If you have a studio, do you rent or own your home?

[Mbira]

Hi folks,
I find myself constantly wanting to go more into my own studio-buying a large format console, doing room treatment, etc, but I rent.  I have been in the same house for years, and I could continue to be here 2 years or more, but I'm also feeling like I'd like to not invest more in my studio until I am actually investing in my own property.  Do you rent or own? Thoughts?

[emrr]

We own a home, and I rent studio space.  I was looking for an appropriate 'compound' where I could put the studio, and the wife could have her graphic design/printing biz also, but it's really tough to find anything reasonable.   I couldn't get a better rent deal on studio space, so I stay put, but at the same time it keeps me from making investments in infrastructure.   The place is falling down around me, and I'll eventually have to get out.  No easy answers, and it's hard to call a physical recording studio a viable business.  The only people with investment in studio real estate and infrastructure around here appear to be playing with inheritance or other windfall, versus running a business plan. 

[Mbira]

Yeah-I guess it should be said that I'm 100% interested in only doing my own music in my studio....

[sr1200]

Hey buy that house by me... its got everything already in there!!

I can relate quite a bit to this actually.  I had my studio in my house, then after things got really crazy busy, i wound up renting a facility.... put untold amount of money into the treatment, construction, electrical etc etc.  then the owner of the building decided to sell the place... pissed wasn't the word, but i was able to stay there for another year until the lease ran out, but either way, i was screwed.  I then moved into a more stable facility, but did no work to the place (there was already a control room of sorts and a huge 50' x 20' live room that was dead as a doornail sound wise)  I was there for a good 3 or 4 years renting when I realized if I had just put all the money i had spent into re-doing the space i had in my house, I wouldn't have had to deal with rent, loss of construction material/time etc, and everything else.  So about 2 years ago, i completely gutted the basement in the house, and to the best of my ability (with the existing architecture of the house) built (what I consider) a really nice, relaxed recording spot.  No more rent (besides mortgage payments). 
Some pics on my site from constructing the place

[sahib]

My wife owns our home and I own my business premises. 

Buy your own place and invest into your own place.

[SubhumanRecords]

Nice 1 Sahib,I feel you on that one....

[etheory]

Living in Sydney it's hard to imagine I could ever afford to buy - the prices here are tear-jerkingly high.
I tried to recently but as I was made redundant a few days after my girlfriend and I found what would have been our dream house (this was about 3months ago), the bank refused to finance us (since it was the first time I was freelancing as a career, and they "had no prior proof I could maintain an income as a freelancer" - even though I was doing BETTER than ever before at that point....) and it slid away from us (grumble).

However, we are currently renting, and I've taken over one room as a "studio", which is where the actual production happens.
However, I will be recording here: http://www.studiolaughingduck.com/ -  (it's owned by friends and I do some hardware/DIY build work for them whenever they need it).

[pucho812]

studios in houses are tricky as zoning law is a big pain in the arse. All it takes is one phone call from a neighbor and all hell can break loose.   In los Angeles the city if the find you in violation of zoning laws like running a commercial studio in a non commercial zoned area, they have the right to come in and shut it all down and from my understanding the way they shut it down is not pretty.

That being said, you're in Austin and there are a ton of studios there already and easier to go to someone studio for a while and not worry about upkeep, etc, etc,etc.  It's a big expense to do upstart a  studio and more often then not people jump into it without a business plan and or any real idea of what they are getting into. The old joke of want to make 10,000 in your studio, start with 20,000 applies. Studios can be an expensive upkeep and unless you have it all planned out or most of it planned out, better do more research first.

[Viitalahde]

My studio is in my own property. Best business move ever. Granted, the real estate prices are not as high here in the countryside as they are in the city, but rent would still be rent.

[canidoit]

sr1200, how does it work when you have to move? Do they the mods you have done to the property like soundproofing, etc. or can you take it with you but then you have to fix the rooms that you modded till it looks like it originally was before you created the studio?

Hey buy that house by me... its got everything already in there!!

I can relate quite a bit to this actually.  I had my studio in my house, then after things got really crazy busy, i wound up renting a facility.... put untold amount of money into the treatment, construction, electrical etc etc.  then the owner of the building decided to sell the place... pissed wasn't the word, but i was able to stay there for another year until the lease ran out, but either way, i was screwed.  I then moved into a more stable facility, but did no work to the place (there was already a control room of sorts and a huge 50' x 20' live room that was dead as a doornail sound wise)  I was there for a good 3 or 4 years renting when I realized if I had just put all the money i had spent into re-doing the space i had in my house, I wouldn't have had to deal with rent, loss of construction material/time etc, and everything else.  So about 2 years ago, i completely gutted the basement in the house, and to the best of my ability (with the existing architecture of the house) built (what I consider) a really nice, relaxed recording spot.  No more rent (besides mortgage payments). 
Some pics on my site from constructing the place

[sr1200]

No, we had to go to the landlord first and explain the plan, show all the blueprints/layouts etc.  We had to show that all contractors involved were licensed etc.  We got a couple months rent free because we were "adding value" to the property.  But some of the stuff, unfortunately, you cant take with you because it is permenantly installed in the structure at that point.  (the cost it would take to dismantle everything would be more than the stuff is worth so to us, we werent going to lose any more money than we had to at the time).  It all has to do with the lease and agreements with the land lord.  Some landlords im sure wouldn't allow something like this since the spaces usefulness is then geared towards a specific purpose.  In our case, the space was completely bare concrete and wood, and was basically a storage area.  we put in ceilings, heating, cooling, electric, lighting, phone, internet... the list goes on.  Im sure the place isn't being used for a studio anymore, but im sure whoever has the place now is wondering what the hell is up with all these double insulated glass doors and big windows in the walls lol.

[bernbrue]

Hi,
three years ago I had to sell my former house and buy a new one due to a change in my profession. When I saw our new house the first time (big old house from the 60ties) I was really amazed by a 14 qm bunker built in the basement of my house. In those years of  cold war each house owner was supported financially by the german government to built a bunker in his house. This bunker and the 20 qm room next to it were predestinated for my first real studio. I did some acoustic treatment and installed my studio for private use. Then I realized that I´m the only one in our town running a recording studio. Though not being my main business, I´ve got quite a lot of smaller but well paid jobs. It´s really comfortable to have a recording studio in your own house.  You don´t need to ask anyone for anything. That´s great! The only disadvantage: there is no natural daylight. You can´t have everything!
regards
Bernd

[tv]

That´s great! The only disadvantage: there is no natural daylight. You can´t have everything!

OK, so you have a natural predispositon towards gothic and dark-wave vibes.

Get some Type O Negative tracks as mix references (and some of their singer's posters for your female clients, haha ... )

[ptron]

Ive done my studio in my own property.. Gotta say, if i was renting i wouldnt've done that much work (flush mount spealers was the worse ordeal of all tbh) the rest of acoustic treatments i think u can make dismountable.. (i got my corners fitted with velcro). Even a reasonable sized difuser could be dismountable. The insulation and soundproofing on the other hand will be not cost effective as another member pointed out.

In mexico its easy to build stuff anywhere law isnt too specific about that .. Or if it is, u know... Mexico is like the wild west innit.
And land is cheap! (tons of studios tho so work is a bit disputed)

Good luck!

[Autophase]

Ive done my studio in my own property.. Gotta say, if i was renting i wouldnt've done that much work (flush mount spealers was the worse ordeal of all tbh) the rest of acoustic treatments i think u can make dismountable.. (i got my corners fitted with velcro). Even a reasonable sized difuser could be dismountable. The insulation and soundproofing on the other hand will be not cost effective as another member pointed out.

In mexico its easy to build stuff anywhere law isnt too specific about that .. Or if it is, u know... Mexico is like the wild west innit.
And land is cheap! (tons of studios tho so work is a bit disputed)

Good luck!

+1
I bought my house 2 years ago and one of the considerations was that is had a room big enough for a studio (i only needed a mix room as I make techno I dont really need another room for drums, vocals and other live stuff) Just like PTRON I did all my own DIY treatments and the results are fantastic, and I worked it out to be 1/10th of the cost of buying commercial treatments. Be prepared to put in a bit of time, 2 full room height corner traps, 6 full room height panels, and one front wall panel, took me about 3 days to get the design right and 2 full weekends of consturuction to complete.
But if you are going to look for a house soon and you only intend to do your own music in there, then having the studio in your house is definately the best option.

[zebra50]

I own my house but rent a business unit for the studio (and now the microphone workshop).

I would like my own business property one day, but finding the right property where we can do full band recording without problems from neighbours and council can be a challenge.

It would also tie up a huge amount of capital that could be used for other things.

For now I am lucky in that my landlord is very understanding, and gives me work occasionally doing installations and soundtracks for his 'halloween' events. We're out in the middle of nowhere, with only cows as near neighbours.

In the studio we have put up walls, done some soundproofing and sound treatment and so on - would certainly be a few thousand down if I had to move, but it spread over several years it is not so bad.

Finally, several years ago we moved the studio from Leeds to York, and it was an opportunity to build something much much better, which offset the pain of moving (& crashing the van  ).

[sahib]

...

It would also tie up a huge amount of capital that could be used for other things.
.....

True but if you are buying it cash.

[zebra50]

... I always use cash for small purchases like that!



 

[sahib]

Ha ha ha.

Read the small print;

"I promise to pay the bearer on demand.."

Zimbabwe?

He is the guy you can trust.

[sr1200]

Thats about equivalent to... $10USD or 7,50 Euro?  lol