Would you buy a home people might confuse with a store?

[KenMasters]

My wife and I are busy hunting for a new home. We came across a really nice property located on a high street. Funny thing about it, the front room is quite obviously store space:



How would you feel about a front living-room with giant windows to the street - and what ideas might you have for such a space?

On a practical level, you could rent out the space, but then you need to walk through someone's business every time you go in and out of your home. You could also try your hand at running some or other business, if the idea appeals.

The other more playful thought I had was decking the windows in one way mirrored film. You could park off and watch people pass by while chatting with friends over coffee - the home cafe experience!

 

[cowbrains]

I think it depends on how busy the street itself is, but definitely try and make it a bit more private. Would be cool and I don't think people would get confused if there's no obvious signage indicating its a store.

 

[AdrianH]

The busy street and likely the noise would not do it for me. if I were younger, maybe, but not now. I like my peaceful house next to the woods

 

[MarioAna]

Put a couple of poles up, hire a few dancers, watch the money roll in.

 

[AdrianH]

Put a couple of poles up, hire a few dancers, watch the money roll in.

 

[KenMasters]

The busy street and likely the noise would not do it for me. if I were younger, maybe, but not now. I like my peaceful house next to the woods

If built properly, these sorts of homes keep the noise out. I already live on a busy street, yet it's very quiet in here:

Put a couple of poles up, hire a few dancers, watch the money roll in.

Ah, but this is the Netherlands, that's not going to turn many heads - plus the wrong district for it.

I was thinking about making it a gallery space* - a place for people in the community to display their work maybe? It's that kind of neighbourhood.

*EDIT: To be clear, this is pie in the sky stuff, the place just got me thinking.

 

[Evil_Villain]

You should sell illicit substances out the bottom floor.

 

[KenMasters]

You should sell illicit substances out the bottom floor.

Not illicit, but you could sell weed or magic mushroom grow kits, if that was your thing.

 

[biometrics]

Where is this?

 

[KenMasters]

Where is this?

In The Hague, Netherlands.

 

[MarioAna]

I was thinking about making it a gallery space* - a place for people in the community to display their work maybe?

Nice idea. You could help budding artists kickoff a career. If you needed the extra money take a small fee.

Maybe set it up as a retro gaming space. Think old CRTs setup with SNES, Atari, Commodore 64 etc.

Growing shrooms is legal there? I’ve got to factor the Netherlands into my retirement plans now.

 

[KenMasters]

Nice idea. You could help budding artists kickoff a career. If you needed the extra money take a small fee.

Maybe a small percentage if it gets sold. Perhaps a drywall or bookshelves as a backing and display the work in the windows - with a QR code or something through which potential buyers can get in contact with the artists.

Maybe set it up as a retro gaming space. Think old CRTs setup with SNES, Atari, Commodore 64 etc.

That would be a fun idea, for the sort of person willing to put the time in. There's two spots like that here in Copenhagen I know of, one's a cafe with retro consoles, the other is a bar that focuses more on old arcade cabinets.

Growing shrooms is legal there? I’ve got to factor the Netherlands into my retirement plans now.

Apparently. I have friends who've bought seeds from the Netherlands to grow shrooms here, but didn't know how legal it was. Walking around The Hague though, there's a lot of shroom related stores - not sure if you can actually buy shrooms there or if it's just the seeds and grow kits, but some of them are pretty sizeable stores.

 

[JoE]

I would buy 'Closed' sign for the front door just to stop people knocking at the door to check if you're open

 

[biometrics]

My wife and I are busy hunting for a new home. We came across a really nice property located on a high street. Funny thing about it, the front room is quite obviously store space:



How would you feel about a front living-room with giant windows to the street - and what ideas might you have for such a space?

On a practical level, you could rent out the space, but then you need to walk through someone's business every time you go in and out of your home. You could also try your hand at running some or other business, if the idea appeals.

The other more playful thought I had was decking the windows in one way mirrored film. You could park off and watch people pass by while chatting with friends over coffee - the home cafe experience!

In the mid 90s I rented two floors of a building in Long Street, Cape Town with three flats and sub letted the extra two to friends. It was great living in the heart of town, going out all the time. But eventually we left.

Considerations: If it’s a good deal, if you may use the ground floor in any way (business and residential), if you have a good business plan, if you can close it up for a residence, if you can deal with all the people…

 

[AdrianH]

Triple glazed windows?

We only have double glazing.

 

[KenMasters]

Triple glazed windows?

The windows to the outside are triple glazed and fitted with soundproof glass, alongside double glazed windows that open to the inside.

 

[AdrianH]

The windows to the outside are triple glazed and fitted with soundproof glass, followed by double glazed windows that open to the inside.

I didn't even see the inner one [emoji1]

That must give super insulation for sound and temperature.

 

[Old User]

The problem with one way mirrored glass is that when it’s actually useful as in see through enough then it’s also utterly useless at night when it’s backlit from the inside.

Presumably this is multi-storied and you would live on top of it and rent out the bottom if you went that way?

I’d likely also have gone for the kind of gallery option where you have a reasonably static display that changed once in a while only.

Personally would never want to live in such a space (granted I’d never want to live near town, never mind right in the middle of it) having known someone who lived in a similar arrangement where they stayed above their business.

Apartment living is something I avoid as a general rule though and this doesn’t seem much different.

Running a guest house out of there is maybe one option with a bar and/or breakfast vibe down the bottom could work.

 

[KenMasters]

I didn't even see the inner one [emoji1]

That must give super insulation for sound and temperature.

It does, the walls around the perimeter of the apartment are also over half a metre thick.

The problem with one way mirrored glass is that when it’s actually useful as in see through enough then it’s also utterly useless at night when it’s backlit from the inside.

I was thinking curtains, but it's not the worst if people look in. It's an additional room, not a main living area of the home (the actual home begins once you're past the store section).

I doubt we'd go for this place though, it's too much house for us and it's probably not going to be available by the time we're ready, but it's fun to think about.

 

[Old User]

I doubt we'd go for this place though, it's too much house for us and it's probably not going to be available by the time we're ready, but it's fun to think about.

Jeez it looks microscopic to me, but then I only have a picture to go on with no idea of layout or spatial awareness.