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Hi, I am looking for advise to turn my 2 car garage into living space. I do not have a dining room, so this new space would be turned into my living room. And my current living room would be my dining room. I live in the town of Huntington.
1. How do I go about doing this?
2. What permits do I need?
3. Where can I find out, how much my property tax would raise before doing this work?
4. Average cost?
My dad and husband are extremely handy. My dad owns a construction company but would I need to hire a architect?
Or should I just hire a company and have them do this work?
Also, do you think it will hurt resale value? I think I’d want to move to a better school district once we have kids but that’s at least 6-7 Year down the line. I am also thinking about putting a shed (built attached to th house), with one that matches the house roof. The shed would be INFRONT the garage above the driveway. As there is no spate at the side.
Who wants dining rooms anymore? If anything, dining rooms are being converted into other types of living spaces.
Converting a garage MAY impact resale value. Yes you're increasing living space, but then you'll also be increasing your taxes, as well as taking that garage space away for most people that need that for storage...or for, you know, cars.
IMHO, think long and hard before doing away with a garage entirely. At least leave a 1-car garage remaining, because there are buyers who won't look at a house that has ZERO garage space... whether they use it for a car or not. We bought a house with a partial one-car garage (former owner took 60% of the original 2-car garage away to make a second full bath and a laundry area) assuming that it would be "no big deal" to eliminate part of the bathroom and get enough space to park an average size car. Guess what, the estimates were $20K - $25K and it's just not worth it. I hate having to park the car outside 24/7 but it is what it is.
Re: the carport (what you called a shed) idea, you probably will not be able to put it in front of the garage without getting a variance. It depends on how far your house is from the curb and what your setback regulations are. A typical setback is 40 feet. In order to get a variance you have to apply and there will be a hearing. If even one of your neighbors (who will be notified of the hearing) object to it, you won't be able to get it and thus, no carport.
Your taxes will go up if you convert garage space to living space. You need to talk to the Assessor to get a ballpark idea of how much. If you do (or can) add a carport I think they consider that as a "portico" because of the roof, so it will be taxed also but not much. Again this is something you need to talk to the Town Assessor about.
To find out what your setback regulations are, talk to the Building Department. They will give you an info sheet showing the front, side, and rear setbacks.
Hi, I am looking for advise to turn my 2 car garage into living space. I do not have a dining room, so this new space would be turned into my living room. And my current living room would be my dining room. I live in the town of Huntington.
1. How do I go about doing this?
2. What permits do I need?
3. Where can I find out, how much my property tax would raise before doing this work?
4. Average cost?
My dad and husband are extremely handy. My dad owns a construction company but would I need to hire a architect?
Or should I just hire a company and have them do this work?
Also, do you think it will hurt resale value? I think I’d want to move to a better school district once we have kids but that’s at least 6-7 Year down the line. I am also thinking about putting a shed (built attached to th house), with one that matches the house roof. The shed would be INFRONT the garage above the driveway. As there is no spate at the side.
The houses on the block does not look like this. We’d be the only one.
If your dad owns a construction company, he should be able to calculate the costs for you.
You indicated you live in the town of Huntington. Contact the town and ask what permits are involved (if any) converting a garage into living space. You do not have to give them your name or address to make a simple inquiry.
Personally, I would not give up garage space for a dining room -- especially if the long term plan is to move to another school district in 7 years or less.
When we bought our house we considered another property where the previous owner had converted the garage to a den. It was a nice space, but in hindsight - we'd be hating life if I didn't have a garage and feel like we dodged a bullet by passing on it.
Obviously to each their own, but not having an attached garage would be a deal-breaker for us on a future purchase.
Not a good plan if you plan to be there less than 10 years. 6-7 years will
Go by in the blink of an eye. Leave it alone and let the next owner worry about the dining room (which as mentioned are out of vogue right now).
That carport is hideous. Can't see it being approved and definitely can't see
Someone wanting that on re-sale.
Not a good idea. It will hurt the resale value if someone needs a garage. I know my husband could not live without one, attached or detached. That's a car port not a shed and looks Hideous.
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