Separate Home For Daycare Questions

[Laurel]

Yes, the first few years I did child care I had a house payment too but it was really cheap....

My DH and I also have ZERO debt. We own our vehicles and have no credit cards. Our only expenses are living expenses such as utilities, food and clothing, etc.

A little back story...

My DH and I bought 40 acres of property in 1990 for $15,000 (privately...no mortgage or bank pymts) We owned a mobile home and moved that mobile home onto the property.

In 2006, we took out a home equity loan against the property for $35,000. We used that money to build our home.

My DH is a contractor/wood worker so we didn't have to hire anyone to build the house. My DH is very skilled in not only wood working but plumbing and electrical work too (oh, and mechanics...LOL!). The loan we took out to build the house was a 60 month loan. In 2011, we made our last home equity loan payment and the house and land became ours free and clear with no lien holders and no money owed to anyone.

Since we never had a traditional mortgage, we were able to take out a mortgage on the child care house. In 1992, we purchased the daycare house (2 bedroom, 1 bath on 2 LARGE city lots) for $39,000.

So yes ALOT of things and situations enabled us to be in the position we are in and I am grateful for that. Had we not been able to do things this way, I would never have quit my job at Head Start and gave up the job security and benefits.

After 3 years of running the child care in the black, my DH was able to quit his job (He was a union worker for a road construction and paving company) and become self-employed himself.

Neither of us could ever imagine going to work for someone else ever again.

Well that sounds great. I wish my husband was handy. He is good with electronics and cars but other than that, we just hire someone.

Sometimes I can imagine working for someone else. Before this job, I worked in a Montessori school that I loved. Then we moved out of state but I loved that job. I also love this one or have for years. I am getting to where I'd like to semi retire so I just took less children. That is the good part about our job. We can up or downsize whenever we'd like.

Laurel

P.S. I'd never want to do 10 children although you do have help at the hardest times. Well lunch/nap is the most hectic time to me anyway.

[Laurel]

I have a separate home but zoning limits use only as family child care...no more than 8 kids. I will be making what I did at my prior job once licensed & full. But that was when I was working 30 hours...now I work a minimum of 55 hrs.

I did it for my daughter/granddaughter. In retrospect I wish I had kept my old job. I was commuting two hours a day and we lost our grant and had our hours cut. There was no job security. Still wish I had stayed!

I was able to have my grandchildren in my daycare and that has been my most favorite thing about doing this.

Well do you have to pay two mortgages or two rents?

Laurel

[Laurel]

I'm a very private person & I like my privacy when I go home. I don't want kids or kid things there..., unless they belong to my g'kids. I won't even take phone calls when I'm home. If I miss a potential client, so be it. Their child's doctor doesn't take calls in the evenings or weekends so why should I?

I could have the same about of children here or there.

You ought to see my provider friend's house. I think she overdoes it but when the children are gone no one could ever tell she does childcare. She moves things in and out of her garage (which is next to her daycare room) DAILY. I think it is nuts but she is like you as far as not wanting to see the stuff. She does her set up the old fashioned way though and doesn't have shelving. She uses different boxes of toys that she moves in and out.

Laurel

[LK5kids]

I was able to have my grandchildren in my daycare and that has been my most favorite thing about doing this.

Well do you have to pay two mortgages or two rents?

Laurel

Our primary home is payed off, but we do have to maintain two homes and I have to clean two homes, etc.
Also, overhead really eats up too much profit.

The home I have with my husband is not in the same town as the child care house, so things like shoveling and mowing are my job.

Honestly, I thought it would be a bit more ideal! Years ago I did child care in a different house (different house, different husband ) that we put a large addition on for child care....I really loved that child care set up! I had a nice, big yard that bordered the woods and was nice and shady. My daughter & family now live in that house and rent it from me.

I now have a smallish yard with no shade.

In hindsight I would have picked a different spot to buy. I love the house but not my yard!

[Laurel]

Our primary home is payed off, but we do have to maintain two homes and I have to clean two homes, etc.
Also, overhead really eats up too much profit.

The home I have with my husband is not in the same town as the child care house, so things like shoveling and mowing are my job.

Honestly, I thought it would be a bit more ideal! Years ago I did child care in a different house (different house, different husband ) that we put a large addition on for child care....I really loved that child care set up! I had a nice, big yard that bordered the woods and was nice and shady. My daughter & family now live in that house and rent it from me.

I now have a smallish yard with no shade.

In hindsight I would have picked a different spot to buy. I love the house but not my yard!

After I started this thread I was thinking about the cleaning part. I was thinking that now I only have to vaccum or wash one floor or just clean the bathrooms instead of adding more on. Also, when they are down for nap I can do things around the house. If I had another location, I might not be able to throw in a load of laundry (unless I bought two washers).

I can see pros and cons both ways but I was most interested in the financial aspects and how it seems most people would have to pay two mortgages, the upkeep on two houses, etc. It looks like the few that do it here have somewhat unusual circumstances so it works for them.

When I lived in another state, we used to own a two family house. Now that would have been perfect. Live in one half and do childcare in the other. Not that particular house as it wouldn't have been right for childcare but that idea. At one point we didn't rent out the upstairs anyway and it kind of just sat there. I didn't do childcare back then anyway.

Laurel

[missy]

I am currently shopping for a house to use strictly as a daycare. I am in PA and the state laws allow it as long as I have so many square feet per child of living space, so many employees for certain numbers of children, and I get all the appropriate licensures, etc. As for the house, every municipality /township /borough here has their own zoning laws. Where I am is a city of about 75k and they allow a house to be zoned as a business in the more densely populated areas. At first that didn't make sense to me but I guess they just don't want businesses in the rural areas generally speaking. So I have a pretty good range of areas where I can buy a house.

Here, I can buy a big house (I am looking for min.1700 sq.ft. to over 2000) that is a little older maybe but updated and very nice for $70-99k. So a mortgage would be 650-850 give or take. If I leased office space that size I would be throwing away about $2100 a month!! With no investment! So the way I see it, if something were to happen to my business I would still own real estate that I could rent out or sell. Plus all my expenses for the house are tax writeoffs just like a business. So where I live its a great idea.

[Unregistered]

Home daycare in separate property

Hi I hope this list is still active I'm in FL, I plan on buying a tax deed home in the next cipule of months per FL requirement fir an in home daycare you must operate the daycare where you reside, I want to buy a separate property where I can run the daycare, so technically no I won't be living St the property physically , however; the property will be mine(owner) I see someone of the comments have done something similar dies anyone know if this is legal in FL? Operate a daycare in a property's that you own however not sure in physically?????

[MomBoss]

That is probably true....but then again, I don't have a mortgage payment on my own home so....

I don't have grandkids yet so my home is exactly the way I left it when I went to work.... quiet too

I also really like the added elements of no blurred lines as far as early drop offs (I am physically NOT here so...) and stuff like that.

When I hire a sub, I don't have to leave that person in my "home"...kwim?

As far as the upkeep goes, my DS comes and mows and shovels for me, my DH plows and does all upkeep since he is in the contracting business anyways so that part never seems like an expense.

The utilities here (in my area) are relatively inexpensive. My electric bill at daycare is RARELY over $40 in a month.

...and yes, when I am done with child care I will still own additional real estate.

Another benefit is that the daycare home is always child safe and licensing ready! You dont have to worry about what you may have left out over the weekend or making sure everything is in its place for a pop in inspection.
I have a duplex. I live in the top part, my daycare in is the bottom part

[storybookending]

My DH is a contractor/wood worker so we didn't have to hire anyone to build the house. My DH is very skilled in not only wood working but plumbing and electrical work too (oh, and mechanics...LOL!).

Dang BC does hubby have a single younger brother

[Blackcat31]

Dang BC does hubby have a single younger brother

:: He does.... but let's just say everything my DH knows is everything his brother doesn't.

They couldn't be any more different...the only thing they have in common is the same parents. ::

Depending on how old you are....I do have a son that is single and VERY much like his father.

[storybookending]

:: He does.... but let's just say everything my DH knows is everything his brother doesn't.

They couldn't be any more different...the only thing they have in common is the same parents. ::

Depending on how old you are....I do have a son that is single and VERY much like his father.

Well dang I’m 26 hook us up and we can keep the daycare tradition going hahaha

[ColorfulSunburst]

Depending on how old you are....I do have a son that is single and VERY much like his father.

hmmm... let me ask, how old is your son?
I would like to have such a son-in-law

[storybookending]

hmmm... let me ask, how old is your son?
I would like to have such a son-in-law

Hey back off I called dibs!!

[DaveA]

:: He does.... but let's just say everything my DH knows is everything his brother doesn't.

They couldn't be any more different...the only thing they have in common is the same parents. ::

Depending on how old you are....I do have a son that is single and VERY much like his father.

Well dang I’m 26 hook us up and we can keep the daycare tradition going hahaha

hmmm... let me ask, how old is your son?
I would like to have such a son-in-law

Hey back off I called dibs!!

::::::::

Well this thread took a turn in a direction I didn't expect.

In IL they really don't like providers doing this. If it's not your home they want you licensed as a center. From what I understand duplexes are ok as long as there is a door between the sides inside. If you have to go outside to get into the daycare area they count it as a separate space. Admittedly I haven't looked into this in several years so it might have changed some.

[ColorfulSunburst]

in NY we are not allowed to have a family DC in a separate house.