrentersandthentakethemtoundesirablepropertieshopingtounloadthosefirst. If thishappens,walkaway.Youshouldnot

trustarealtorwhotriesthistrick.

Bewareofa realtorwhoonlyhasoneproperty toshowyou.Legitimaterealtors who represent commercial spaces have multiple spacesavailable.Ifapersonclaimingtobearealtoronlyhasonespace,thatisawarningsign.Hemayhaveonlyone100,000squarefootwarehouse,but he should have several office/warehouse spaces of more average2000squarefootsize.

Beware of any realtor who asks for money early. Make sure you aredealingwithalegitimaterepresentativeoftheproperty.Askingformoneyup-frontisalwaysawarningsign.

Bewareofanyrealtorwhoasksyoutomakeabanktransfer,paycashorWesternUnion/MoneyGraminstantpaymenttransfer.Certifiedchecksormoneyordersmayberequestedwhenrentinganapartment,buttheyareuncommonwhenrentingcommercialproperty.Yourcheckusuallyclearsbeforeyoucantakepossessionanyway.Possessionisdelayedbecauseyouhave toprovideproof of insuranceand the landlordusually delayswhilethespaceispaintedandcarpeted,untilthecheckclears.

Bewareofanyrealtorwhowantsyoutopayathirdpartyormakeoutacheck to any business name other than the realtor’s company or thelandlord.

Bewareofanyrealtorwhoistooanxioustomakeadealandiswillingtoofferadealwellbelowmarketvalue.

Bewareifyouseeseveralcraigslist.orglistingsforsimilarspacesatoneprice and one listing with a price well below the others. The agent islistingafalsepricethatonlyappliestothefirstmonthordoesnotincludesomemade-upsigningfeeorthespacehasnobathroomsoroffices,oris just a trick to show you a different place. They plan tomake up thedifference inhidden fees,orelsesomething isdifferentabout that low-priceunit.

Becarefulofsublettingoffers.Makesureyousee the leaseand talk tothelandlordbeforeagreeingtoanysublettingoffer.Thetenantofferingtosublet may be close to eviction. The person claiming to be the tenantmaybesomeonewhoonlyworksinthelocationandhasnoauthoritytosubletorhasotherwiseobtainedthekeys.

Yourbusinessleasewillusuallyrequireyoutohavebusinessinsurance.You can sign the lease, but it will not be valid until your insurancecompany sends a confirmation certificate to the landlord. You will notreceive thekeysuntil thecertificatehasbeendelivered.Typicalannualbusiness insurance premiums should be $500-$900 for $1M totalcoverage per occurrence. Thatmeans you pay $500-$900 per year ininsurance.This is for 0-2employees inanaveragebusiness that doesnotdoanythingdangerous.ThisisalmostthesameasIwaspayingforlawnmowingservicewhenI rentedahouseso it isnot thatexpensive.Any major insurance company can provide a quote for businessinsurance.Bepreparedtoansweralotofquestionsaboutyourbusinesssuchasifyouwillhaveamonitoredalarmsystem(thecorrectanswerisyes)and fireextinguishers, if youwill beusingdangerouschemicals, ifyou will be renting the property out for events, if you do anything thatcouldberisky.Youalwayswanttohaveamonitoredalarm.Thisdoesnotmean you have to buy an expensive monthly service. You can getinexpensivealarmsoneBayorAmazonthatwillcallyourowncellphonenumber if theyaresetoff,and thatqualifiesasamonitoredalarm.Youwant fire extinguishers in the major areas too. If you will be hostingevents or using dangerous chemicals then your rateswill be higher orthey will want more details about what you are doing and how muchexperienceyouhave.

Ifyouareanartistanddonothaveyourownactualbusiness, then tellyourinsuranceagentthatyouareanartistandyourbusiness,(makeupagoodname),whichisasoleproprietorship,issellingyourartwork.

Remember, you should be saving a lot in rent compared to a similarresidentialspaceandthatoffsetsthecostoftheinsurance.

The lessor will likely want a personal guarantee for the rent. This isnormal ifyouareasoleproprietoror ifyourcorporationorLLCisnotabig,well-knownname.Whenyousignaleaseforanapartmentorhouse,youaregivingapersonalguaranteeanywaysoitisthesamething.Theymay alsowant you to pay twomonths’ rent as a deposit plus the firstmonth’srent.Untilyouhavearelationshipwiththelandlordandtheyareconfidentyouwillpayyourrent,theywillwantmoreupfront.Whenyourenewyourleaseyoucanrenegotiatethedepositandperhapshavehalfof it returnedorapplied to the firstmonth’s rentof thenew leasewhen

yourenew.

Whennegotiating,dosowithconfidence,asifyouexpectyouroffertobeaccepted. If it is rejectedoutright,act surprisedandsay thankyouandleave. If they counter and it is fair, take it.Once youhavebeen in thespace forone lease termandhaveshown thatyoucausenoproblemsand pay your rent on time, you are in a stronger negotiation positionwhenrenewingthelease.

Ifyouarenotdealingwithapropertymanagerandinsteadtheownerisdirectlyleasingtheproperty,thiscanbecometricky.Apropertymanagerisused todealingwith repairsandusually representsapropertyownerwho rarely, if ever, visits the property. Repairs are usually theresponsibility of the tenant in commercial spaces, butmajor repairs orminoronesmaybedonebythelandlord.Normallytheplumbingandair-conditioningarestillhandledbythelandlord.Anownerwhodirectlyrentsmaywanttodorepairworkhimselftosaveafewbucksandthatcanbetroubleinbothpoorqualityworkandhimbeingnosy.

Alwaysbewaryofmaintenancefees,especiallyifyouaredealingdirectlywith the owner. Such fees are not uncommon for spaces that havesharedorcommunityfacilities,buttheyshouldalwaysbeclearandyoushould know exactly what you will pay every month. Never rent apropertyifyouaretoldtheamountisvariable.Ifonetenantusesalotofelectricity or water and these utilities are included in a variablemaintenance fee, it means the maintenance fee is distributed amongeveryonesoyouarepayingtheirutilities.Bewareofany leasethathasmultiple add-on fees or vague fees. A lease should state exactly howmuch you pay eachmonth and that amount should never vary by themonth.Any lease that includesoccasionalorunanticipatedexpenses isanattempt todefraudyou. It isaway for the landlord to increaseyourrent when he wants more money. Such occasional or unexpectedexpenses can include salaries for the landlord or his propertymanagement expenses or staff, contractor expenses, repairs orrenovations. If the landlord decides to improve a space he can thenchargeyouforitevenifitisnotyourspace.Youshouldnothavetopaymore because your roof or your neighbor’s roof collapses or yourlandlordwantstotakeaEuropeancruise.

Readyourlease.Neverassume.Ifyouareunsureaboutanything,havealawyerwhospecializesincommercialpropertyrentallookitover.

Ifyouwanttosubleasepartofyourspace,makesurethisisspelledoutinthelease.

Co-tenancyoccurswhenyourtenancyisdependentonanotherbusinessin the same complex or under the same landlord. The business youdependoniscalledananchortenant.Theanchortenantcanbeaknownretailbrandorabigmanufacturer.Youmayrentaspacenexttoamajorfast-food place that brings in customers or rent a place in a medicaloriented office building and your business sells to doctorswho rush toyouforlastminutesupplies.Youmayrentaspaceinastripmallwhereone dominant business draws customers in. What happens if the fastfoodplaceshutsdown?Whathappensiftheownerstartsrentingspacesto non-doctors? What happens if the dominant strip mall store shutsdown and the customers stop coming? If the anchor tenant moves orgoesoutofbusinessanditaffectsyourbusiness,youneedaco-tenancyagreement to protect you from a potential loss of customers or fromdisruptions to your supply.Suchanagreementallowsyou tobreak theleaseifthelandlorddoesn’treplacetheanchortenantinaspecifiedtime.Ifyourbusinessisnotdependentonananchorbusinessthismaybeanopportunity.Lookforstripmallsorotherbusinesscomplexeswheretheprimarybusinesshasmovedawayorgoneoutofbusiness.Thelandlordwillbeanxioustorentspacesandopentomakingadeal.

Look for failed commercial locations. Many cities have sections wherestrip malls or organized business centers were built but the ownerdiscovered he could not fill the spaces or the anchor tenant neveropened.Maybetheywerebuilton theedgeof townorarehard to find.Theresult isalargegroupofunoccupiedretailspaces.Theseareeasytoidentifybecausewhenyoudrivethroughtherearenocarsandallthebuildingsareclearlyempty.Thisisanotheropportunityforthealternativeliving space renter to swoop in and get a good deal. First, ask thelandlord if the spacehas tobe retail.Youcan tell the landlord youareonlyinterestedinofficespaceoranartstudio.Hewillhavelittlechoiceifallthespacesareemptyevenifheprefersretailtenants.Ifthelandlordisobligatedbycontractorcityordinance to rentonly to retailbusinesses,noproblem!GetabusinesslicensefromthecityandasalestaxIDfrom

thestate. Ifyouhaveareal retailbusiness idea—GREAT! Ifnot, thenstart a sole-proprietorship for somebusiness you never intend to openandthatrequiresnospecialpermitsorcertifications.Normallyyouwouldnot open a business as a sole-proprietor but if you are not actuallyconducting business and never open the doors to the public then youhavenoliabilityrisk.Youshouldhaveanideawhatthisbusinesswillbebeforemeetingwiththelandlordorrealestateagentsoyoucananswerquestionsaboutit.Putasigninthefrontwindowforyourcaralarmsalescompany,SEOconsultingbusinessorTVrepairshopandneveropenforbusiness. A business permit does not require you to be good at yourbusiness or make good business decisions. Anyone can open a TVrepairshopandthenbeunabletohiresomeonewhocanrepairTVs.Theresultisyourbusinessneveropens.NowyouhavethisnicespacetoliveinandnoonebotheringyouwhileyoulookforeverforsomeonetoworkasyourTVrepairperson.Doyougettheidea?

Ifyourlandlordwantsyoutopayrent,hispropertytaxes,hisinsurance,andhismaintenancefees,thisisknownasa“triplenet”(NNN)leaseandtheyalwaysfavorthelandlord.Neversignatriplenetlease.Walkaway.IfyouseeaspaceadvertisedasNNN,youcanalwaysaskiftheywouldleaseitattheadvertisedpricebutnotunderNNNterms.Makesurethatyour final lease does not haveNNN terms in it even if they are calledsomethingelseandmakesureit listsexactlywhattherentpricewillbeeachyear.

Whenleaserenewaltimecomes,donotjustsignanextensionorletyourleasegomonthtomonth.Reviewtheotherspacesinthebuilding.Ifyouare inamulti-spacebuildingand therearemanyunrented spaces, thelandlordwantstokeepexistingtenantsbadlyandwillgiveagoodrateifyourenew,oratleastresettoyouroriginalmonthlypaymentwithouttheyearly increaseswhichwere automatically added. If the building is full,thenthe landlordmaynotbe interested ingivingapricebreakandyoumayhavetocontinuewiththecurrentagreementorrenewatthemarketprice.

You do have obligations with a commercial lease that should not beignored.Therearepeoplewhosignaleaseforaresidentialapartmentorhouseandwhentheywanttomovejustleavewithnonotice.Theyskippaying the last one or twomonths’ rent, expecting to lose the security

depositwhilealsohopingtoavoidpayingfordamages,becausepeoplewho do this usually cause damage beyond normal wear and tear andmaybescamtheowneroutofafreemonth.Theyoftengetawaywithitbecause it iseasier to fix thedamageand re-rent theproperty than forthelandlordtopursuelegalactionandenforcethelease.

Ifyoujustwalkawayfromacommerciallease,youaremorelikelytobesued.Thepersonwhosignedasguarantor,probablyyou,willbe liablefor the remaining lease payments until a new tenant is found. Thelandlordislegallyrequiredtoactinawaythatmitigatesdamages,whichmeans if youhave twoyears leftona lease, the landlordcannot leavethe space vacant without attempting to find a tenant and then try tocollect the full two years of rent from you. The landlord must make areasonable effort to find a tenant that is consistent with rental efforts ofotherunits.

The landlord can’t run an ad in the smallest circulation paper in townsaying“commercialspaceforrentcall800-xxx-xxxx”andclaimtheyaremaking an effort to rent your space. No onewould respond to such avagueadwithno location,squarefootageorcost.Suchanadmustbeonparwithhowtheyattempttorentotherspaces.

Iftheunitisrented,youonlyoweforthetimetheunitwasunrented.Ifthelandlord has multiple unrented units then it is likely he will not find atenantandwillgetmoremoneybysuingyou.Ifthenewtenanthasarentthat is lower than your rent then you may still be held liable for thedifference.Thismeans the landlordcanmakesomeoneagreatdeal togettheminandsueyouforthedifference.Ifthelandlordisnotmotivatedtofindanewtenantorsimplydislikesyouandwantstomakeasmuchtrouble as possible, the landlord may rent other units ahead of yours,showandadvertiseyourunitbuttellpotentialrentersthattheplacehasplumbingproblemsor that another larger unit is available for the sameprice.The landlordmayadvertise theunit butanyonewho responds istakentoanotherunitwhichislikelyidenticalornearlyidentical, ifyou’reinacommercialbuildingwithsimilarunits.Ifyouhaveauniquebuilding,suchasacornerretailbuilding,thenthelandlordwilllikelynotbeabletousethesetactics.Ifthelandlordhasanindustrialormanufacturingcenterwithmanyidenticalunits,thisbehaviorispossibleandhardtoidentify.Inthiscase,all the landlordhas tosay incourt is,“Ihave fivesimilarunits

whicharealsovacantandIamtryingtorentallof themout”andthe judgewillacceptthatthelandlordisnotintentionallyavoidingrentaltogainthemoneyfromyou.Ifyoudoneedtobreakalease,youwanttosurveytheavailable units and you can always bring up in court that a previouslyempty unit identical to yours was rented a week after youmoved out,whichmayshowthat the landlordacted inbadfaithbynotrentingyourunitoutfirst.

Anotheroptionistogotothelandlord,tellhimyouneedtomove,haveajobinanotherlocation,yourbusinessisnotmakingenoughandyouaregoingoutofbusiness,orwhateverthesituationis,anddiscussabuy-outoption. The landlord may let you sacrifice the security deposit or payanywherefromonetothreetosixmonths’rentupfrontandyoumoveoutimmediately.The landlordmayseemoney in thepocketasbetter thanlegal expenses or the remote possibility of collecting after two or threeyearsofcourtbattles.

Ifyouareinastripmallanditisempty(fewornootherspacesrented),you could potentially argue that the landlord failed in his obligation tomaintainthepropertybykeepingadequateotherunitsrentedtomaintaincustomer traffic.Somestateshave laws regardingpercentage rental ofmallsorstripmallsandlandlordobligations.

If you want to stay in the location, you may find this abundance ofunrentedspacesdesirableandrentanadditionalspacetomakelivable.Atthispointyouwillhaveenoughknowledgetoconvertasecondspaceeasily.Thensubletittosomeonewhoalsowantstolivethere.Repeatforeachspaceyoucangetagooddealon,assumingyoucanfindpeopletorenttoforaprofitandtheywillkeepalowprofile.Youhaveanadvantagehere. The landlord cannot advertise the space as livable but you caninformallyconnectwithyournetworkoffriendsandunconventionallivingpeople which gives you a higher chance of finding someone to fit thespacethanyourlandlord.

Ifyoushouldneedtomoveout,rememberthatyoualreadyhavecreateda livable space. You can try to find someone else who wantsunconventionalhousingandsubleasetothatperson,evenatapremiumsincetheplaceisalreadylivableduetoyourchanges.Checkyourleaseforsublettingtermsbeforeofferingthespacetosomeoneelse.

If youareconsideringmovingout, checkwithotherbusinesses in yourcomplexandaskiftheyneedwarehousespaceorofficespace.Youmaybeabletorentyourwarehouseareatooneneighbororyourofficespaceto another neighbor. One uses the front entrance, the other the back.Neithermayhavebeenwilling to rentanentirespacebutarewilling tosplitone.Ifyoucancomeupwithsuchanarrangement,thelandlordmaybe willing to make it official with the other neighbors and cancel yourlease.Even ifyoucannotget thefull rentamount, ifyoucansublet thewarehouse toaneighbor, thatmayhelpoffset themonthly rentyouarerequiredtopayuntiltheleaseexpires.

Dealing with a commercial landlord is different from dealing with anindividualwhoisleasingasecondhomeheowns.Acommerciallandlordislikelyfamiliarwiththelegalsystemandhasalawyeronretainertodealwith suing businesses that do not pay rent. For them it is a commonoccurrence and simply part of business to rent a space, have thebusinessfailorsimplymoveout in themiddleof thenight,andhavetosuetogetthemoneyowed.

IoncerentedaretailspaceforabusinessIstartedwhichwasnexttoanemptystorefront.AmonthafterImovedin,amanmovedapetstorenextdoor.Amonthlater,hewasinvolvedinadivorce,thenafewdayslaterIarrived at 8 AM to open up and the store next door was completelyempty.Hemovedeverythingout in themiddleof thenightandskippedtown.

Ifyouwanttomoveandyourleasehasreachedtheendandchangedtomonth-to-month, review your terms. Usually it requires 30 dayswrittennoticebutcanbe60to90days.

Askforaninspectionbeforeyouleave(afteryoumoveyourstuffout)andwalkthroughitwiththelandlordtoconfirmtherearenoissuesandthatyou will get your security deposit back. It is not unusual for amanufacturingbusiness toknockasmallhole inawall to runapipeorelectricalline,butitshouldbeeitherdoneprofessionallyorcoveredwell.Something as simple as a piece of plywood screwed over a hole andpainted to match the wall can be considered “repaired” by manylandlords. Itmight not be acceptable for an apartment or house rental,but commercial rental tenants often expect to make changes, install

phonesystemsoropenwallssothelandlordisnotasconcernedashemightbeforaresidentialspace.Youcanalwaysputaventorelectricaloutletcoverblankoverholesifyoudonothavetheskillstopatchdrywall.

Normal wear and tear cannot be deducted from your deposit. Normalwear and tear are more severe for commercial buildings than whenrenting a house. The landlord should not deduct charges from yourdepositforrepaintingornewcarpet.Itisstandardpracticeincommercialleasingtomakethesechangesforeachnewtenantandnotthefinancialresponsibility of the old tenant. When everything is moved out, takephotosofeveryroom,wall,ceilingandfloor,includinganydamage.Thenturnonthevideomodeofyourcameraanddoanarratedwalk-through.Ifthe landlord later claims there was major damage which was actuallyeitherminororundernormalwearandtear,youhaveevidencetocontesthisclaims.Itisagoodideatotakephotosandavideobeforemovingin,too.Thisgives youa recordofwhat theplacewas like. If therewasaholeinawallwhenyoumovedin,thenyoushouldnotbepenalizedforitwhenyoumoveout.

Itmaybecheaperforyoutomakeminorfixesorreplacebrokenitemsinthe space before moving out. If a ceiling tile is damaged or an outletcover is broken, the landlord has to pay a repair person to obtain thematerialandinstallit,whichisveryexpensive.Youmaywanttoreplaceanybadceilingtilesorsmall,easilyfixedthingsyourselftoavoidtheriskoflosingpartofyoursecuritydeposit.Youdonotwanttobecharged$75fromyourdeposittoreplaceaceilingtilethatyoucouldhaveboughtfor$20.

Whatifyourleasesayssublettingisnotallowedandyourlandlorddoesnotwanttoapproveanyone?Youarerentingabusinesssoyoucannotbeprohibited fromhavingemployees.Sublease the location toanotherunconventional housingenthusiast and call thepersonanemployeeorindependent contractor. You can “hire” someone as a security guard.Thenchargehimtostaythere.Nowyoucanmoveoutandyoursecurityguard pays you to stay there. You will still be liable for the rent andproperty.Whenyousublease,someoneelsemovesinandpaystherentbutyouarestillundera leaseagreementandresponsible if thepersonstopspaying.Keepthisinmindifyoufindasubleaseorwanttosubleaseother units. You always want to have your own sublease agreement

signedbythesublettingperson.

Reviewyour leasebefore tellingyour landlordyouneed tomoveout. Itmay have a simple bailout clause for either party to terminate.Commercial landlordsunderstand thatbusinesses failandmayneed toshutdown.

It is always best to have a legitimate reason to cancel a lease. Justwalkingawayorfallingbehindwithoutsayinganythingismorelikelytobepursuedincourtthanopenlyandhonestlytalkingtothelandlordtofindasolution.Ifyoujustwalkawayorstoppayingrent,thenthecourtswillnotlookkindlyonthisnomatterwhatreasonyouclaimmotivatedyoutostoppaying.If, instead,youattemptareasonablesolutionandtheothersidebalks, it will at least be more favorable in court to you. Even with acontract,partiesareexpectedtoactreasonably.

Ifthereisanybreachofresponsibilitybythelandlordthatissubstantivethenyoumayhaveareasontobreakyourlease.Thiscannotbeaminorissue,butmustbeamajor issue that isongoing.Checkyour localandstate rental laws. It is unlikely this language is in the lease becauselandlordsdonotlisttheirlegalresponsibilitiesinthelease.

Landlordsaremotivated tonegotiatewhen they realize thatabusinessmayhaveabigsignsaying“goingoutofbusinesssale”onthefrontdoor.Evenworsecouldbea“BankruptcySale–EverythingMustGo.”Agoingout of business sign scares other tenants and potential tenants andmakesitlooklikethelocationisnotsuccessful.

If you can find someone yourself to take over the space and who iswillingtomoveinwithnorenovation,thatistothelandlord’sadvantagebecausehedoesnothavetorepaintorre-carpetandgetstosignanewlong-term lease. In this case, the landlord should terminate your leaseandsignupthenewperson.

Ifyousellyourbusinesstoanotherparty,thentheotherpartycannowbeassigned your lease agreement. This is also a common practice incommercial realestate.Thismaynoteven requireanew leasebutwillrequireatwoorthree-pageaddendumtransferringresponsibility.

Filingbankruptcycanendyourobligations foracommercial lease.Youwouldneedtogothroughalawyeranddiscusstheprosandconsofthis

approach.Itwilllikelybeeasierandlessexpensivetonegotiateabuyoutsinceyouarenotdealingwithmulti-milliondollarfacilitiesasalive-workspace.

If you are moving out due to financial problems, first ask if there is asmaller or less expensive space in the same building or in anotherbuilding controlled by the landlord. He may agree to let you move toanotherspaceatareducedrentratherthanloseyoucompletely.

Ina residential lease, ifyour landlord fails tomaintain theproperty,youcan maintain it and deduct the costs from your rent. Generally, if thelandlordfailstorepairyourheatingsystem,youcanhaveitfixed,deductthecostfromyourrentpaymentandincludeacopyofthereceiptinyourrentpaymentenvelope.This isnotalways true foracommercial lease.Review your local and state laws for details on how thisworks in yourarea. Keep inmind, though, thatmany commercial leases are turnkeyand once you take possession you are responsible for everythingincluding lighting, heating and plumbing repairs. This is different frommostapartmentorhomerentalswherethelandlordisresponsible.Yourleasewillspelloutwhatyouareresponsibleforfixing.

AfterYouMoveIn

Ifitquackslikeaduckandwalkslikeaduck…

Youmust look likeacommercialorretail locationoranartstudio ifyouarelivinginacommercialbuilding.Youwanttoavoidmakingyourplacelook likeaprivatehome.Todaythis isnot toohardtoachieve.There isnothingunusualaboutacompanyhavingapooltableorvideogamesonsite, a break room with a kitchenette, and a conference room (read alivingroom)withbigscreenTVorprojector,(justsubstituteofficechairsforacouch),andastorageorwaitingroom(bedroom).Youcanalwayssayyouareusingpartofthebuildingforpersonalstorageifanyoneasks.

The bedroom may be the trickiest room. If you have a full bed andposters of rock groups taped to the walls, or the reception office arealooksnothinglikeaprofessionaloffice,thenanyoneinspectingthespacewillnotbuyyourstoryaboutusingthe locationforactualbusiness.Youcan improve the illusion if yousubstitute for thebeda futon, Japanesefuton, inflatablemattress,orsofasleeper,allofwhichcanbe foldedupand hidden during the day. You can even use the bedroom as a realmeetingroomandhaveclientssitonthehide-a-bedcouchinarelaxingatmospheretotalkbusiness.Throwsomemagazinesonasidetableandput aboxof your brochureson the table thatwouldotherwisebe yournightstandandyouhavealegitimatebusinessmeetingroom.

Iconvertedanoffice toabedroom. Iplannedtousea fold-outcouch. Ialreadyhadafull-sizebedanddidnotliketheideaofsellingitfornothingandthenbuyingahide-a-bedcouchsodecidedtokeepthebedIhad.Icall it the storage room and put a sign on it sayingEmployeesOnly. Iplannedtoshutthedoorduringtheday,butthisdidnotworkout.Iwouldforget and anyone who walked by could see the bed. I did somerearrangingtomovethebedandcloset,creatingamazeentrance.HereIwantedtouseofficecubiclewallstomakeitlooklikeaseriesofdividedoffices. I was never able to find affordable full-heightwalls that I liked.SinceIcouldnotgetcubiclewalls tohidethebed, Ibuiltmyownwallsusingcardboardboxes.Igluedthemtogetherandtowoodbackingstripstocreatefauxboxwalls.Theylooklikestackedboxestoanyonelookinginthedoorway.OnlyafterwalkinginandthroughtheL-shapedentrancecananyone see the bed and closet. Thisway any visitors assume the

room is storage. If I reallywant to keep people out, I can stack emptyboxesintheLentrancesotheroomlookslikeitiscompletelypacked.

Afauxwall isalsoagreatway tohideanythingvaluableorpersonal. Ithideswhatyoudonotwantotherstoseeanditisunlikelythataburglarwouldbother lookingbehind it if it looks likeastackofheavyboxes. Itcanevenbeusedasapanicroom.

Make sure that your front door looks like a business when someonewalksin.Mostpeoplehavehomeofficestoday.Setupyourhomeofficeasthemainfrontentrance.Anyonewhodropsbyforbusiness,or if thelandlordoranyoneelsedropsbyunexpectedly,youcanlettheminandtheywill see your business office.Most of the time youwill keep yourdoor locked and not let in anyone you are not expecting. There willalways be timeswhen you need to let someone inwho is not a closefriendorfamilymemberandwhodoesnotneedtoknowyouhavealive-work space. If you are an artist, the illusion is even easier tomaintainbecauseartistscanhaveanythinginthestudioaslongasitlookslikeastudio.

Artistskeepstrangehoursso ifanyoneaskswhyyouare thereso lateyou have a reason, plus if a neighbor says he heard you watching amovieorlisteningtomusicjustsayyouwererelaxingbeforegoingbacktowork.Youcannotrealisticallytellyourfriendsyoudon’tlivethereifyouinvitethemoverandit isobviousyoulivethere,sotell themit isalive-work space,which is true.As for anyone else, tell them youwork oddhours.Youdonothavetogiveanymoreinformationthanthat.Ifanyonepressesyou,thenhonestlysayyoudonotlivethereallthetime.Thisistrue.Ifyouspendonenightayearawaythenyouarenotlivingthereallthetime.

Get a private mailbox (PMB). You want one to receive your mail andpackagessoyoudonothavetoanswerthedoorforsmallpackages.Ifyoudonotanswerthedoorthenyourneighborswillnotknowforcertainifyouarethereornotduringtheday.

A private mailbox is also helpful if you move, so you will not have tochangeyourmailingaddressforeveryone.Youcanalsogetapostofficeboxbecauseyoucanuse thestreetaddress for thepostofficeasyourphysicaldeliveryaddressatmostpostoffices.FedExandUPSwilleven

delivertoyourPObox.Youraddressissomethinglike123MainStreet,Unit1111where1111isyourPOboxnumber.Yourpostofficewillexplainhowtohavepackagessenttothem.Oneproblemwiththepostofficeisthatyouusuallydonotgetpackagesthedaytheyaredelivered.Ifyourpostofficedealswithalotofmailtheywillnotprocessdeliveriesuntilthatnightsoyouwillhavetogetyourpackagethenextday.WithaPMBthisis not usually a problem. If anyone askswhere you live, just give yourPMBaddress.Ifanyonewantsahomeandworkaddress,youhavebothwithyourcommercialaddressandyourPMB.

Parkinside.Isaidearlierthatyoushouldpickaspacethathasaroll-updoor or someway for you to park inside so your vehicle is not visible.During the day you can park in front of your office, but at night parkinside.Otherwise,yourcarisadeadgiveawaythatyouarelivingthere.Itjustdoesnotlookrighttohaveavehicleparkedthereallthetimewhenyourneighborsknowitisyourmainvehicle.Wheneveryonegoeshomeandonlyonevehicleisintheparkinglotatnightanditisstillthereinthemorningwhenpeoplearecominginearlyorworkinglate,theywillknowyouarelivingthere.Mysuggestionistoalwaysparkinside,dayornight.Ifyouparkout frontandyourneighborsseeyoupullyourcar intoyourroll-updoorafterparkingoutfrontallday,theywillbesuspicious.Ifyoualwaysparkinside,theywillhavedifficultytellingifyouarethereornot.When neighbors see you leave at 2 PM, theywill not know if you areleavingforthedayorjustrunningerrands.Whentheyseeyoupullinat11AMtheywillnotknowifyouarereturningfromrunningerrandsorjuststartingyourworkday.Ifyouhaveapersonalvehicleandadeliveryvan,it is understandable to park thedelivery vanat your office and leave itovernight,buttohaveboththereallthetimeisobvious,tooobvious.

There are practical considerations involved in trash disposal, security,parking,cookingandbathing.

Youwant tobecarefulwhatyou throwaway.Therearepeoplewhogothrough commercial dumpsters for anything they can use, or forrecyclables. It is illegal in most places to take recyclables out of adumpster because this is stealing. The sanitation company hascontracted to pick up the recyclables at a certain rate and that rate isbased on their expectation to collect recyclables that they will makemoney recycling. If people take the most valuable stuff out of the

dumpster, thenthisalterswhatthecompanycanmakefromtheirroute.Nooneissupposedtoremoveitemsfromtherecyclebin,butithappensalot.Homelesspeoplewillopentrashbags lookingfor food.Theymaynotcomplainaboutyoulivingthere,butiftheytearopenyourtrashbagand your neighbors go to throw something away or poke through thetrashforsomethingusabletheywillimmediatelyseethatyourspread-outtrashdoesnotlooklikebusinessbreakroomtrashbutlikehomekitchentrash.Thesolution is todeterminewhenyour trash ispickedupby thesanitationcompanyandthrowyourtrashawayoftenandjustbeforeitispickedup.Thismeansyouarethrowingawaysmalleramounts,evenhalfbags of trash, that are easier to stuff down or less likely to attractattention.

Ifoundtheeasiestsolutiontonothavingastovewastopurchaseahotplate. A hot plate is nothingmore than a single electric stove burner. Ibought onenice one, thenaweek later founda brandnewoneat thethriftstoreforafewdollarssoIpickeditup,too.Ithenhadtheequivalentof two stove burners and could cook anything I want. Later, I found abeautiful 1930shotplate inmymother’sattic sonow I have threeandcancookasmuchas if Ihadafullstove. IstoretheminacabinetandonlytakeoutonewhenIneedit.Formystove,Iuseasmallcountertopconvectionoven.ItcookseverythingIneedandlookslikesomethingthatwould normally be present in a business kitchenette. I also have amicrowave,whichisnormalinakitchenette.

Donotgetafullsize240Voven.Ifyouarenotcookingforalargefamilythen you do not need it. If your business is cooking, then you have alegitimate reason to have a large oven. For a single person or couple,havingafullsizeoveninyourkitchenettemakesit looktoomuchlikeakitchenandsoshouldbeavoided.Getacountertopoven.Ituseshalftheelectricity, takes up less space and is far less expensive. That is all Ineedalongwith thehotplate. If youare someonewhoprefersgas foryourcooktops,thisiseasilyachievabletoo.Ifyouhavenaturalgas,youcanfindsinglehotplatestylegasburnersthathaveoptionstoworkwithnatural gas or propane. Most gas hot plates work with propane. Thedifference is in thenozzles that feedthegas.Youdonotwant touseapropanestoveonnaturalgasorvice-versa.Itiseasytoplaceapropane-fedsingleburneronametaltableandfeeditfromeitherasmallorlarge

propanecanister.Youhavethebenefitsofagascooktopwithoutthesizeorexpense.Usingpropanecanalsosaveyoufromhavingaprofessionalrunflexiblenaturalgaslines.Alargepropanecylindershouldlastyoualongtime.Asmallpropanecylindercanalsolastalongtime.Thesmallgreencylindersareusuallydisposablebutyoucanpurchaseanadapterthat lets you refill it from a larger and less expensive per unit volumetank.Youcanalsouseapropanecampstove.

Generally, you do notwant to use propane indoors. Storing a propanecylinderinaresidentialareaisnotlegalinmostareasbutthisdoesnotapplytocommercialproperties.Iamnotrecommendingthatanyoneusepropane indoors. It is commonly discouraged due to concerns aboutcarbonmonoxide.Theserecommendationsaregenerallybasedonusingpropaneasahighoutputheatsourcethatstayson12to24hours.Theyare not based on single meal cooking use, which is commonly 30minutesorless.Ihavedonemyownresearchonthetopicandfoundthatpropane produces relatively small amounts of carbonmonoxide. If youarecookingforashorttimeandhavegoodventilation,itshouldbesafe.If you use either natural gas or propane appliances, get a carbonmonoxide detector, which looks like a smoke detector and is usuallyavailable in the same area of the store. You want one that shows thePPMnumberonthedisplay.Thiswillindicatethesmallestamount,longbeforeitisunsafeorsoundsanalarm.Usesomecommonsense.

Therefrigeratoriseasy.Thereisnothingunusualaboutarefrigeratorinakitchenette. You can get a small one or a large one and they run onregular120Vpower.Youcanrunaflexiblewaterlineifyouwanttouseanin-doorwaterdispenseroricedispenser.

Youwillwantasinkinyourkitchen.Ifyoucanplacethekitchenetteclosetothebathroomthiswillhelpbecauseyouhaveashortrunforyourwaterlines.Youmayalreadyhaveadrainyoucanruntoaswell.Ifyoucannotrunadrain,youmayneedanothersumppumptopumpawaythewastewater.Itmaybeworthhiringaplumbertoinstalladrain,too.

Thekitchensinkcanbesmall,whichisconsistentwithwhatisexpectedin a kitchenette. You can mount the sink in any table or yard-salefurniture.Justcutahole,drop it in, run the flexiblewater linesand thedrain.Byplacingthesinkinatableorfurniture,youcaneasilydisconnect

itandmoveittoanewlocationtoo.

You don’t have to install a plumbed kitchen sink like I did. I used mybathroomsinkforamonthbeforeIinstalledthekitchenettesink.Youcanalso use a holding tank for freshwater and a 5 gallon bucket for yourdrainifyouareunabletorunadrainorwaterlines.Runahosetofilltheholdingtankwhenitgetslowandeithermanuallydumpthedrainwateroruseasumppumptoemptyit.

You do not have hot water this way but it will give you water and thesame system can be used to feed a refrigerator water-in-the-doorsystem.Similarsystemsareusedatcampsiteswhereawaterbladderishungupandusedforwashingdishesorshowering.

It is a good idea to have security cameras in a private residence or acommercialspace. Inacommercialenvironment it really isbeneficial toknowwhat is going on outside.You can see if someone is circling thearealateatnightorwhoiscomingandgoing.Youcanseewhenclientsorfriendsarrivetoo.

Somesecurity systemshaveaphoneappwhich lets youmonitor yourcameras from your phone. They are cheap and you will know if yourlandlord is spying on you as well as having evidence if employees orfriendsarestealingfromyou.

Youcangetsupercheapstandarddefinition(SD)securitysystemswhichincludetheDVR(digitalvideorecorder)andseveralcameras.Theseareagoodchoice if youareonabudget, but the videoquality is not verygoodandnotevengoodenoughtoidentifyvehiclelicenseplates.Theseareoftenadvertisedas400or500linequality.IrecommendlookingforamoreexpensiveHDsurveillancesystemwithnightvideoability.Youwillgethigherqualityvideoandenjoythesystemmuchmoreinthelong-run.Many systemsdo not include the recording hard drive.A 250 gigabytedriveworksforanSDsystemtorecordaweekofvideoinsomecases.Alargerdriveofatleast1TBisbetterandtheyarenotexpensive.Youcanusearegulardrive,buttherearespecialvideosurveillancedriveswhichare more robust and made for the constant writing that may cause aregular desktop drive to wear out or fail. Video does not have to beconstantly recorded. These systems can be set to only record video

whenmotion isdetectedwhichallowsadrivetostorea lotmorevideo.Youdonotwant to findout someonestole somethingaweekagoandonlyhavethreedaysofvideo.Usingmotionsensorscanpotentiallykeepweeksofvideoactivityforanygivencamera.

Camera systems can come bundled with four or eight cameras. EightmaysoundbetterbutyoualsohaveeightcamerasfeedingoneDVRandeight cameras displayed on one monitor. It is better to buy two four-camera systemsand thenhave two largermonitors so you can clearlyseeallthecameras.Youcouldalsobuyonefour-cameraHDsystemandonefour-cameraSDsystem.

Anotheroptionforcamerasisawirelessnannycam.Theseonlyrequirepowerandareagreatoptionforthosetimeswhenyoucannotrunwiresbuthavepowerforthecamerasuchasfromalightsocket.Usealight-socketadapter thatgivesyouaplug-in.ThesecamerascansometimeshavethereceiverconnectedtoyoursecurityDVRtoo.Wirelesssecuritycamerasarealsoavailable.

Plan how many cameras you will need. One camera only covers anarrowrangeofabout80degrees.Ifyougetacamerawithafisheyeorwide-angle lens the camerawill covermoreareabut the imagewill bedistortedandeverythingwill looksmallerorsqueezedtogether.Planontwocameras foreachentranceso theycanpoint in twodirectionsandsee everyone coming and going. Otherwise, someone who wants tobreakintoyourspace,thinkingitisunoccupied,maytrytowalkintotheblind side of your camera and disable it. Two cameras will make thisimpossibletodowithoutbeingrecorded.Youalsowantcamerasonyournon-private areas like the warehouse, car parking or other areas youwant tomonitor. These are better places for thewide angle or fisheyelenscamerasbecauseyoucanmonitoranentireroomwithonecamera.It is your call whether you want cameras in private areas like thekitchenette,livingareaorbedroom.Youmaywanttomonitortheseareasin case of a breakin or if you want to keep an eye on friends duringparties, or roommates. If something goesmissing, you can check yourcamera. You do not have to use the bulky security cameras. Lessexpensiveand smaller camerasareavailable thatwill plugdirectly intothe composite video port ofSD security cameramonitors. These smallcameras often look like webcams or small black dots and are easily

concealed.Thecarreversecamerasavailablefor$10orlesscanalsobeusedbut theywillmirror the imageandmayhaveparking lineson theimage.

Commercial offices rarely have closets. I purchased some closetorganizer insertsandusedconduitbetweenthemtocreatemorecheapstorage, then surroundedmy closet areawith Japanese roomdividers.You can check craigslist.org for garment holders,wardrobe furniture oran armoire and closet inserts too. I used the room dividers because Iwanteda largewalk-incloset.They letmeadjust thesizeofmycloseteasily.Iputmyclosetinsertsoncasters.Thisallowsmetorearrangeorevencollapsemyclosetifneededtoreallyhideitwell.Ifyoudonotneeda walk-in closet, you can use the dividers like doors to hide theorganizersalongthewall.Didyouknowclosetsarearecent invention?Peopleused tokeepeverything in trunksorwardrobe furniture.HomeswerenotbuiltwithfullclosetsintheUSAuntilthemid1940s.

Originally,Iwantedtouseofficecubicledividerstodivideoffthebedroomand closets. These were extremely expensive so I went with the lesscostlyroomdividers.

Commercial spaces do not usually include a shower. Unless you arerentingalocationthatwaspreviouslyagym,youwillhavetoinstallyourownshowerortub.Iinstalledashowerbecauseitwaseasy,morewaterefficientthanatub,andIcantakeitaparttomoveitifIdecidetoleavemylocation.

Commercial bathrooms are built to meet building codes which requirehandicapped access. Your bathroom will likely have enough space infront of the commode to fit a wheelchair. This is the perfect size tosqueezeinashower.

I researched freestanding showers but found none that I thought wereusable.Ididfindoneforunder$200.ItseemedflimsyandforthepriceIthought I could build one that looked nicer. I decided I was better offbuildingashowermyself.

Itisunlikelyyouwillhaveafloordrainintherightplaceforyourshower.Ifyoudo,thatisgreatandyoucanuseit.IhadnodrainsotodraintheshowerIdecidedtoraisetheshowerupseveralinchesanduseasumppump.

Ibuiltabasesimilartoasmalldeckwithopenslatsfordrainage.Iplacedaplasticstoragetubunderthedeck.Thestoragetubstuckoutonesidewhere I placed an automatic sump pump. When the water reaches acertainlevel,thepumpcomesonanddrainsthewateroutahoseintothesinkdrain.

IusedaTconnector toconnect thesumppumphose to thebathroomsinkdrain.Iusedtheknobsonthesinkwatersupplytoturnoffthewaterand attached additional screw-on T fittings to the hot and cold water.ThesewerethenconnectedbyflexibleconnectorstoPVCpipethat fedthe shower faucets. This allowed me to install the water without eventurningoffthemasterwatervalve.Ipurchasedashowerkitthatincludeda thermal valve faucet systemand the spray headall in oneunit. Thiswasmountedtoanuprightfromthebaseandtheplumbingwasamatterof screwing to PVC threaded connectors. It was very easy and muchnicer than the freestanding plastic shower I had seen. I then attachedyellowandclearshowercurtainstothesides.Thiscreatedthewallsandwasveryinexpensive.Icanalsochangethecurtainseasily.

I made the shower look like a safety shower using PVC pipe paintedyellowandasafety shower signandyellowandclear shower curtains.Thiswasacombinationofaestheticssince Iwanted the industrial look,andpracticality.Thedesignkeptitfromlookinglikearesidentialshoweranditwascheapandeasytobuild.

I also considered putting my shower in the warehouse area. There ismoreroomthere,butIdidnotdothisbecausethebackisnotheatedorcooled. Itwould notmatter in the summerwhen it is hot butwould beveryuncomfortableinthewinter.

While I was building this shower, I had to bathe in something. For atemporaryfix,IusedaportableclosetframeIhappenedtohave.Youcanmakeasimilarframefrom½inchPVCpipeforunder$15andpickupacoupleofshowercurtainsatthe99centstore.Ithenusedapetwasherasmyshowerheadandconnectedittothebathroomsink.Thestoragetubwaslargeenoughtoholdallthewater.Idumpedthedirtywaterdownthedrainaftereachshower.

WhenIusemynewshower,thesumppumpkicksonautomaticallywhenitsenses thewater reacha levelofabout two inches.Thesumppump

canneverdrainthepandry.Thesumppumpwillleaveaboutoneinchofwaterinthebottom.Thiswaterwilleventuallysmelljustlikeabasementwithadampsumppumpwell.Youcanemptythetubonceaweekandlet itdry.Thishelpsa lot.Putbleachinthepanfromtimetotimetokillbacteria.Acoverwithadrain-sizeholealsoreducesthesmellratherthanleavingthetopopenandexposedlikemyinstallation.Youdonotsmellaregularshowerbecausetheamountofwaterinthedrainissosmallanditisrinsedouteachuse.Ifounditeasiesttogettwopansandswapthemout.Usingtwopansmakesitquickandeasy.Whileonewasinuse,theother coulddryoutand I canclean it anytime.Thisgivesadrypan toreplaceasmellypanonshortnoticesuchasifyouhaveguestscomingover.Thepanshouldbecleanedorchangedevery three tosixmonthsbutmoreoftenisbetter.

Myfirstshowerdesignusedalargepanthatdrainedintoasmallerpanwith the sump pump. This caused the sump pump to turn on and offconstantly. One problem I had was that I did not have a check valveinstalled.Thisvalveshouldbeinstalledasclosetothepumpaspossible.Itkeepswaterfromflowingbackintothepump.Withoutit,yourpumpwillpumpout,thenstop,thenthewaterinthehosewillbackflow,causingthepump to activate again, and when the level drops it will stop and thewater will again backflow, creating a continuous on-off-on cycle thatwears out the pump. Another problem I had was that my secondcontainerwas toosmall. Itwould fill quicklyand thesumppumpwouldemptyitquicklyandturnoff.Thenthelargerpanwouldcontinuetopourintothesmalleroneandthecyclewouldrepeat.Byswitchingtoasinglelarger pan,my pump now delays turning on, thenwhen it comes on itrunscontinuouslyuntilithasdrainedthepanandstopswithoutrestartingseveraltimes.Itismuchlessannoyingandlesswearonthepump.

Therearemanyotheroptionsforashower.Mysolutionwasinexpensiveandmetmyneeds,howeveritisnottheonlyoption.

Getaportabletoilet!Youcanoftenfindtheseoncraigslist.orgwhicharedamagedornolongerneeded.Cutouttheseatareaifit’sstillthereandyou instantlyhaveabuilding thatwouldworkasashower.Abenefitofthisapproachisitdoesnotlooklikeashowertoanyonewhocomesintoyourbuilding.Itmayevenalreadyhaveadraininthebottom.Thesecanbe expensive, around $300 used, but all you need to turn them into a

showerisawaterconnection,anall-in-oneshowerhead/valveanddrain.Search craigslist.org for keywords portable toilet and portable bathroom,portajohn, or porta potty. If you need to put your shower in yourwarehousearea,thisisaneasywaytohaveaninstantenclosedshower.

You can also use camping showers with light-duty frames and privacycovers.ThesearenotverystrongandIamnotsurehowlongtheywouldlast.Thesearesoldasprivacysheltertentsforthebeachorpool.Thereare inflatable showers for swimming pools. You can find inflatablebathtubsforthosetimeswhenyouwantabathbutdonotwantabathtubaroundallthetime.

Imademyshowerlooklikeashowerbutthisisnotnecessary.Youcanbuildashowerlikemineandthencovertheoutsidewithconcreteboardwhich is similar to dry wall but stands up to moisture. Then place acardboardrefrigeratorboxor inplywoodaround it tomake it look likeabig crate. Leave the top open formoisture to escape and you have ashowerthatcanbeplacedinarawwarehousespace.Itevenlookslikeitshouldbethere.Noonewouldthinkitwasashoweranditdoesnothaveto be in the bathroom. You can build one like mine, then tape blackplasticsheetingaroundtheoutsidesoitdoesnotlooklikeashowerbutlikeawrappedcratethathasnotbeenunpacked.Therearemanywaystocamouflageashower.

Some warehouses have no plumbing or bathrooms, but those are thecheapest ones too. If you have anRV and are accustomed to theRVlifestyle,youmaywanttoparkyourRVinthewarehouse,eatandsleepinit,andthenyouhavetheentirewarehousetoworkandplay.

Youwillneedtohaveyourutilitiessetup.Youwanttosetthemupforanew account and not transfer them. You cannot transfer residentialelectricity to a commercial space. While you still have residentialelectricity, call your electric company to have the electricity serviceestablishedforyourcommercialspace.Dothesameforthewaterifitisnotincluded.

Whenyoucall tosetupelectricservice theyusuallysetupabusinessaccountwhich isseparate from residential.Theywillask if youwant touseyourfederaltaxIDnumberoryoursocialsecuritynumber.Asasoleproprietorship,youdonothavetouseataxIDnumberandcanuseyour

socialsecuritynumber. Ifyouhaveabusinesstaxnumberyoucanusethat.Expecttopayadepositthatmaybearound$200andaconnectionfeearound$50.Thesewillvarybylocation.Haveabusinessnamereadyand you can use your own phone number. Have your PMB mailingaddress ready for bills and the physical address ready so they knowwheretosetupservice.Onceyouhaveyournewservicesetupyoucancancel your existing residential service. They will not ask a lot ofquestionsaboutwhyyouarecancelingandyoucansayyouaremoving.

Transferringa regular phone is not difficult. There should beno issueswithtransferringyourresidentialphonenumbertoacommerciallocation.Youmaybesubject tocommercial rates,but thesearenotusuallyhighforasingleline.YoucanalsoabandonyourlandlineanduseyourcelloraVOIPphoneservicebecauseneitherofthosecarewhereyoulive.

Transferring Internet and cable TVmay bemore complicated. Internetand cable TV services charge more for commercial locations thanresidential. Ifyoucanrequestatransferonline,thatmaybetheeasiestway and the installer may come out and set it up without asking anyquestions.

When I transferred my FIOS Internet and TV to my commercialwarehousetheinstalleraskedifIwaslivinginthespace.HeknewIwasmovingfromresidentialtocommercialsoIhadtosayyes.Heaskedifitwas legal so I explained how there is an exception for living in anindustrialorcommercialareaforartistsandpointedoutthatsuchaplaceexistednearbywhereartistsdoliveinasmallupstairsandhavealargeworkareainthebottomwheretheynotonlyworkbuthaveweeklytours.IalsohadtosayIwaslivingherebecauseifIdidnot,thenhemighthavereported back that it was non-residential which would mean my rateswould change. I never said I had the live-work exemption, only that itexisted. Be prepared to answer questions if asked when you transferyourphone,TVorInternet.ThegoodthingisthatIwasallowedtokeepmyexistingpackageby transferringanddidnothave topay thehighercommercial rate. I did have some problems scheduling the installation.The computer systemkicked outmy installation three times because itidentifiedthetransferasresidentialtocommercialandcouldnotprocessthat. It took threecallsbeforea supervisorapproved itmanuallyandatechactuallyshowedup,sobepreparedforquestionsorproblemsand

remember themagicphrase, “live-work space.”Even if youdohave topay thecommercial rate, ifyoupicked the locationcarefullyyoushouldstillbesavingalotofmoneyeachmonth.

Yourcar insurancecompanywants toknowwhereyourcar isgaraged.You can tell them you store your car at your office because it can belockedupthereand livewithyourgirl/boyfriendwhoisonlyacoupleofmilesaway.Thiswayyoudonothavetogiveaphysicalhomeaddress.Telling themyouare livingacoupleofmilesawayalso resolves issuesabouthowfaryoudrivetoworkwhichaffectsyourinsurancerate.Sinceyoulivewhereyouworkyoudonothavetodrivewhichmeansyouarealsonotdrivingeveryday.

AnotherconsiderationiswatchingmoviesorTVinthedaytime.Ifyouareinasingleofficeonlyspacesurroundedbyotherofficeswith thinwallsthenyourneighborswillheareverymovieandbeveryannoyed.YoumayhavetouseheadphonesduringthedaytowatchTVorlistentomusic.Awarehouse/multi-office space is usually larger and may even haveconcretewallsbetweenspaceswhichkeepsthenoiseleveldown.ThisisanotherreasonIprefercombinationwarehouse/officespaces.

Concrete floorsarenotappealing.Yourofficeareashouldhavecarpet.Youmaywant to extend your living area into the concretewarehouse.Coverconcreteorcommercialtilefloorswithrugsforanicelookandfeel.Youcan findcheaprugsoncraigslist.orgoratyourhomesupplystore.Garage sales are also good places to look for rugs people no longerneed.SomegoodkeywordsarePersianrugrunner,orientalrug andhallrugorcarpet. Somepeople do not know the differencebetween carpetandarug.Theywillpostnicerugsusingthewrongtermssocheckbothwords.

Buy air purifiers rated to clean a space larger than your office area orhaveoneineachofficearearatedformorethanthatarea.Youareinanindustrialzonesotherewillalwaysbemoredustandpollutantsintheair.Thispollutioncomesnot just frommanufacturingbutalso from the factthatyouareinanareawithalotofvehicletrafficduringtheday.Thisstirsupdirtandproducespollution.

Awasheranddryerarealsoimportant.Youcanusethelocallaundromat,butthatisahassle.

Yourwasherneedshotandcoldwaterplus120Vpowerandadrain. Ifyou can place it close to your bathroom or kitchenette or in yourkitchenettethenthismaybeaneasyinstallation.Ifyouneedtoplaceitadistanceawayfromadrain,youmayneedanothersumppumptodrainaway thewater.Thedryerwill require220VACpowerandanexhaustport. This will have to already be installed or you will have to hire anelectrician to install it, which can be expensive. There are 120V smallwashers,buttheyareinefficientandcantakealongtimetodryclothes.Do not exhaust the dryer into your living space. It will pump in highhumidityairandsmallparticlesthatyoudonotwanttobreathe.Onlyruntheexhaustoutside.Therearedevicesthataresupposedtoletyouventindoors, but those have a lot of back pressure and are not efficient. Iusedtheoldclotheslinemethodinmywarehouseforalongtime.Iwouldhangclothesonatemporarylineandletanoscillatingfanblowonthem.This took overnight to dry clothes. A washer and dryer can indicate aresidentialspace.Youwillwant toplacea rollawayshelforsomeotherlargeiteminfrontofthemwhentheyarenotinusetokeepyourspacefromlookingtoolived-in.

Living in a commercial space may limit your ability to vote. Votingregulationsrequireyoutoprovidearesidentialaddress.Ifyouprovideamailbox service, PO box or commercial address, theywill cross checkand reject theaddress.Youwill receiveanotice in themailsayingyouneedtoresubmityourapplicationwitharesidentialaddress.Ifyouhaveno residentialaddress,youmaynotbeable to register tovote.Youdohave theoption tousea commercial addressas yourmailingaddress,which gives the option of using a friend or family or random addressclosetoyouractualaddressandusingyourcommercialaddressorPMBasyourmailingaddress.

Youmaybetemptedtoputa“closed”signonthedoortokeepeveryoneout.Aclosedsignsaystheplaceisempty,whichmaymakeitattractiveforburglars.Itisbettertokeepthemunsurewhethersomeoneisworkingthereornot.Blackoutthedoorifitisaglassdoorandusealighttimertoturnvisiblelightsonatnight.

Look for opportunities tomonetize your space.Do you have a visuallyappealingspacewithagedredbrickthatphotographerswanttorent?Doyouhaveaspacethatcanbeusedasadatacenterwithacornerwhere

youcanrentoutequipmentrackspace?Areyouwillingtorentoutsomewarehousespacetoasmallbusinessorrent indoorparkingforatraileror mobile home? If you live in a school or church, you can rent outclassroomstoartistsorrentagymortheatreforevents.Rentingspaceslikethistothepublicrequiresinsurance,permitsandextramaintenance.Youmay want to split your front retail space or warehouse space intocubicles that you can rent to start-up companies or start an incubatorbusinessthatprovidesofficeandphoneserviceforfledglingcompanies.

Thiswilltakeupsomeofyourwonderfulspacebutmayhelppaytherenttoo.

MaintainingtheIllusion

You want your space to appear as commercial as possible from theoutsideandinside.Youwilllikelymeetclientsifyouarerunningyourownbusiness or you will eventually meet with the landlord or somerepresentativeofthelandlordinyourspace.Yourneighborswillseeyoucomeandgoandseeintoyourspacewhenyouopentheroll-updoortopullyourcarout.Thisiswhyitisimportanttolookascommercialasyoucan.

Ifyouworkaregular jobandleaveforworkeverymorningatthesametimeitwill lookfishytoyourneighbors.Youcanalwayssayyouworkatnightandaregoinghometosleepif theyask.Youcanalsoleaveearlybeforeyourneighborsstarttoarrive.

Having friends over to party every night can attract negative attention,too.However,ifyouplayinaband,allyouhavetosayisyouworkduringthe day and your band practices in your warehouse at night. Nothingwrongwiththat.

DonotexpecttohaveaThanksgivingget-togetheratyourspaceoranyfamilyget-togetheratall.Withthemoneyyousaveonmonthlyrent,youcan rentaparty spaceata localpartyhostingbusiness if youneed tohostfamilyevents.

The16ftceilingsreallymakeaspacebiggerthanyouthink.Mostofusare used to an apartment or house where you have one level. In awarehouse,youcanbuildupanduseitforstorage.Ifyoureallywantedto go crazy, you could build out the warehouse into a two-story minihome,liveinthetopareaandstillhavealotofheadroomontheworkingfirstfloor.Thiswouldrequiresomesignificantexpenseandbuildingskills.

Ifyourlandlordasksforanemergencycontactformtobefilledout,youdonotwanttoleavethehomephoneblankorusethesamenumberforyourhomeandoffice.Makesureyouhavecell,homeandofficephonenumbers.YoucansetupafreephonenumberatGooglevoicebutyoumust use your Google voice number regularly; otherwise, it will beautomatically canceled.You canalsouseaVOIP service for a secondphoneline.

Keepeverythingincabinetsordrawerswhereitisnotseen.Thismakes

theplacelookorganizedandclean,but italsohidespersonalgroomingitemsandpersonalproperty.Youdonotwantahairdryerlyingoutinthebathroomsoputacabinet inthebathroomtoholdyourdryerandothermorningritualproducts.Onceit isclosed,it lookslikeagenericstoragecabinet.Cheapcabinetsarealwaysavailableoncraigslist.org,which iswhereIboughtmostofmyfurniture.

Obviously,ifyouarewalkingaroundinyourreceptionofficeinyourboxershortsat9AMandyourneighborscanseeyou through theglass, it isharder to explain. Use some common sense. Cover the doors andwindowssoyoucankeepyourspaceprivate.Whitesheetingisavailablefrom home supply stores and can be placed over windows. It allowsnatural light to come in but acts like frosted glass so no one can seeactivity inside.Blacksheetingisalsoavailableifyouwanttocompletelyblocklightandthisplasticisveryinexpensive.Aglassfrontdoorcanbeblackedout using black foamcore sheets from the office supply store.Cutandtapeitinplace.Itlooksliketheofficeisemptyanddark.Ihavehadmany people walk up and cup their hand over their eyes as theypresstheirfacetotheglasstoseeifanyonewashomewithoutrealizingtheglasswasblackedout.

In my complex there is another unit where three guys live. Everyoneknows they live there because their personal cars are always parkedoutside. The neighbors do not know I live in my space because theycannotseemycar.TheydonotseemefordaysatatimebecauseIdonot have to leaveeveryday since Iworkand live in the sameplace. Imayleaveatnoontorunerrandswhenmanyneighborsareoutforlunchandtheyonlyseemereturnat2or3pm.Imaynotgooutuntil7PMandreturnatmidnightwhennooneelseisaround.Eveniftheguyswholiveinthecomplexseeme,theycanneverbesureif Iamdroppingmycarofftostoreitinmyspaceorcomingintoworklateorearly.

Never leave anything outside your space.Nothing!Not even legitimatebusinessequipmentorsuppliesandcertainlynotpink flamingos, flowerpots,tricyclesoranythingyoumightexpectinfrontofahouse.

Conclusion

Youarenowpreparedtolookforyouralternativelivingspace.

Every time I pull intomy space I think of the flashy introduction to theVega$ TV show and can seeRobert Urich jump out of his car. I havespaceforartprojectsorjusttorelax.AsIsaidatthebeginning,

My only regret is that I did not do this yearsearlier.I have touched on a handful of alternative living spaces. Youmay findevenmorespecializedoruniquespacesinyourarea.Thereisnoendtowhatyoucandowithanalternativelivingspace.Youcanbeascreativeasyouwantwithyourdecorandspendasmuchoraslittleasyouwant.Ihaverecommendedcraigslist.organdgaragesalesmanytimesbecausetheyweremyprimarymeansoffindingfurnitureandsuppliesatafractionofthecostnewfurniturewouldcost.

Havingsomuchextraspaceforstorageandtoworkonartprojectshasmademylifemucheasier.Givinguppayingrentonahousealsohelpsmesavealotofmoneyeachmonth.

Livingincommerciallyorindustriallyzonedareasisnotuncommon,butitisalsonot legalexcept inspecialcircumstances.Myadviceisaimedatthosewhocanfindaspaceto live legallyandkeepa lowprofile. Ifyouchoose to be one of those who live life on the edge and live in non-residentialsettingssuccessfullywhetherornotyougetpermission,goodluckinyouradventure.

IfIhaveonlymadeyouthinkabouttheworldandshownyouthatthereare alternatives to what we are told by society, then it has beenworthwhile.

Makealistofthingsyouneedtodonextandstartonthefirstitemtoday.

LAWarehouse/OfficeSpaces

• 1600sqft$785/month• 1300sqft$1215/mo• 500sqftofficewith1200sqftwarehouseindowntownLA$1600/month• 1500sqft$1600/monthofficewarehouseinGlendoraCA• 3000sqft$2900/monthwithwarehouse,office,yard,restroom,parking.

AtlantaGAOffice/WarehouseSpace

• 2000sqft$1350/mooffice/warehouse.• 1000sqftwarehousewithsmalloffice$600/month•

CompareWarehouse/Officevs.ResidentialCostsYoucanseehowmuchcheapercommercialspaceiscomparedtoresidential

rentals.

Checkcraigslist.orgordoawebsearchtofindpricesinyourarea

ResidentialLosAngelesCountyCalifornia

• 1600sqft$2650/mo3bedroomtownhouse• 1143sqft$2200/mo3bed2bathcondo• 950sqftfor$1700/mo2bedroom• 820sqft$2047/mo1bedroom,notevenanoceanview,justaviewofthenextapartment

complex.• 700sqft$1430/month1bedroom• 600sqft$15501bedroom• 2850sqft$3496/mo5bedroom4bath• 2199sqft$2800/mo5bedroomolderhouse• 700sqft$1475/mo1br1bath

AtlantaGAHouseRental• 1225sqft$1460/mo3bedroom• 900sqft$929/mofor2bedroom

MonthlyHouseExpensesWarehouseExpenses

Trash$27.00$0Sewer$40.00$0Water$25.00$0NaturalGas$50.00$10.00Electricity$220.00$180.00Insurance$50.00$50.00YardMowing$55.00$0

----------------------------

UtilitiesTotal$467.00$240.00Rent$2,300.00$1,600.00

TotalMonthlyExpensesHouse$2,767.00Warehouse:$1,840.00=$927.00Savings

Don’tthinkyouareanartist?Becomeone!PickanyartformyouareinterestedinandBAM!Youareanartist!

Stand-aloneorcornerspacesarethebestchoices.

InJapan,someworkerscannotafford toreturnhomeafterwork.They leavework, thenarehomeless and sit on the streets, sleeping in a suit, leaning against their briefcase. In themorningtheygobackintheiroffice,washupandstartworkagain.

Keepyourreceptionofficelookinglikeaprofessionalbusinessofficethatisactuallybeingusedfor

business.

Kitchenettewithmicrowave,refrigeratorandsink.

Hidingasleepingareaisnotdifficult.

Mostcommercialwarehousespacesareinlargeindustrial/manufacturingcomplexeswithmultipletenants.

Ifspacesaretooexpensive inyourcity,checksurroundingcities.Smallersurroundingcitiesoftenhavelowerrents.Rentsvary.Notallcommercialspaceischeapandnotallresidentialspace is expensive. The benefit of cheap commercial space is that it is not in a badneighborhood, just in an area with toomany commercial spaces or in a retail area that isinconvenientlylocated.

Someofficerentalsareall-inclusiveandincludeWi-Fi,internet,waterandevenelectricity.

Manycommerciallocationsincludetrashdisposal.

Shippingcontainerscanbeturnedintolivingspaces.Theyareavailablewithinsulationandevencomeinrefrigeratedunitsfortemperaturecontrolledshipping.

Lookforawarehouse/officespacewitharoll-updoorthatallowsyoutoparkinside.

Parkinginanopenlotisadeadgiveawaythatyouarelivinginyourspace.

Vacantlotsorwarehouseswithnoofficescanbemadelivable,butitisnotusuallyworththeeffort.

Adisplayoffsetthatfillswindowscanbeusedtokeepthelookofaretailstorebuthidetheinteriorforprivacy.

Youdon’thaveakitchentable,youhaveabreakroomtable.Makeahabitofusingthetermsoffice,kitchenette,breakroomorstorage-room(youstoreyourclothesandbed there,don’tyou?)insteadofsayingkitchenorbedroom.Thiswillavoidslip-upswhentalkingtoneighborsoranyoneelsewhodoesnotneedtoknowthedetailsofyourlive-workspace.

FauxBoxWallOfficecubiclewallsweretooexpensive,butIneededtomakemybedroomlessobvious.Idecidedtomakeafakeboxwallsoitwouldlookliketheroomwasfilledwithboxes.Howtomakeafauxwall:Cuttheendsoffseverallargeboxes.Gluetogethertoformalargewall.Gluewoodstripstotheback.Thiswillgivethewallstrengthandawaytomakeitstandup.Usethewalltocreatetheillusionofastorageroom.IcreatedanL-shapedpathway.Anyonelookingintotheroomseesonlystackedboxes.WhenIturnthecornerIhavemyclosetandbedroom.

AnotheropportunitytousethingsforotherthantheintendedpurposecamewhenIneededabettertrashcan solution. I hatedhaving trash cansoutwhere everyone could see them.Theywereugly. Iwantedacommercialstyletrashcanliketheonesusedinrestaurants,butthoseareveryexpensiveat$200to$500foronetrashcan.Isearchedcragislist.organdfoundanentertainmentcenterfor$40.Icutthetopoff,thencuttwoholesandcutthebottomofftwostainlesssteelbowlsIalreadyhadtomakedropthroughtrashcanslike you see in coffee shops and restaurants. It looks nicer than exposed trash cans and givesme extracounter space. Itholds twocans larger than Ihadbeenusingandonlycostme$40 too. I stillhave thebottomcabinetsectiontouseforstorage.

Whenliving inacommercialspacealwaysthink in termsofusingthingsforother thantheirintendedpurpose,acceptingthatjunkisonlyjunkwhenviewedthroughthenarrowperceptionthatitmustonlybeusedforwhatitwasoriginallyintended.Iwantedawoodroll-topdeskformywarehouseshoptouseasaworkbench.The$30deskIboughtwasjunktoeveryonewholookedat it so the sellerwasglad toget rid of it. It had stains fromdrinkingglassesbeingplacedonitandhadbeenleftoutsideintheweather,butIdidnotplantousethedeskasafancy desk showpiece but as a workbench so it was no longer junk but a super fancyworkbench.AllIhadtodowasswipesomesandpaperoveritandre-stainit.Itwasperfectasaworkbenchandmuchbettersuitedtomyartstudiothanaplaintable.

Makemoneyfromyourextraspacebyrentingitouttophotographers,toincubatorbusinesses,orasstorageoradatacenter.

StorageTip:Ifyouhavetallceilingsyoucanbuildathreetofourfootelevatedplatformsimilartoastageinyourwarehouse.Thisgivesyoualotofhiddenstorageundertheplatformandyoustillhaveusablespaceontop.Youcanleaveitopenanduseitasanartisticworkspace.You can add short, four-foot walls and turn the space into a bedroom. Once the room iselevatedyoudonotneedtallwallstohidethebed.

Whiteorblackplasticsheetingisaninexpensivewaytocoverwindows.Whiteletslightthroughandblackcompletelyblockslight.Largebinderclipscanattachittomostwindowblindmounts.

Closetorganizerinsertsandinexpensiveroomdividerpanelsletyoucreateclosetsanywhereyouwantandofanysizeyouneed.

Portabletoiletscanbeturnedintoashower.TOP:Mytemporaryshowermadefromoldshowercurtains,atubandadogwasherhose.

RIGHTTOP:Showerunderconstruction.RIGHTBOTTOM:Completedsafetyshower.

ABOVE:Myshowerduringconstruction.RIGHT:Myfinalshowerwithsumppumpdrain.