This 74-Year-Old Man Lives in His Old Garage — But Wait Until You See Inside!

A kitchen and a bed where the car stood

Along the back of the garage wall is Walter's kitchen. It is only about eight feet long, but it has everything he needs: a small steel sink, a two-burner electric cooktop, a microwave on a shelf and a small fridge under the counter. Above it are two open shelves with plates, a few pans and plain glass jars of coffee, rice and oats. A licensed plumber connected the sink and a tiny shower room to the water and sewer lines of the main house. "I cook simple food," Walter says. "Eggs, soup, a steak on Sundays. I don't need a big kitchen."

In the corner sits his bed nook. Walter built a wooden bed frame against the wall with deep drawers underneath for his clothes, so he did not need a wardrobe. A curtain closes it off from the living area. Next to it is a small ductless heat pump on the wall, which heats the room in winter and cools it in summer. Above the door are a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm. If you are thinking of doing the same, check first, because in most American towns, turning a garage into a place to live needs a building permit, and the rules differ from town to town. Walter's son asked the city before they started.

Most evenings Walter walks thirty steps across the yard to eat dinner with his son's family. Then he walks back to his own door, his own chair and Joan's quilt. "People feel sorry for me when they hear I live in a garage," he says. "Then they come inside and ask if I would build one for them." What do you think: could you live in a garage like Walter's?