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Looking into buying a home that either has a separate living quarters already finished or buy one with a large 2-stall garage that can be converted into a unit.
What are the standard procedures or permits that are typically required? I know each state and city is different, but not sure where to even begin or who to contact.
- Can a unit being built in a garage be tied directly into the homes plumbing, etc?
- Does building a unit present issues with how the home is registered with the city? Prefer to have it be an extra place for visiting family and friends, nothing more.
- What is the average cost? In my location the garage is already heated, insulated, and dry walled. Would require proper flooring and 50% chance on needing to have a ceiling installed.
- What about the garage door? Better to leave in place and seal it off? Or remove and install a wall to make it look like the garage never existed?
Various construction permits and inspections would be required. Details will depend on your jurisdiction.
Plumbing is typically difficult. You need to connect to water supply, which is a matter of tying into the nearest copper pipe. That will depend entirely on the layout of your house. Start by thinking about where the nearest bathroom/kitchen sink is. The bigger problem is drainage. How will you deal with draining your sink into the sanitary sewer? The drains need to be sloped. Either way you are tearing into a lot of walls.
One big room, or more than one? Interior walls and electrical outlets/lighting will be required.
What impact will this have on resale? Do people expect garages in your neighborhood?
How about zoning? Are you required to have a garage.
After you do the work the value of the house will be reassessed. Your land taxes will likely increase.
If you are going to do all of this, I would remove the garage door. Do you really want the rails in the ceiling of a living space? Plus, they are always a bit drafty. Get rid of them, put in a wall with a window. Once you turn a garage into a living space, it is costly to return it to a garage. Saving the doors in all of this is a minor expense.
Cost? Who knows. Talk to a contractor for a bid. If I had to take a wild guess, I would look at $50k, and go up or down by $30k depending on your area, how extensive the remodel is, the layout of your house, quality of materials, etc.
I'm sure the requirements will vary depending on where you live. In pricey Orange County, CA, my father remodeled the existing garage into housing for my sister and family who would care for them in their old age. The requirements were that the original footprint could not be exceeded, nor could an additional bathroom be added. Part of the garage structure was already a guest house.
I was amazed that a second living structure was even allowed in that area. You will have to check the permit process in your area.
Looking into buying a home that either has a separate living quarters already finished or buy one with a large 2-stall garage that can be converted into a unit.
What are the standard procedures or permits that are typically required? I know each state and city is different, but not sure where to even begin or who to contact.
- Can a unit being built in a garage be tied directly into the homes plumbing, etc?
- Does building a unit present issues with how the home is registered with the city? Prefer to have it be an extra place for visiting family and friends, nothing more.
- What is the average cost? In my location the garage is already heated, insulated, and dry walled. Would require proper flooring and 50% chance on needing to have a ceiling installed.
- What about the garage door? Better to leave in place and seal it off? Or remove and install a wall to make it look like the garage never existed?
I am sure there will more questions later.
The VERY FIRST THING you will need to do is check that conversion is even allowed in the zone where the house is located.
This is so locale specific it is not worth going into details. However, in my old city, it had to do with parking, partial units could be installed in the garage, as long as there was enough room to still park a car in the garage. My friend added a unit for her Mother, & it cost about 25t, but that was 15 years ago.
I would never give up my garage. And neither would most people. Buy something with a mother-in-law apartment already in it. Otherwise, you will be hard pressed when it comes time to sell.
Looking into buying a home that either has a separate living quarters already finished or buy one with a large 2-stall garage that can be converted into a unit.
What are the standard procedures or permits that are typically required? I know each state and city is different, but not sure where to even begin or who to contact.
- Can a unit being built in a garage be tied directly into the homes plumbing, etc?
- Does building a unit present issues with how the home is registered with the city? Prefer to have it be an extra place for visiting family and friends, nothing more.
- What is the average cost? In my location the garage is already heated, insulated, and dry walled. Would require proper flooring and 50% chance on needing to have a ceiling installed.
- What about the garage door? Better to leave in place and seal it off? Or remove and install a wall to make it look like the garage never existed?
I am sure there will more questions later.
What you're talking about is an Auxilliary Dwelling Unit, ADU, formerly known as a mother-in-law apartment. Whether you can do them depends some on intended use, local zoning, and utilities. If you are on a septic, septic systems are approved for a number of bedrooms, as a way of measuring capacity. Generally, you can't add more bedrooms than the septic is approved for.
If it is zoned for the density of the existing place, you probably can't add another unrestricted residence, but you can put in an ADU that is intended for guests or relatives.... it just wouldn't be considered a legal separate residence if you rent it out.
The other finishing questions really depend on your budget and how permanent and finished you want this ADU to be.
What you're talking about is an Auxilliary Dwelling Unit, ADU, formerly known as a mother-in-law apartment. Whether you can do them depends some on intended use, local zoning, and utilities. If you are on a septic, septic systems are approved for a number of bedrooms, as a way of measuring capacity. Generally, you can't add more bedrooms than the septic is approved for.
If it is zoned for the density of the existing place, you probably can't add another unrestricted residence, but you can put in an ADU that is intended for guests or relatives.... it just wouldn't be considered a legal separate residence if you rent it out.
The other finishing questions really depend on your budget and how permanent and finished you want this ADU to be.
While "ADU" is the modern term for such a setup there are LOTS of places where it is common to call this an "in-law apartment / accommodations / arrangement" you will also see listing where the description will be more direct and say "granny unit". There are also situation where a seller might say "potential for related living" if there are two kitchens and some privacy but low probability of having zoning for a RENTABLE second unit.
Of course when there is a fully approved "ADU" the listing most often will say "duplex" or "income unit".
The best way to learn about the various classifications is to ask BOTH the local folks who are renting out such units, including real estate agents, AS WELL AS the local authorities who are tasked with REGULATING and enforcing any local laws about these things. Most cities that have a "code enforcement division" will have some phone number or web site to do basic research.
ADU is the new acceptable term.... that makes no assumption about family structure that might offend anyone. If you're searching for homes with an extra apartment, try using "ADU" in your search terms.
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The older names are still VERY COMMON...
