Garage living spaces: Convert Garage to Living Space
Making a Garage Living Space
Skip to content
With large families, it might be hard to find extra space. You might have your kids sharing a bedroom or lack a gathering place like a family room. You could always make a garage living space and turn it into something other than storage.
Your garage can become a family room, man cave, bedroom, office or even a small separate place for grown children between houses. If you’re going to do this, there are a few things you need to do to make sure it works out well.
In this article, we’ll show you everything you need to know to create a garage living space. You can finally use your garage for more than just a place to park your cars.
What Do You Want to Make Your Garage Living Space Into?
Planning is the key to everything and before you can get started turning your garage into a living space, you need to know what you’re going to do. What you’re turning your garage into can determine how much work you’re going to have to put into this project.
For instance, if you want to turn your garage into a family room or office, you’re going to need outlets and electricity running throughout your garage. This will require the assistance of an electrician. Same can be said with wanting to turn your garage into a wet bar – you’ll need to have water running through your garage.
By having water or electricity running through your garage, you’ll increase the value of your home. It opens up a world of possibilities for things you can do with your garage. So while the task seems difficult right now, the benefits might outweigh the work for your family.
You’ll Need to Get a Permit
Before you can start any remodeling or additions to your home, many towns require you to get permits. If you’re not sure, you should speak to your town hall to inquire if garage remodeling requires a permit.
Detached Garages Are Great for Garage Living Spaces
There are a lot of advantages to having a detached garage living space. Since it’s not attached to your home, there’s more privacy. If you’re having adults use your detached garage as a living space, you’ll still be able to have privacy.
You also have more customization options working with a detached garage. Since you’re working with a separate entity from your home, you won’t have to worry about any walls being attached to your home. There’s no limit to what you can do when building a living space in your detached garage.
Size of Your Garage
The size of your garage makes a huge difference when building a garage living space. A one car garage is much smaller and can only be turned into a bedroom, office or small living room. On the other hand, a three car garage can be made into a studio apartment. Remember, the larger the garage, the more you can do.
Start with the Floors
The best place to start when remodeling your garage is the floors. There are many directions you can go with your garage flooring. It all depends on what you want in your living space.
Raising the Floors
One thing you’ll need to do is to raise the floor. Since the floor of your garage isn’t at the same level as your home, you’ll experience water seeping inside if the floors aren’t raised.
By raising the floor, you’ll also be able to insulate it before choosing a type of flooring. The ground will still feel cold, even inside of your garage without the insulation. You need to put foam between the concrete of your garage and your flooring.
What Type of Floor do You Want?
There are several different directions you can go with your garage flooring. An epoxy is very common no matter what you’re doing with your garage. It looks sleek and is very easy to clean. You can’t go wrong with epoxy.
Since you won’t be parking your cars in the garage, no flooring is off limits. Tile, hardwood and carpeting are great options for your garage living space, especially if you’re making it a bedroom or living room. It’s not crazy to think about since you’d do the same for a bedroom or living room inside of your house. What’s the difference?
Insulate the Walls and the Ceiling
The floor isn’t the only thing that needs to be insulated. Your walls and ceiling will need to be as well. You don’t want to feel the extreme temperatures we experience in Chicago. Make sure you have foam insulation behind the drywall in your garage.
When Danley’s builds your garage, we take care of insulating it for you. Our expert builders make sure all of your walls and ceiling have foam insulation to prevent outside temperatures from getting into your garage. Get a free quote now and have a beautiful detached garage built for you.
Your Garage Door Needs to Become a Wall
If you’re turning your garage into a living space, you’re going to want to turn your garage door into a wall. This will prevent you from opening up an entire wall of your new room. Plus, you’ll be able to hang things on the wall without the fear of it moving.
Also, unless you have a foam-insulated steel door, you’re garage won’t be as energy efficient as it should be. You should replace that old wood garage door with an insulated wall. You’ll feel more comfortable immediately.
Running Electricity to the Garage
You already know that it’s important to have electricity running through your garage living space. Without it, you can’t have anything that requires power.
If you’re going to run electricity through your garage, your best bet it to hire a professional to do it for you. It’s extremely dangerous to run your own electricity through your garage. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can severely injure yourself.
Add Windows to Your Garage
Having windows in your garage living space is essential. It’ll help brighten up the room without having to turn on light and use electricity. Plus, you’ll get a great view outside and can enjoy fresh air.
Also, being exposed to natural light affects you. It’s proven that being exposed to natural light makes you feel happier and more productive. This is especially important if you’re turning your garage into an office or workshop.
Create the Perfect Garage Living Space
A garage living space is important for large families, especially if they’re not ready to move into a larger house. It gives you more room and can even create separation for two families living in the same home.
While any garage can be a living space, a detached garage gives you more freedom to truly customize it. Plus, you’ll have more privacy and be able to have your own living situation separate from the rest of your family.
Speaking of customized detached garages, Danley’s can help you build your own garage that’s perfect for a living space. Our professional garage builders will come to your home and work with you to build the perfect garage for any situation. Get a free quote now and see why over 100,000 homeowners have trusted Danley’s.
Share this article:
Main Menu
-
Garages
-
What Size Do I Need?
-
What Height Do I Need?
-
Roof Styles
-
Electric Vehicles
Company
-
About Us
-
Reviews
-
Service Areas
-
Community
-
Careers
-
Scholarships
Connect
-
Contact Us
-
Financing
-
Pay Your Bill
877-DANLEYS®
Get a Free Quote!
Follow Us
Facebook-f
Youtube
Promotional Details | Privacy Policy
© Copyright 2022 Danley’s. All Rights Reserved
Join over 100,000 satisfied customers and get a free and easy quote from Danley’s right now.
Get a Free Quote Now
Converting a Garage Into Living Space
June 13, 2022
Blog, education, News
If you are thinking of turning your garage into another room in your house read on. A “well done” garage conversion can net you up to 80% return on your investment. The greatest increase in value will come from a useful design and a space that flows naturally and looks like it has always been a part of your home. One of the best things about converting your garage is that you get extra space to work with in a way that is relatively fast, unobtrusive, and inexpensive.
Due to the rise in popularity of house sharing in some communities, garage conversion permits can be more difficult to obtain. You will need to investigate local requirements for transforming vehicle space into habitable space before you begin. You may not need planning permission, but building regulations mean that if you are converting a garage, or part of one, into habitable space, you would normally need approval from your local authority. Garage conversions in general can be a quick job to complete. This is true if the existing garage building is in good structural condition. You can expect a turnaround time of 3-6 weeks for a single, standard garage conversion.
Many people choose to convert their garage into a space for the kids, a guestroom, home office, recreation room, or any other extra space that might not fit into their current floorplan. It is usually quite easy to convert a garage. If you have an integral garage, the job should be simple and straightforward. If you need to make structural changes, or if your garage is detached, it will be a more complex job involving knocking down walls and will therefore cost more. If it is done well, a garage conversion can add a whopping 20% to the value of your home. If you decide to convert your garage to a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom you will achieve the biggest added value.
How to make a garage conversion into a comfortable living space:
- Insulate the walls – most garage walls and ceilings are not insulated. If drywall is already installed it must be removed and insulation must be put in.
- Raise the floor height – garages tend to be lower than the house. Although it is not necessary, your home benefits if you match the flooring heights. Some localities may require floor insulation.
- Install floor covering – Laminate flooring, engineered wood, tile, and luxury floor planks are popular choices for garage conversions.
- Install Drywall – garages are usually finished with non-finish quality walls. Bring them up to a higher standard with new drywall.
- Replace or insulate the garage door – many areas require that the door be replaced with a wall. If you keep the door, insulate it. This is a major decision you need to make before you convert the garage into a living space.
- Hide Unsightly areas – non-load bearing walls should be added around areas you do not wish to see such as the water heater, furnace, laundry area, or storage.
Converting a garage requires more consideration than refinishing a basement because the positives are balanced out by significant downsides. Remodeling your basement is always a win. You are elevating an unusable dark space into one that is light-filled and usable. With a garage, you trade out space that is usable for one or several things for a space that is usable for just one thing-living space. Expanding into the garage preserves yard space, which many may prefer to build an addition. This means more living space but less yard for outdoor activities. Many people use their garage for storage. This may be ideal for you, but future buyers of your home may disagree. Removing the cars from the garage may defy local requirements for on-site parking spaces. Keep in mind that a garage conversion will rarely increase property value. Many buyers place a premium on a protected parking space, and this is lost with a garage conversion.
Garage conversions can be more work than they appear. The pros of a complete conversion are you have no loss of a yard, and your structure is already built. The cons are your loss of storage, parking space challenges, and no value gained on your home.
Finally changing space meant for vehicles into habitable, safe living space invokes legal and zoning issues. Each garage must go through a significant legal transformation when it becomes habitable. One determiner used by some municipalities is whether adequate provisions are made to replace the parking stalls eliminated from the garage. They also require a range of permits for the activities associated with this conversion: erecting or moving walls; running water supply or drainage; running sewer line; adding windows; installing a full electrical system. Due to the rise of short-term housing rentals, many municipalities have begun to look more critically at garage conversions, even if the area will not be rented out on the short-term market.
If you decide that garage conversion is something your family would like to do, please contact Scarano Architect PLLC., and we will be happy to assist you. Visit our website where you can see some of our completed projects. Your dream is our vision.
Posted in
Blog education News
and tagged with
Converting a garage into living space New York Architect news
.
Garage Conversion 101: How to Turn a Garage into Living Space
Skip to content
- View Larger Image
Interested in turning an underutilized garage into living space? Here’s your definitive guide to everything you need to know for your garage conversion.
Check out this amazing before/after garage conversion to inspire your project!
Can a garage conversion become a living space?
Yes, your garage conversion can most definitely become a living space!
To legally do this you must convert a garage by turning it into either a guest quarter or an accessory dwelling unit. A guest quarter is a living space that has a bathroom and a wet bar, but no kitchen. These units may not be rented out long term, but can be used by family members or guests.
An accessory dwelling unit is its own fully functional apartment. It has its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom, and living space.
Fun fact: Thanks to new statewide regulations introduced in 2020, you can now build an accessory dwelling unit on either a single-family lot OR a multi-family lot.
We make planning, hiring, and building your accessory dwelling unit simple.
Maxable has been on the front-end of a lot of these legislation changes, and we’ve already helped over 800 homeowners realize the potential of their property, whether it’s a multi-family or single-family lot. It all starts with booking a free phone consultation, and we’ll handle the rest.
Do you need planning permission to turn a garage into a room?
Yes, you need planning permission to do nearly any kind of remodeling in your home.
In the case of a garage conversion, you need to conform to building regulations, fire safety, and local zoning codes.
A lot of people illegally convert garages into living spaces without complying with the local building code.
Not only is this extraordinarily dangerous for anyone living in an illegal unit, but it’s also dangerous for the homeowner because it leaves them open to lawsuits. Imagine you are renting an illegally converted garage to someone and they start a fire.
Not only are you 100% liable for the damage, but if they injure themselves you are on the hook for their medical bills and leave yourself open to a serious lawsuit.
It’s extremely risky! Check out our article for legalizing an illegal ADU if you already have one on your property.
How much does it cost to convert a garage into an apartment?
Generally, you can expect a garage conversion to cost between $95,000-130,000 if you’re in a major metropolitan area.
Cost varies based on geographic location.
In addition to the hard costs, which would be your construction costs there will be soft costs associated with your project which would include things like design fees, permits, title 24 calculations. See a sample budget below.
Garage Conversion Costs:
Soft Costs:
- Design Fees (feasibility study, schematics, CDs): $8,000-$13,000
- Builder’s Risk Insurance: $2,000
- Title 24 (Energy Calculations): $250
Hard Costs:
- Waterproofing, retaining walls, or site work: $2,000-10,000
- Construction Cost: $70,000-100,000
- Appliances that are not included: $2,000-$4,000
Fees & Permits:
- $6,000-15,000
Is that more expensive than you were anticipating? You’re not alone. Not only do people dramatically underestimate the cost of a garage conversion there’s a ton of incorrect information circulating the internet! HomeAdvisor. com lists a garage conversion from $5,986 – $19,163.
Wait. What?
Where are they getting these numbers from? I think the disconnect is people adding flooring, some drywall, and throwing a couch in. This does not increase property value and cannot be used as a “habitable” living space.
We’ve helped hundreds of homeowners legally convert their garages into rentable apartments, allowing them to bring in passive rental income and maximize their property. Almost all of them got started with just a free phone call with us to talk about their project.
What is the process of converting a garage to an accessory dwelling unit?
Let’s take a look at a real garage conversion project.
Andy from Los Angeles gave us a call to tell us about his project. Just like so many other homeowners that have fallen victim to false information online, he thought he could convert his garage to a legal, habitable living space for just $20,000.
“I was shocked when I was told that the cost would likely fall in the six-figure range and I almost didn’t want to do it anymore, but the Maxable consultant assured me that despite the cost, I would still be able to bring in quite a bit in passive rental income if I rented it out long term. ”
From there, he realized the safest choice was to go into a Site Evaluation to not only have an ADU expert come to his property to scope his lot but to also get a better idea of how much his garage conversion will cost for his specific property.
Remember, just because your neighbor next door was able to do their project for $90K, does not mean your project will be the same. There are a lot of factors that come into play like:
- Slopes
- Powerlines
- The structural condition of the garage
- How you want to expand the garage
We go more into detail about these types of hidden costs in our blog.
After settling on a comfortable budget, Andy’s Maxable consultant connected him to a reputable loan company and secured his financing.
Next came the fun part. Andy met with our design team to come up with a gorgeous one-bedroom unit that we estimated would bring in about $1,800 a month in his area. Not bad! Andy didn’t even have to worry about permitting or dealing with the city. Our design team handled it all.
Finally came the time to select a general contractor, but in such a saturated market, how do you know that you’re hiring the right team for your project? You can get an idea in our blog about choosing a general contractor, but Maxable also has already done the legwork of weeding through companies in your area and finding only the best.
Not only did we connect Andy to our network of reputable general contractors, but we also looked through the bids with him until he reached a final decision.
Construction started shortly after and the rest is history! We periodically checked in on Andy during the garage conversion to make sure everything was running smoothly.
He now rents this beautiful one-bedroom unit for $1,800 a month. Let’s look at the cost breakdown:
Garage Conversion Cost:
Structural plans: $3,000
Plan Check and permits: $6,000
Construction, labor, fixtures, and finishes: $98,000
Total budget: $107,000
Andy estimates he will have the whole project paid off in three years. Then he’ll be bringing in an additional 22K a year.
That’s an amazing disposable income!
Does turning a garage into a room add value?
Absolutely! Although there’s a lot of debate on HOW MUCH value it adds.
The greatest ROI from a garage conversion comes from homeowners that plan to own their property long term.
In fact, we’ve calculated that a $100,000 garage conversion that’s rented out long-term brings a 1.5 million dollar investment over a 30-year period. That’s a 15x ROI.
This is assuming that the garage conversion is then rented long-term. This also takes into account an increase in property value as well as inflation.
House flippers see garage conversions as a way to quickly increase property value
In fact, people are so sure that converting a garage into a livable space adds value that flippers are starting to look for properties with detached two-car garages and converting the garage as part of the flip of the home.
Since the additional space is now treated as additional square footage it can dramatically increase the price of a home.
In some cases, appraisers may even take an income-based approach to appraise the property. This means they treat it like they would a duplex by determining the fair market rent of each unit based on comparable rents for other properties—how much income can be generated by the property.
Investors are also hungry to get into the ADU game. They see it as a relatively easy way to increase the income of a rental property.
Using a garage conversion to help your family
In addition to generating rental income, some homeowners are interested in converting their garage to help an aging family member.
According to SeniorAdvice.com assisted living costs in California range from around $33 to $300 per day, with an average expense running about $125. The monthly cost averages roughly $3,750 or about $45,600 per year.
Wow! That’s a lot…
Nursing homes are even more expensive. The average cost of a private room in a nursing home in Los Angeles is $9,125 a month or $109,500 a year.
Turning a garage into a living space for an elderly family member still allows them to maintain independence while being able to stay close to the family who can help out. Families with young children often benefit from having grandparents close by to help watch children.
In fact, the number one reason we see people interested in building an accessory dwelling unit (granny flat) is to house an aging family member.
Pro Tips for a Garage Conversion For Aging Family:
- Research universal design. (Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.)
- Make doorways wider to accommodate wheelchairs
- Eliminate thresholds. It can be very difficult to cross thresholds that are even 1/2″ high when using a walker.
- Keep countertop color and the floor color in high contrast. So if you use light wood flooring install darker countertops.
- Avoid shiny high-gloss surfaces
Converting the garage into living space floor plans
Here are some sample garage conversion layouts that are ideal for one-bedroom or studio spaces.
Can you convert a garage into an accessory dwelling unit?
Yes! In fact, converting your garage into a granny flat is one of the only ways to LEGALLY turn it into a living space.
In California, Washington, Portland, Austin, Denver, Boulder, and other places across the United States converting an existing permitted structure, like a garage, has never been easier. If you want some advice on your garage conversion download this free guide to get started.
A legal granny flat has a bathroom, living space, its own private entrance, and a kitchen. Want to learn more about granny flat basics? Check this article out.
Can you put a bathroom in a garage?
Yes. To legally convert a garage you must turn it into an accessory dwelling unit. By law, an ADU has a bathroom, kitchen, living space, and a separate entrance.
What do I do with a driveway after a garage conversion?
In most cases, you can leave the driveway as is.
It creates easy access for the renter or family member living in the converted garage. If you want to create some separation from the driveway and the unit you can create a little deck area that gives the occupants access to outdoor space.
This can also make it seem like the converted space is part of the original home design.
Do I need to replace parking with a garage conversion?
If you live within half a mile from public transit or ride share, you are not required to replace parking!
If you are not within half a mile, luckily, the driveway can count towards your parking requirement. Different cities have different requirements for a parking spot, but generally, it’s a 9×18.5′ space that’s been hardscaped, meaning it can’t be dirt.
Another good piece of news, parking can be tandem in the driveway. So you can leave the driveway as is.
Cheapest ways to convert a garage:
- Stay within the existing building envelope. If you start tearing down load-bearing walls your costs will go up quickly.
- Use Craigslist to find used appliances.
- Check your local Habitat for Humanity Resell shop.
- Make sure to get several general contracting bids. The bid should enumerate everything that’s included as well as a scope of work. Review this carefully.
- Do some of the finishing work yourself. Putting sweat equity can save money on a project. Just remember you’re often trading cost/time. A professional can generally do the work faster and more efficiently than you can. So what’s your time worth?
It’s tempting to cut corners on a project like this, but remember that your home is the largest investment you’ll make in your lifetime and you get what you pay for.
Hiring the right team might seem more expensive, but in the end, they will save you from nightmares with the city, unforeseen budget blow-ups, and keep you from tossing and turning at night.
Maxable makes planning, hiring, and building your accessory dwelling unit simple
Still need help figuring out where to start? Whether you’re still exploring options or you’re ready to hit the ground running, our team is here to help. We’ll connect you to the best local designers and builders for your ADU project. Book a call with us to get started!
Caitlin Bigelow is the CEO at Maxable. After growing up with a garage conversion on her parent’s property in California she saw first hand the benefits accessory dwelling units can bring to families. She now spends her time educating homeowners on the cost to build an accessory dwelling unit and connecting them to accessory dwelling unit floor plans and designers throughout California.
Do you want
an ADU?
Maxable is here to help homeowners get ADUs. Our only question is, will it be your property?
Check Address
Search for:
About Maxable
Our vision is to add one million ADUs to the housing supply by 2030.
Whether you’re still in the researching phase or have already started your project, we’ve helped thousands of property owners like you source design and GC bids for an ADU project.
Enjoy thousands of articles, case studies, guides and videos to support your granny flat project.
Learn More
What stage is your ADU project at?
Blog Categories
- All
- ADU Tours
- Cost
- Design Ideas
- Español
- Garage Conversions
- Getting Started
- Most Popular
- Pre Fab ADUs
- Regulations
Do you want
an ADU?
Maxable is here to help homeowners get ADUs. Our only question is, will it be your property?
Check Address
Page load link Go to Top
How to Convert a Garage Into Functional Living Space
Categories Home & Garden | Posted on | By: Laura MuellerTags: garage, garage conversion, home addition, home improvements, home renovation, remodeling
◄ Prev | Next ►
Most of us could do with a little bit more square footage in our homes. Whether it’s a need for an extra bedroom, an office, or a suite for the in-laws, finding more space in a home without doing an extensive (and expensive) addition can be tricky—but not impossible. In fact, it might just be a matter of repurposing space that you already have. Case in point: choosing to convert a garage into something a bit more functional than just a covered parking space.
Sure, a garage serves a lot of purposes beyond just being a place where you can spare your car from the rain and snow. But if you really need the space and you don’t have the budget, time, or desire to undergo a major home renovation, then opting to convert a garage into the additional room that you need can be a great choice. Below, we’ll go over how to determine whether converting a garage is a good option for you, plus the necessary steps that you need to follow in order to get it done right.
Should You Convert a Garage?
Whether or not you should convert a garage is—like most things in real estate and homeownership—an endeavor that requires a careful cost-benefit analysis. The average cost of converting a garage is $12,761, according to HomeAdvisor. While it’s certainly not cheap, it’s a much more cost effective alternative to adding on a brand new structural addition to your home, the average cost of which is much higher at $44,838. (Of course, if you’re converting a garage to create a living space with more extensive components—such as an additional kitchen or bathroom—then costs will run higher.)
As for whether it’s worth it, that depends on a few different things. The following questions are a good place to start when determining whether the cost is worth the outcome:
-
- Do you need the extra space or would it just be a bonus?
- How will it affect your resale value? Will the utility of the new space outweigh the cons of not having a garage?
- Based on the comps in your neighborhood, will you reasonably be able to get a solid return on your investment?
- Are you able to pay the higher property taxes that come along with an improved property?
- Do you have other options for parking your car and storing the items that are typically kept in your garage?
If the extra space is an absolute necessity, then that should matter above all else when deciding whether it’s worth it. So long as the conversion is done correctly (more on that later) then you should expect to get at least some return on it, even if it’s not enough to reimburse the entire expense.
And if it’s not a necessity? Give a lot of thought to the other questions on the list to see how the cost-benefit analysis plays out. It’s a good idea to speak to a local realtor too who can help guide you in the right direction. If you’re worried about resale, consider maintaining as much of the structural integrity of the existing space as you can so that you or a future owner can easily convert it back into a garage if desired.
How to Convert a Garage
If you’ve considered your need and looked at the numbers and decided that converting a garage is a great idea, then your next steps will be focused on getting the job done. Here’s where to start.
-
Find a Contractor
Unless you have the skills to do the job yourself, you’re going to need to work with a contractor when you convert a garage. We recommend doing this step first, since a good contractor will be an invaluable resource throughout each of the additional things on your to do list. A contractor will let you know exactly what is and is not possible in the space, and will be able to cover additional things you might not have thought of—such as where you might need to add a load bearing wall and what you’ll need to do to get the space properly insulated.
As you would do with any renovation project, get quotes and input from at least three different contractors. That way, you can be sure that multiple experts are on the same page insofar as what the conversion is going to entail—and you can also ensure you get the best deal.
-
Draw Up Your Plans
Now you’ll want to define exactly what the space will entail. This isn’t things like wall colors and flooring, which you’ll get to later, but the general structural features that will turn this one type of space into a totally different type of space. Are you going to turn the space where the garage door is into a wall? Are you going to add windows? Are you going to add a closet? Work with your contractor to iron out the structural details, and consider working with an architect and/or a designer too so that you can be sure you get exactly what you want and need out of the modified space.
-
Handle Permitting
Garages are not “conditioned” living spaces, meaning they don’t have the same electrical, plumbing, or heating and air conditioning components as the rest of your home. To convert a garage into a functional living space then you’ll need to add those components in. And for that, you’ll require permitting. Permits are required with pretty much any and all structural renovations, and are a necessity before you ever strike that first hammer blow.
Your town is the one that sets the standards for permits and provides them. Depending on where you live and the extent of the conversion process you’re planning to undertake, this process can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to an entire year. Reach out to your local Building and Planning Department to see what limitations you might have on your conversion, what you need to do to get the permits, and what the process is going to look like. They’ll also be able to tell you what—if anything—you need to do in order to bring the space up to code so that it can serve the function of a legitimate living space in your home.
-
Get to Work
Once you’ve got your permits you can finally start construction. Similar to the permitting process, this part of the job has a large variance in terms of how long it will take to get done. It’s important however that you never cut corners in the construction of your garage conversion, since doing so could lead to an unsafe and uncomfortable living environment, and could end up being a major waste of time and money. If you’ve hired a contractor to do the conversion, check in regularly to oversee progress.
Want to save money on the remodel? Have your contractor handle all of the structural parts of the conversion, and then roll up your sleeves and DIY everything else, such as painting the walls, installing carpeting or hardwood, and wiring in fixtures. Labor is one of the priciest parts of a garage conversion, so anything you can do on your own will be a big boon to your bottom line.
Need some more advice on improving the functionality and value of your home? We’ve got lots to go around! Check out our additional articles, including the 8 most valuable home improvements and 16 super easy DIY home improvement ideas.
Garage Conversion: A Guide to Turning a Garage Into a Room – 2022
Community and Government
Wellness
Design & Style
Arts & Entertainment
Writing
Sports & Gaming
Science & Tech
Home & Lifestyle
Business
Community and Government
Wellness
Design & Style
Arts & Entertainment
Writing
Sports & Gaming
Science & Tech
Home & Lifestyle
Business
Community and Government
Wellness
Design & Style
Arts & Entertainment
Writing
Sports & Gaming
Science & Tech
Home & Lifestyle
Business
Home & Lifestyle
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jun 14, 2021 • 4 min read
A garage conversion can be a simple and affordable way to add living space to your home without the need for lengthy construction or new additions.
What Is a Garage Conversion?
Garage conversion is the process of turning a home’s garage into more living space. A garage remodel can improve the resale value of your home, but it involves time, energy, and planning. In general, converting the garage of your home is cheaper and easier than building a completely new addition. Garages are often converted into home offices, playrooms, art studios, gyms, or family rooms.
Factors like home storage, parking availability, and permits often come into consideration before beginning this process. A permit may be needed to convert a garage to a livable space, which requires the homeowner to work with an architect to apply for a permit from the local authorities.
Do I Need a Permit to Convert My Garage?
Converting a garage into a living space may require a permit to ensure that your new living space complies with local building codes. For instance, you may be required to have windows in your new living space which many garages do not have. Your neighborhood may also have restrictions around covered or off-street parking, in which case you may need to keep your garage as a carport.
It is a good idea to research the zoning and building codes in your neighborhood or municipality before beginning this kind of project. In some cities, like Los Angeles, any construction requires a building permit. Renovating a space can also disrupt electricity or power lines, in which case it will be necessary to communicate with service providers as well.
5 Factors to Assess in the Garage Space Before Conversion
Here is an overview of six things to consider before embarking on a garage conversion.
- 1. Heating and cooling: Garages are not wired or insulated for heating and cooling purposes like the rest of a typical home. You will need to consider the extra energy it will take to keep the room air-conditioned or heated, especially if you intend to turn your garage into a bedroom. Make sure that your HVAC system can accommodate an additional room, and consider the costs of heating or cooling your new space.
- 2. Parking alternatives: Consider what your alternative parking spaces might be when your garage is no longer a carport. While some homes have plenty of driveway space, other homeowners may have to switch to street parking. Also remember that losing a garage means losing storage space for things like lawnmowers, outdoor equipment, and more.
- 3. Plumbing and electric installations: You will need to work with a plumber if you’re installing new sinks, toilets, or showers in this new space. You should also consider the process of installing new outlets or light fixtures. You will want to consult with an electrician and understand the current electrical infrastructure of your home. For detached garages, additional wiring can be run from your main house through an underground conduit.
- 4. The current state of your garage: Assess whether your garage is conducive to being converted into a living space. Concrete garage floors, for example, are usually unsuited for domestic use and may need to be excavated. Consider things like the amount of natural light your newly converted room will receive, or the amount of drywall you may need to install. If there are wires that are exposed, you may need to build new walls.
- 5. Permits: If you need a permit to convert your garage space, you will need to work with a number of professionals, like electricians, architects, and architects to get the job done. It can be a costly process that takes a lot of time.
What Are Potential Advantages to Converting a Garage?
Here is an overview of some of the possible advantages of a converted garage.
- 1. It can be done economically. You can convert a garage to a living space for around half the cost of adding a whole new addition to your home. You may even be able to handle many of the renovations on your own with limited help from contractors.
- 2. It can add resale value. Home appraisals often use square feet as a factor in determining the property value, so the extra space can potentially increase the resale value of your home.
- 3. You’re working off of an existing structure. One of the biggest benefits of converting your garage is working with an existing structure. Depending on the condition of your garage, things like foundation, drywall, and insulation may already be established.
What Are Potential Disadvantages to Converting a Garage?
Here is an overview of some of the potential disadvantages of converting a garage.
- 1. It may increase your property taxes. In municipalities that use a home’s livable square footage to determine its property taxes, a home addition will increase the amount you pay in property taxes.
- 2. Loss of parking and storage space. Losing a spot for your car may seem like a minor inconvenience, but it can reduce the value of your house if you live in a densely populated area. Street parking can even require permits and may be less secure than indoor parking. If you are planning on remodeling a two-car garage, consider only renovating half of the space to maintain one parking spot.
- 3. Removing the garage may make the home harder to sell. There is a possibility that a home with no garage will be more difficult to sell, even if the extended living space can add value to the home. This is an important element to consider for people who plan to sell their homes in the near future.
Ready to Give Your Space a Chic Update?
Master everything from color theory to pattern mixing with the MasterClass Annual Membership and exclusive lessons from award-winning interior designers like Kelly Wearstler and Corey Damen Jenkins. From shopping for statement furniture to designing a lighting scheme to choosing the newest member of your plant family, the skills you’ll pick up are sure to make your house, apartment, or condo feel even more like a home.
Converting a Garage to a Living Space — Multi Trade Building Services
/
Jackie Stezik
When space gets tight in your home and you want to find ways to create more living space without building an addition, converting your garage into a new living space can be an option. We discuss the basics of this project along with some of the zoning and legal issues. We’ll also help you understand the pros and cons to converting your garage to a new living space.
To gain extra space for your home, building an addition on your home is one way to do it. However, it can be time consuming, expensive, and comes with a lot of legal requirements. Converting your garage to a living space will typically add about 600 square feet with less expense than a full addition.
Prefer to listen?
Legal Requirements
The first thing you need to realize is that converting your garage to a living space is much different than finishing your basement. If all you’re doing is adding insulation and drywall to existing walls in your basement, you don’t need a permit and it can be done quite easily, often even as a DIY. However your garage was initially zoned as a space meant for cars only so there may be a re-zoning requirement along with architectural drawings and a permit.
Because each municipality might be different, you will need to talk to a plans examiner at your local Building Department in order to get details on what’s required in order to convert your garage to a living space. The Building Department is usually located within City Hall.
It’s also worth it to connect with an Architectural Technologist. He or She will be your best resource for the legal requirements for your garage conversion and will be the one who will design your space and create the required drawings for your project.
This is a step you don’t want to skip. I know many people don’t want to bother with permits, zoning and drawings because it’s an added expense and will delay the project. However, this step protects you, your family and your home. The drawings, permits and subsequent inspections will ensure everything is done properly and safely.
Your insurance company will also need to see that the project has been done properly. Should anything ever happen in your newly finished space which would require an insurance claim, you will not be covered if you didn’t get the proper drawings, permits, etc. It just isn’t worth the risk to your safety and peace of mind to skp this step.
Things to Consider Before Starting this Project
Unless you’ve just moved into a new home, you will likely be using your existing space in some way. It might be to store your car, bicycles, snow blower, lawn mower, and other lawn equipment. You might be using your garage to store boxes of items you don’t want to toss out but need to store somewhere. Some of our clients currently use the garage as a workshop.
No matter what you are currently using your garage for, that will all change once you convert it to a habitable area. Give some thought to what you’re going to do what your car, bike or “stuff”.
Are you ok with parking your car in the driveway? In the winter, that might mean getting up earlier to go to work if you live in a zone where you get snow in the winter. Your snow blower and lawn mower will need a new home. Do you have a shed you can store those items in or are you ok with them being stored outside? If you’ve just used your garage for storage of “stuff”, do you have room elsewhere in the house to store them, or are you prepared to sell, donate or toss some of the stuff? You need to have a plan for the things you currently use your garage for.
What Will be Needed in your New Living Space
Although your garage was functional for the space it was originally intended, there will be several changes you will likely need for your newly habitable area.
1. Electrical. You will need receptacles that now meet electrical code requirements for your area. That will usually mean a receptacle for every 6’ of useable wall space. You will also need adequate lighting. You may need to upgrade your electrical panel or install an auxiliary panel in order to accommodate your new electrical needs.
2. Windows. Your garage may or may not have windows and some municipalities will require windows to be of a certain size in a habitable area to provide natural light and air movement. Check your local by-laws to find out what’s required in your area.
3. Ceiling. You will need a ceiling height minimum of 7’ 6”. This usually isn’t a problem with most garages but some of the older homes will have a short ceiling height. If you have a really high ceiling in your garage, you may want to lower the ceiling to create attic storage and save on heating.
4. Heating. You will want to heat the space if you live in an area that has cold weather during a few months of the year. You will need to extend the central heating or install baseboard heaters or fan driven wall heaters.
5. Air Conditioning. In order to keep the temperature similar to the main house, you will likely want to provide a source of air conditioning either by connecting to the central air conditioning in the house or install window air conditioners.
6. Insulation. You will need to insulate the walls and ceiling.
7. Floor. You will likely need to raise the floor as garages are usually built lower than the rest of the house. This is not a necessity but highly recommended in order to make your new living space feel like an extension of the main home.
8. Walls. Even if your garage has some drywall on the walls from the original builder, it is likely non-finish quality drywall and will therefore need to be replaced. Drywall will need to installed, taped and mudded.
9. Garage Door. You will need to ensure it’s an insulated door. You may also want to remove the garage door completely and install a regular entrance door. One of our clients removed her garage door and installed beautiful double garden doors with frosted glass inserts for privacy.
10. Water source. Will you need a kitchen sink, toilet, shower, or vanity? If you plan on having some plumbing fixtures in this area, it may be prudent to install a hot water tank in the garage so the area has its own water source. If you plan on installing a water tank here, you may want to frame some walls around it so your mechanical services are not seen.
Before You Begin
Before you get started on the planning process ask yourself why you want this space finished. Do you want to create a large living room for entertaining? Are you lacking a dining room and this space would serve well for large family gatherings and parties? Do you need an additional bedroom and bathroom because an adult child is moving back home or elderly parents are moving in? Do you have a tiny kitchen and finishing this space will provide you with your dream kitchen? Do you want to create this space as an investment so you can rent it out as an apartment? Make sure you know exactly what you want to create in this space before you have it re-zoned and drawing done.
What you want to use the space for will also dictate what the size of your budget needs to be. The more plumbing fixtures you want installed in the area, the higher the price tag. If you are planning on renting out the space as an apartment you will need to adhere to stricter by-laws that require 5/8” drywall among other things.
Pros and Cons of a Garage Conversion
As with any renovation project, there are pros and cons to converting your garage to a living space.
Pros
• Not as costly or extensive as an addition
• Don’t lose valuable yard space that you would by building an addition
• It can usually be completely in 4-8 weeks depending on what you are having done
• Garage is not often used to store cars anymore so this project makes the space much more useable
• You are adding a significant amount of square footage to your home thus making it more appealing to buyers who want space.
Cons
• Could de-value your house as it will now be sold as a house without a garage
• If you want to create an open concept with the rest of the house, you may need to take down a load bearing wall which can add a lot of extra $$ to the project
• If not done properly, your converted garage will still look like a garage when done.
• If you used your garage to park your car, you will now be parking it outside which means it’s exposed to snow, sun (premature aging), and potential theft.
If you don’t think finishing your garage is the right fit for you, you might want to consider the alternative of adding some living space above your existing garage. This might require that you expand that space upward. Be sure you check your municipal by-laws as some municipalities have solar access rights by laws. This stipulates that you can’t block your neighbour’s sunshine.
Also some municipalities will not allow living spaces above a garage because of concerns regarding carbon monoxide poisoning from vehicle exhaust. If this isn’t a by-law in your municipality, ensure you install CO monitors in your new living space and never idle the car inside of the garage, even when the doors are open.
Think you might want to convert your garage to a living space? Click here to connect with us for your free 15 minute phone consultation to discuss the possibilities.
how to transfer in 2022? How to draw up, documents
We are used to the fact that the garage is a place for storing vehicles, household equipment and other personal belongings of its owner.
However, it turns out that you can live in a garage in the same way as in an ordinary apartment or house. A residential garage must be re-arranged from a non-residential type of premises to a habitable one.
Obviously, this real estate option is much cheaper than buying an ordinary apartment in a high-rise building.
Some even manage to earn income from this type of property by renting it out for housing. For some, this is generally the only way to get their small square meters.
We will talk today about how to arrange a garage in the form of a residential property.
What is a residential garage?
An ordinary garage is not a residential building, it is not suitable for habitation, especially on a year-round basis . Theoretically, of course, you can live there, but in this case it will not be possible to officially formalize your stay there. The garage must be transferred to the category of residential real estate, meet all the requirements set forth in the Housing Code of the Russian Federation.
The transfer of a garage from non-residential real estate to residential real estate is in demand in Russia mainly in the southern regions: Crimea, Sochi, Krasnodar. There is a mild climate, there is no harsh winter, which is why it is much easier to heat a room with heat than in Siberia.
In addition, tourists often come to the resorts who want to rent cheap small accommodation to live on the sea. Garages are the best way to satisfy these goals.
Usually the garage is converted into a living space by adding separate rooms above it . Such reconstruction can be done on the basis of the right of ownership of the property.
Residential Garage Requirements
In order for a garage to officially become a real home for a person, it must, firstly, be reconstructed accordingly, and secondly, it must be transferred from a non-residential building to a residential one.
This can only be done if the building will meet the requirements established for residential real estate. A residential garage must have a minimum ceiling height of 2.5 meters.
In accordance with Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 47 of 2006, the conversion of a garage into a residential building is possible subject to the following requirements:
- The roof of the garage must be reliable and airtight.
- Walls must be thermally insulated.
- Support structures must be functional and serviceable.
- Walls must be free of defects or cracks.
- It is necessary to comply with all fire safety and sanitary requirements.
- The house must have all engineering systems and communications that are safe for operation.
- Rooms must have windows.
Permanent residence in the basement and basement of a residential garage is not allowed.
Transfer of such immovable property to the status of residential premises under Art. 23 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation is carried out during the inspection by local authorities. The state of the object will be assessed by a special commission.
How to make a garage habitable? In order for the garage to be habitable, first of all, it is necessary to do the following types of work:
- insulate the walls and roof;
- organize heating, water supply and sewerage system;
- conduct electricity;
- install ventilation;
- to strengthen the foundation and equip the object with a soundproofing system.
Moreover, all these measures must be carried out without prejudice to the overall safety and serviceability of neighboring communication lines.
Pros and cons of living in a garage
For some, living in a garage is unthinkable, for others it is a dream. This type of housing is suitable for those who are used to loneliness, peace and quiet.
The main disadvantages of this type of housing are limited personal space and lack of light. It is unlikely that a large family will live in a garage. It is more of a type of housing for single people.
However, connoisseurs of residential garage boxes note the following advantages:
- No annoying neighbors.
- Availability of a permanent parking space and constant monitoring of the vehicle.
- Savings on purchase and operation.
- Freedom of disposal.
The garage can always be sold or exchanged, even just closed for the time of departure . This type of housing is a real find for people whose professional activities are related to cars.
Mechanics, tuning enthusiasts, racers and other citizens who devote a lot of time to their car will be simply happy to spend all their time with it.
If someone wants to start a car repair business, they can set up their workshop right in their home.
Thus, he will not need to travel far to work, waste precious time, which will have a good effect on the amount of his monthly income.
How to convert a garage into a living space?
Is it possible to convert a garage into a dwelling – a question of interest to many property owners in GSK. It is impossible to simply decide that from today my garage will become my apartment.
Registration of a garage in the form of a residential facility requires the performance of certain regulated actions that will be checked by special regulatory authorities.
How to convert a garage into a living space? To do this, first of all, you need to comply with the rules and regulations of construction.
Residential garage regulations
The main question is how to heat the garage? You can do this with electricity, but you need to be prepared for increased electricity costs.
It is not allowed to supply gas to a residential garage . It is possible to install a gas boiler only if it is located in a separate room.
Garage gas poses an increased risk. Residents can simply burn out due to an insufficiently developed ventilation system.
If you still manage to build a separate building for the boiler, you will have to obtain a permit for gasification in Gorgaz. Such a room, according to the standards, should be at least 15 cubic meters in volume.
Other standards for the construction of a residential garage:
- the distance from the road must be at least 5 meters;
- there must be at least 4 meters between buildings;
- the living room should be at least 12 square meters, the bedroom – 8, the kitchen – 6, the bathroom – 1.8 squares, the toilet – 0.96, the entrance hall – 1.8 square meters.
If the garage building is made of wood, the nearest building must be at least 15 meters away.
In addition, it is important that the land plot has the appropriate type of permitted use . Otherwise, local authorities will refuse to re-register the garage into a residential facility.
What documents should be on hand?
How to register a garage as a residential property? To do this, you first need to collect a strictly defined package of documentation.
It includes, in particular:
- application;
- applicant’s passport;
- a document that confirms the ownership of the garage;
- technical plan of the premises, which can be obtained from the BTI;
- refurbishment project;
- receipt of payment of the fee.
Remodeling project is best ordered from specialized engineers . Other documents may be required if requested by the local administration.
Procedure for obtaining a permit
When the local authorities review the submitted documents and the project, it will be possible to start refurbishing the premises. It will need to be carried out strictly in accordance with the plan.
When the reconstruction of the garage is completed, a commission is invited to the site to evaluate the redevelopment, including employees of SanPin and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
If there are no violations in the construction, the commission will issue an acceptance certificate to the owner. If there are still violations, the commission will set a deadline for their elimination, after which it will return for a new check.
Next, the changes will need to be fixed in the BTI. To do this, the bureau provides:
- passport;
- commission act;
- project plan;
- certificate of ownership.
In a few days a new technical data sheet with modified parameters and characteristics will be received. In conclusion, you will need to obtain a modified certificate of ownership from Rosreestr.
You will also need to present there:
- certificate of ownership;
- contract of sale, donation, exchange or other document;
- act of acceptance;
- passport;
- project plan;
- receipt of payment of state duty;
- cadastral passport.
Excluding the repair work itself, the entire re-registration procedure takes no more than 3 months.
Is it possible to register in a residential garage?
You cannot be the full owner of your property if you do not register it at the place of residence. It will be possible to make a residence permit only when the entire re-registration procedure is completed. It will not be possible to obtain registration without transferring the garage to a residential building.
It is impossible to re-register a garage in 2022 by a person who is not the owner of the premises, as well as if the object is pledged or under arrest.
Federal Law No. 5242-1 states that citizens can apply for a residence permit at their place of permanent residence or temporary stay . That is, this can be done in the garage if it meets all the established standards of the dwelling, and the re-registration will be formalized.
Residential garage for our country – an unusual phenomenon, but quite real. Living in a garage as in an ordinary apartment of a small area is possible only after redevelopment into a residential property.
In other cases, it will be illegal residence, preventing the owner from obtaining registration and fully using the new housing.
Video: Converting premises from non-residential to residential
6 important tips for garage refurbishment
Interiors and decor of small squares
Among us there are always those for whom the need to accommodate children who have returned to their parental home and aging parents is urgent. Previously, we looked at converting attics and basements into living spaces.
But there are many houses that do not have basements (eg in Florida) or attics that could be adapted for habitation for a number of reasons (eg too low a roof pitch).
However, there are a lot of buildings with garages attached to them or standing separately, which can be converted into good rooms.
FABRE/deMARIEN
The owner will want to make sure that the converted garage will have enough light and space, that the redevelopment is done in accordance with local ordinances and building codes.
In fact, many houses built in the 40s and 50s of the twentieth century with boxes for one car can be successfully turned into something more functional. Such spaces are ideal for arranging an extra bedroom, home office, music room, craft workshop, play area or any other living space.
It is important that it is warm in winter and cool in summer. As always, it is necessary to consult with specialists before starting work and draw up a project for the reconstruction of the building.
1. Floor
The garage turns into a bright and spacious living space. The new concrete base is elevated from the street for free flow of water.
Bud Dietrich, AIA
Most often, concrete slabs lie on the ground here, which are sloped, cracked and located below the level of the whole house. Therefore, the alteration begins with the installation of a new floor covering. There are several options for this.
One of these is a timber framing deck that is level with the building. Another way is to pour concrete, this gives an advantage when laying the heating system directly inside the base.
Bud Dietrich, AIA
2. Entrance
When converting a garage into a residential area, there is always the question of what to do with opening the gate. After all, garage doors have a great influence not only on the functionality of the space, but also on its appearance. A good solution is to keep the gate as shown in the next photo.
Witt Construction
Standard sashes can blend in perfectly with the interior of the building and still look great on the outside of the building.
Ed Ritger Photography
Another approach is to replace the gates with large picture windows. It will turn out something like huge transparent doors. Provided that this is consistent with the overall aesthetic of the building image, this option can be very successful.
Bud Dietrich, AIA
3. Windows
Garages usually don’t have them at all or don’t have enough of them. This is an important aspect for passing the building examination of the premises.
Bud Dietrich, AIA
4. Additional plumbing
Adding a kitchen or bathroom can involve a lot of plumbing issues. This does not mean that such an alteration is impossible, because additional amenities will always come in handy, especially in a house with a large number of residents.
In this case, consider how to place water pipes under the concrete floor and compact arrangement of bathroom fixtures.
Tali Hardonag Architect
Some conversions of a building with floor-to-ceiling glazing leave no trace of the original look.
BMF CONSTRUCTION
This luxury apartment with a bathroom is located on the site of a former large garage. The addition of a gas fireplace produces a stunning effect. And the bathroom attached to the bedroom makes the space an attractive option for guests and household members.
Bud Dietrich, AIA
5. Ceiling height
Of course, the type of installation of metal support profiles used in the roof of the garage will dictate the possibility of increasing the height of the walls. This can be done if the building does not have a second floor and is located separately from the house. The vaulted ceiling, as in the next photo, adds spaciousness to the room.
Bud Dietrich, AIA
This vault design makes the room light and simple, while decorating the ceiling with decorative elements can show the true character of the altered space.
Bud Dietrich, AIA
6. Temperature control
Remember that the new living area must be equipped with cooling and heating appliances. Depending on the size of the converted premises, decide whether it is possible to connect the general engineering systems of the house. Otherwise, the option of installing mini-splits can be very successful.
Categories: Arrangement of the garage
You may also like
how to equip with your own hands and is it possible to live by the law, projects
Some people who have their own garage space want to turn it into a residential garage. Most often, this is done by car owners who do not have their own apartment or private house for permanent residence. Before you start arranging a car garage for living, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of its transformation into a living space.
Contents
- 1 Is it possible to live in a garage and register in it
- 2 Projects of residential garages
- 3 Features of the arrangement of living space
- 3.1 What should you pay attention to
- 3.2 plumbing
- 3. 3 Is GAZ
- 3.4 Heating system and features of wall insulation
- 3.5 Climate in residential garage
- 4 Supporting over the residential garage second floor with your own hands
- 5 Conclusion
Is it possible to live in a garage and register in it
Many are interested in whether it is possible to live in a car garage and do everything according to the law so that there are no problems in the future.
It is worth noting that living in such premises is a serious test for the human body and not everyone can cope with this, especially if the design is unsuitable for life. Often the following categories of people live in such buildings:
- Temporary workers who came to the city for a short time. Many of these people prefer to save on rent and therefore rent garage space, which is much cheaper than hotels or hostels.
- Car enthusiasts and mechanics. Such people spend most of their time near the car, and therefore some of them equip housing in the premises in which their car is parked.
- People who have faced difficult life situations and pensioners. This category of people has the hardest time, as they are left without housing and are forced to live in a car garage.
Living in garage structures does not require a permit. However, if a person wants to do everything according to the law, you will have to take care of the documents. To obtain a residence permit, the building will have to be converted to comply with the requirements of the Housing Code.
Residential garage projects
In order to do everything right, it is necessary to develop a project for the alteration of a residential garage and determine its size. The following requirements are put forward for residential premises:
- the distance between the road and the building must not be less than five meters;
- the space between the structures located near the garage should be about 4-5 meters;
- if the structure is made of reinforced concrete and concrete, the distance to neighboring buildings should be 8-12 meters;
- stone buildings are removed from each other by 6-7 meters.
In order for the conversion into a house to be recognized as suitable for permanent residence, the following areas for rooms are taken into account when drawing up the project:
- entrance hall – two square meters;
- toilet – square meter;
- bathroom – two square meters;
- living room – 12-13 square meters;
- kitchen – six square meters;
- bedroom – eight square meters.
When drawing up a project, it is taken into account that the garage must be equipped with ventilation, heating, water supply and sewerage. Without communications, the structure will be considered uninhabitable.
Features of the arrangement of living space
In order to independently equip your own apartment in a car garage, you will have to familiarize yourself with the nuances of arranging such housing.
Things to watch out for
When arranging a living space, attention is paid to thermal insulation and waterproofing, which help create comfortable living conditions. For external insulation of the structure, foam or mineral wool is used, which is trimmed with clapboard and siding. Also, the walls are sheathed with special thermal panels that are able to maintain the optimum temperature inside.
For internal insulation use plasterboard sheets or foam.
Plumbing
Equipping the garage, care must be taken to make it possible to use plumbing, without which it is impossible to create comfortable living conditions. To organize the kitchen and bathroom, communication systems are carried out. The plumbing should be carried out by a specialist who regularly conducts water to private houses and apartments.
Is it possible to conduct gas
Many people who want to equip a garage in order to live in it are interested in whether it is possible to run gas. It is impossible to gasify such facilities and therefore it is necessary to make an autonomous heating system. In this case, the volume of the heated room should be about twenty cubic meters.
Heating system and features of wall insulation
To organize an autonomous heating system, a gas fireplace is installed inside the building. It is also possible to equip the structure with a heating system that will run on solid fuel, electricity or natural gas if gas cylinders are installed inside. Experts advise installing electric boilers in garages, since it is enough to connect electricity for their operation.
In order to keep warm in the room, the inner part of the walls is sheathed with insulating materials. When choosing a heat insulator, the features of the walls are taken into account. If they are made of brick, it is better to use foam sheets. Wooden walls do not need additional insulation.
Climate in residential garage
In order for the microclimate in the room to be suitable for living, it is necessary not only to take care of the insulation and heating of the building, but also to organize a ventilation system. With its help, air circulation and the level of humidity inside are normalized.
Do-it-yourself superstructure above the garage of the residential second floor
Sometimes people build a second floor above the garage with rooms that will be used for permanent residence. When constructing the second floor, the following sequence is followed:
- Installing support logs that are used as a base for installing rafters. When performing this stage, it is better to use a strong bar.
- Fabrication of the frame. The frame of the structure is made of reliable wood, which was previously treated with antifungal agents and fire retardants.
- Installation of beams on the frame. To secure them, jumpers are used, which will make the structure more rigid and reliable.
- Fixing the lower rafters. They are attached with grooves to the base of the timber.
- After the installation of the rafters, they install the battens and lay the waterproofing material.
Conclusion
There are times when people have to turn garages into living quarters. Before that, you need to deal with all the features of the arrangement of living space.
instructions for changing the status of a room
Near the sea, you can see garages turned into small apartments – with lighting, furniture, household appliances. Also, people are rebuilding their non-residential premises into residential. Sometimes active entrepreneurs place shops, hairdressers or bars on the ground floor of high-rise buildings. After amendments were made to the housing code of the Russian Federation, according to which permission from all neighbors is required to change the status of real estate, Primorye residents have even more questions. How to distinguish residential from non-residential premises or change their status without contradicting the letter of the law, tells Primorskaya Gazeta.
– The essence of the amendments is that now, in order, for example, to build a store on the ground floor of a residential building, a written consent of all owners, neighbors of the house is required. The consent of the neighbors, whose apartments will be adjacent to the future store, is especially important. It is important to notarize them – the execution of all documents can take a long time, and if the former owners, who agree to the store next door, sell the apartment, the new owners may be strongly against it, – notes Lilia Samborskaya, head of the Primorye legal agency.
In order to figure out what exactly you can do with a building or part of it that you own, let’s determine what types of residential and non-residential premises exist.
Types of non-residential premises
– Trade. Shops on the ground floor of the house, retail outlets in administrative buildings, boutiques in shopping centers. You can trade in such premises wholesale and retail. The presence of capital walls or personal communications in such premises is not a prerequisite.
– Administrative. Also often located in part of a residential building. May be part of a business center or office building. The presence of communications for such offices is also not necessary, but they should have main walls.
– Universal. They include the widest range of appointments: from kindergarten to a nightclub. As a rule, they are equipped with a separate entrance, have main walls and their own communications.
– Warehouse. You can store anything in them: products, things, mechanisms. For such a room, capital walls and a separate entrance are needed.
Types of living quarters
— Residential building or part thereof. As a rule, it consists of one or more rooms and auxiliary premises for domestic or other needs: outbuildings, bathrooms, kitchens.
— An apartment or part of an apartment. Detached room in an apartment building. Residents of the apartment must have access to the necessary communications and common areas: stairwell, inter-apartment corridor, basement and attic.
– Room. Part of a residential building or apartment equipped for direct living in it.
The concepts of non-residential premises and common property in an apartment building are often confused. So, an elevator, an entrance, stairwells, an inter-apartment corridor, a basement and an attic are parts of a living space, the so-called “common property”.
Fact
To change the status of housing and the land on which it is located, you need to contact the city’s Office of Urban Planning and Architecture.
If the area of the premises to be changed is more than 1.5 thousand sq. meters, or the number of floors – above three floors – this issue is dealt with by the Department of Urban Development of the Primorsky Territory.
How to tell?
– You can register or get temporary registration in a residential building. In non-residential – it is impossible.
– Residential premises can be rented out and rented, non-residential premises – only for rent.
– These two types of premises have different tax regimes. That is why living in a garage is not a good idea and is punishable by law.
Three stages of status change
There are three stages to change the status of housing.
Step One: Preparation
At this stage, you need to contact the City Planning and Architecture Department to determine the status of the land and building. It is quite possible that you will be forbidden to live in a wasteland for a warehouse, or open a beauty salon on the ground floor of the house. Sometimes it’s just not possible. In another case, you will need to do a global redevelopment under the guidance of a specialist, and contact the Office again. A competent expert and lawyer can significantly speed up the assessment process and the possibility of redevelopment.
Step two: registration
If the experts and the city commission have decided that you can make a cafe in a former apartment or live in a utility barracks, and all the neighbors have agreed in writing with your decision, the most crucial moment comes – the collection of documents. So, you need to provide:
– Application for the transfer of premises,
– Plan and technical description (technical passport) of the premises,
– Title documents: an agreement on the transfer of housing ownership, an agreement on the sale, exchange, donation, certified by a notary and a registered certificate of the right to inherit by law (or by will) – depending on how the premises were received by the owner. In some cases, you may need a registration certificate from the BTI, a certificate of ownership or state registration of rights.
– Floor plan of the house (for apartment buildings)
– Redevelopment project (if carried out / will be carried out).
Step three: transfer and registration
If you have carried out reorganization or redevelopment, then this work should be checked by a special acceptance committee from the city administration. Next, the commission draws up an act confirming the completion of the reorganization or redevelopment and sends it to the appropriate Rosreestr Department.
It is the signed and notarized act that will be the basis for the use of your premises as residential or non-residential. The registering authority, within 15 working days from the date of receipt of the documents, enters the relevant information into the Unified State Register of Real Estate. Within the next five working days, the homeowner will be notified of this.
Turning residential premises into non-residential premises
This question is primarily of concern to those who are going to open a cafe, hairdresser or office in a residential building. Here is a list of the necessary conditions for this:
– The room must have a separate entrance. You can equip it from a window opening, but guests of the cafe will not be able to enter through the “apartment” door.
– There must be no registered and registered residents in the premises. It must be registered as non-residential property for specific needs. The applicant himself must be the owner, not the tenant of the premises.
– The object cannot be pledged, the status of the arrested premises cannot be changed either. In addition, the owner should not have utility debts.
– Third parties (possible heirs of one of the owners, other owners) should not have rights to the premises.
— The room must not be part of a residential building.
If a non-residential property is located in the basement, attic or basement of an apartment building, this may result in the fact that access to public utilities and important equipment may be closed. As a rule, this causes great and justified dissatisfaction of the residents. Also, the “neighbors” of such premises are often dissatisfied with the contingent that comes to the store in their home.
You can’t hide your own: alimony debtors will be charged with property registered on others
How to turn non-residential into residential
For such a step, first of all, you need to collect a commission to determine the status of the land. There is a type of land that cannot be re-registered. For example, this is why garages converted into residential buildings are an illegal move. As a rule, all of them are located on the land of a certain purpose, and it can be changed only after the results of the commission check. For such a check, you need to contact the Department of Urban Planning and Architecture of the city.
– The applicant must be the owner of the premises. Applications from tenants, as a rule, are not even considered.
— All owners must agree to the change of status, and consent must be confirmed in writing.
— Arrested and mortgaged premises cannot change their status.
— The object must comply with sanitary, technical and safety standards.
– There must be electricity, water supply, heating, etc. inside.
– At the stage of redevelopment, demolition or weakening of load-bearing walls is prohibited. The transfer must be safe for the rest of the residents of the house.
– Access to the “transferred” housing must be through the entrance of the house.
It is important to certify all documents drawn up by a notary: certificates, agreements, signed results of the commission, and so on. This guarantees the validity of the received documents, even if the legislation or the decision of the other owners suddenly changes.
Documents and regulations to help:
— Chapter No. 3 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation.
– Town Planning Code: there you can read a list of requirements for both types of premises.
– Federal Law “On state registration of rights to real estate”, prescribing the procedure for registration of rights to non-residential premises.
– Building codes SNiP 31-01-2003, regulating the rules for the placement of non-residential premises in apartment buildings.
– SanPiN 2.1.2.2645-10, which determines the sanitary standards of residential and non-residential premises.
How to make a beautiful and reliable residential garage with your own hands?
Do-it-yourself construction of a residential garage comes to the mind of those owners of garage boxes who want to create their own cozy corner for relaxation. In addition, now people are not only making a place just for seclusion from everyday affairs, but also for a full life. What options for residential garage boxes can be recreated from an ordinary unheated room, we will describe in this article.
Contents
- Do-it-yourself basic construction of a house in a garage
- Choosing a garage layout option for housing
- Adding a residential courtyard instead of the front wall and garage gate
- Do-it-yourself residential garage on the second floor above the box
Basic house construction work in a garage with your own hands
How to make a residential garage
0003
- Insulate walls and roof,
- Make a system of pipes for sewerage, water supply and heating,
- Conduct light and internet,
- Think over the arrangement of the exhaust system,
- Strengthen the foundation and lay soundproofing.
Insulation of walls and roofs is not very difficult – the main thing here is to correctly calculate the materials and protect the insulation with a vapor barrier. Sewerage problems can arise if there is no public sewer network nearby. Then you will have to bury the septic tank near the box and periodically pump out waste from it, otherwise the unpleasant smell will seep into the housing in the garage. You can conduct water and heating with the help of a small well and a gas boiler, which will provide you with warm and hot water 24 hours a day. Also, to create heat, install a small wood-burning stove.
With the help of a modem and high-quality wiring, electricity and the Internet can be easily dealt with. The same goes for the exhaust system. Here it is enough to lay several ventilation ducts in the roof. The only truly “problematic” place during construction and finishing will be the foundation. If you are going, for example, to build a 10×10 m garage and a house on top, then you will have to completely demolish the box and pour a new concrete base.
Choice of garage layout for housing
Before you make a residential garage with your own hands, you need to decide on the layout and location of living quarters. Many owners build all life support systems in households adjacent to the garage. buildings. Of all the options for converting a garage into a living space, 2 of the most popular can be distinguished.
Addition of a residential courtyard instead of the front wall and garage door
Residential garage on the ground floor
Converting a garage into a house with a small living space can be very simple – just make a glass partition right in place of the gate. But you can leave the entrance gate if you just install a double-leaf sliding version. As a result, one of the canvases will always cover the terrace glazed in front of the garage, and the second will become a natural window into the kitchen.
Also, with the help of transparent or translucent walls, you can quickly divide the living space into several cozy zones: a shower room, a living room and a kitchen. In this case, the entire back side can be converted into a bedroom. Of course, there will be no place for a car here, but there will be an additional place to live in the summer months. The most important thing is to comply with the norms under which a garage converted into housing would be considered a living room. EXAMPLE – With a box area of 40 m², the entire room is divided in the following proportion:
- Transparent patio or terrace is 10 to 15 m²,
- We also allocate 10-15 m² for the kitchen,
- The rest will go to the shower room and sleeping area.
Do-it-yourself residential garage on the second floor above the box
Residential garage on the 2nd floor
Equipping a residential garage with a superstructure with your own hands, you can combine a place for storing a car and a workshop with a living room. The walls on the second floor are usually made multifunctional with the possibility of placing built-in wardrobes, drawers and pantries. Also a popular interior solution on the 2nd floor of the garage is the installation of movable partitions, which, when moving along the guides, will allow you to change the layout itself and the distribution of zones in the room. But before you make a house out of the garage, be sure to wire the wiring with sockets and lighting.
Residential superstructure above the garage
You can make this housing option from the garage for any type of boxes and in any of the garage cooperatives. And not all people live in the garage all year round. Many simply equip a summer attic, which essentially acts as a rest room. Agree that it is very convenient after repairing a car or working in a workshop until the very night to fall asleep in a comfortable room that has everything you need for a fulfilling life. The conversion of the garage into a living space in the photo and video is shown in sufficient detail. You will find all the necessary additional information in other materials of this section. Below is one of the real video examples of arranging a residential garage from an ordinary metal box.
is it possible to make a living space, advantages and disadvantages
Car owners often use a garage space not only for its intended purpose. Increasingly in Russia, the owners of the premises of garage cooperatives are converting them into cottages for temporary housing for travelers. A house from a garage can also be made by a car owner who built this room on his own.
Contents
- Advantages and disadvantages of living in a garage
- Residential garage layout options
- Addition of a residential courtyard instead of the front of the garage
- Living space on the second floor of the garage
- Principles for converting a garage into a living space
- Conditions for comfortable living auto mechanics and those who are fond of tuning and other types of repairs. In this case, the master will be able to live and work in the same building, equipped with boxes or separate rooms for storing spare parts and tools.
Often garage spaces have a brutal and laconic appearance, which will be a plus for fans of such design. Other advantages of this housing option include:
- modest financial costs compared to buying or building a new home;
- the ability to develop a planning project independently;
- absence of annoying neighbors;
- permanent supervision of own car;
- lack of an address (unless the owner has registered the garage as a habitable property) and, as a result, no rent.
If not registered, the owner can sell the garage to another person or simply move away without worrying that they will be presented with debt reports upon return. The downside is that housing can only be made from a room that meets certain criteria. For example, a metal shell of standard sizes will be too cramped for most, especially if a person wants to live there not alone. In addition, such a building will be very cold. A larger premise made of reinforced concrete or brick is well suited for do-it-yourself conversion into a dwelling.
If the garage is to be converted into a permanent home, it must be registered as a habitable property. To do this, you need to write an application and attach to it a passport and a paper confirming the ownership of the garage. In addition, we need a plan drawn up in the BTI with the technical characteristics of the building and a project describing the planned work to create living conditions in it. You will also need to pay the state fee and provide a receipt.
Residential garage layout options
Garage extension is more suitable for arranging a separate room
Before you start refurbishing a room, you need to plan its interior decoration and zoning. Typically, car owners who create houses from garages bring life-support systems to utility buildings located next to the box. Sometimes an additional residential building is attached to the garage. This option is suitable if there is enough free space around the box.
Extension of a living yard instead of the front part of the garage
Putting a car indoors after such an arrangement will not work, but the result will be a cozy little house. Gates can be replaced with sliding doors, due to which the glazed part of the facade (if any) will be covered. Another option is to replace the front wall with a glass partition. Not everyone will like such openness, so the first method of restructuring is more often used. However, in order for the room to pass the building examination, it must have windows (they can be either panoramic or standard size).
Living space on the second floor of the garage
If the roof on the 2nd floor of the garage is insulated, it will be possible to live in the room
If you decide to use the garage as a house, you can equip a room on the top floor. If the building already included two boxes, located one above the other, and each of them was used for a separate car, nothing will have to be completed. Sometimes in such garages they equip an attic on the second floor and use it for summer or permanent residence.
If the building was originally one-story, building work will be required. This will make it possible to leave the box for storing the car and at the same time acquire living space next to it. It’s good if you can think over the design of the walls so that you can install built-in appliances in the room, as well as cabinets that store various equipment. This will enable more efficient use of limited space.
Another common solution is to create moving partitions between zones. Thanks to this, the owner will be able to freely walk around the floor, changing the configuration of the zones.
If a car is not going to be stored in a two-story building, the lower floor can be used as a kitchen and bathroom, and the upper floor can be used as living rooms. Any garage can be equipped in this way, regardless of its shape and area.
Principles for converting a garage into a living space
For a comfortable stay, it is necessary to run water into the garage
Before a garage can be turned into a living space, it is necessary to create comfortable conditions for staying in it. Walls and roofs should be well insulated. If you have minimal skills to carry out such work, this will not be difficult. It is important to correctly calculate the amount of insulation, and also not to neglect the vapor barrier.
Also, the car owner will need to supply water, organize sewer and heating systems. If there is a public network near the building, there should be no problems with connecting to the sewer. Otherwise, you will need to dig a septic tank near the garage and periodically clean it, otherwise an unpleasant odor will appear that penetrates into the dwelling.
If the location of the building does not allow it to be connected to the main networks, you can organize water supply and heating by digging a well and installing a small boiler. During the installation process, it is important to comply with the norms of SNiP and fire safety rules. A wood-burning stove can also be placed in the dwelling. Due to the small dimensions of the dwelling, there is no need to purchase a massive unit with high power.
Connecting the Internet and electricity in a new home should not be difficult. Ventilation can be provided by organizing 2 channels in the roof.
The hardest part of a garage remodel is strengthening the foundation. However, this is not always necessary: if the room was already two-story and had a solid foundation, such work will not be required. But if they plan to finish building a new floor above the garage, the box will have to be dismantled. After that, work is carried out to strengthen the reinforced concrete base.
Conditions for a comfortable stay
To live in a garage, you need to install a dry closet
Having decided to make an apartment out of a garage, you need to take care of creating an internal microclimate that is comfortable for living. The air must be dry and at the right temperature. The room must be well ventilated.
It is important to pay attention to the absence of gaps between the wall and the door frame. If they are, they must be repaired, otherwise condensation will accumulate on the walls. Also, the microclimate spoils the violation of the integrity and shape of the roof, for example, sagging or leakage. In this case, the roof undergoes a thorough repair. Living in a building with damp walls, stagnant water in the basement, mold and fungal colonies can seriously affect your health.
If there is a car in the garage, it is better to take it to the area in front of the building before carrying out the arrangement work. The premises must be freed from garbage and unnecessary items. Then ventilation is organized in the building and insulation is laid on the roof and walls (most often mineral wool is used for this) and vapor barrier. Without insulation, it will be uncomfortable to be in the building, and condensation will accumulate on the walls. Since garage spaces are not spacious, it is better to choose light shades for interior decoration.
One of the most important amenities in a residential building is a bathroom. For the first time after settling in, you can use the dry closet by placing a septic tank outside the boundaries of the residential module.