Garage vs Cottage: Which Gets Us There Sooner?

We obviously want to get on the property to start living as soon as possible. Two options are building the garage first as a "garage apartment" or building a separate cottage to live in while the house is constructed. Building the garage will take longer or cost more if constructed prior to the main house since a lot of the labor and materials are shared between the two. Despite the need for independent plumbing and electric for a detached cottage/cabin, this will probably be the better way to go as they can be constructed within a few weeks vs months and we'll have a "guest house" on property for future visitors too. At this point, we are at least 8 months out from the home being move-in ready.