Garage Conversion

Any mad lads here who have done a stealth conversion of a garage into a little studio apartment?
Advice? Warnings?

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  1. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    Not much I can say, just don't cut into any post-tension slabs, don't claim the extra square feet if you're planning on selling, and make sure you understand the local AirBnb laws in your area if you are doing it for the income.

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      >don't claim the extra square feet if you're planning on selling,
      nonsense no buyer will care

      Get up to speed on what makes a garage cease to be a garage in the eyes of code enforcement; in many places anything that makes it unusable for pulling a car inside and shutting the door can trigger a citation...that includes using it for non- car storage, workshops, etc.without living there at all.
      The flip side is that if you keep it so that it always passes a spot inspection based on those rules you may very well be living in it but there won't be much they can do or say unless they actually catch you asleep in the middle of the night or some other blatantly obvious act that pretty much dares them to frick with you.

      t. learned this all firsthand from a code enforcement officer who was waiting for me when I came back to my garage/studio from taking a shower at the upstairs neighbor's apartment.

      code enforcement generally only cites when someone reports. if they don't know not much will happen.

      the floor is too low for a proper toilet to drain, so plan on building a toilet platform with a handicapped ramp, or insist that your tenants use a portable bucket for wastewater disposal to curb

      babbling

      If you're just building a place for yourself or your kid or something then you can really do whatever you want.
      However, if you're going to rent it out to AirBnb guests or lease it to some third world family then you need to cover your ass. Even if you don't plan to get permits or inspections the place should be up to code. Fire codes require a certain number of exits, smoke and CO detectors, fire extinguishers, etc etc. I know, you're thinking frick all that right? That's cool until your arab tenant starts a fire cooking kebab on a charcoal grill indoors and all 38 kids get killed. A tenant getting injured or killed will ruin your life. Insurance won't cover your illegal apartment. The city will fist frick you with fines and violations. You'll get sued in civil court for wrongful death( and lose) and you could even face criminal charges.
      Make sure your neighbors are cool too. If they suddenly see your culturally diverse new friends living in your garage they'll start calling the city on you.

      pretty much none of this will happen.

      But what happens if an angry old lady moves in next door?

      She can narc on you. If the inspector comes, you'll have 3 choices:
      1. Convert it back to a garage.
      2. Go through the legal conversion process. That would include hiring an architect, contractors and inspectors.
      3. Move everything out that hints it as a living space. It better looks like a garage or a storage.

      >But what happens if an angry old lady moves in next door?
      how will she know?

      also do what I did, get an injunction against harassment.

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        She sits at her window all day and sees weirdos coming and going from the garage. She sees all the extra cars around, some of which park in front of her house. At night she hears the hollering through the garage’s thin walls.

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      >local AirBnb laws
      >stealth apartment
      top kek mah dewd

  2. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    You are anti-DIY if you convert the sacred wrenching lair into a shitty poo in loo apartment.

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      Moreover, if you convert it into a livable space, your wife is going to make you live in it eventually.

  3. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    I grew up in Dearborn with all the Arabs and they love turning their garages into living rooms. I don’t know why, maybe it’s because they tend to have multiple generations living in one home. I bet you could find examples on Zillow.

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      exhibit A

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        This is unrelated but I’m pretty sure I got caught playing ding dong ditch at this house in high school, the guy told me I was way too old to be doing that kek

        • 11 months ago
          Anonymous

          An interesting hybrid, the tv and rug are common but this one looks like they also use it for more conventional garage purposes

          • 11 months ago
            Anonymous

            The quintessential example

            • 11 months ago
              Anonymous

              Another good one

          • 11 months ago
            Anonymous

            Owning a 1992-1994 W140 in Michigan is a unique and daring choice. Judging from the dust it's been parked for a while.

        • 11 months ago
          Anonymous

          should have shit under his doormat

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        They're not even fun. Just a place to have shitty wicker furniture.

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      Weird considering how aggressive Michigan is with doing frequent house inspections to set property tax values.

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        Must have one giant tax assessors office to be doing that. Work in one in the south in a county with 110k parcels and outside of pulled permits (300-400 a month) we don't look at shit outside of getting overhead flights done come revaluation time and running sales. Of course, our tax rate is low as frick and we only have 6 appraisers, so.

        • 11 months ago
          Anonymous

          Things vary quite a bit across the country. What Michigan does is automatically reassess values of all properties in an area anytime a nearby property is assessed, either due to being sold or someone doing a permitted change to the house. The government assumes that all properties in the area secretly did the same upgrades as the house with permitted upgrades. Then you can appeal by letting them inspect your property to prove you didn't finish your basement like the guy down the street did.
          When I lived in Georgia, they'd come by and ask you if their records for number of bedrooms and bathroom were correct and then they'd measure the exterior of the house that is publicly accessible, so no measuring the back of the house if that area was fenced in. They never asked to look inside the house. Even in the City of Atlanta, I owned a condo for fifteen years and the city never asked to see inside.

          • 11 months ago
            Anonymous

            That's one odd way to do things. Outside of permits and sales listings we basically run on faith. Every property owner gets a listing form first of the year and pray they tell us. It leaves money on the table, but I'm not sure if the extra man power required would be worth trying to get it. Much less the fact someone would absolutely get shot doing door to door in the northern part of the county.

  4. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    Get up to speed on what makes a garage cease to be a garage in the eyes of code enforcement; in many places anything that makes it unusable for pulling a car inside and shutting the door can trigger a citation...that includes using it for non- car storage, workshops, etc.without living there at all.
    The flip side is that if you keep it so that it always passes a spot inspection based on those rules you may very well be living in it but there won't be much they can do or say unless they actually catch you asleep in the middle of the night or some other blatantly obvious act that pretty much dares them to frick with you.

    t. learned this all firsthand from a code enforcement officer who was waiting for me when I came back to my garage/studio from taking a shower at the upstairs neighbor's apartment.

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      the garage is part of the house. who gives a shit what you put inside of it. where does it state anywhere that you have to store cars in the garage? people use their garages to store extra junk that they would put in the attic. the frick is code enforcement gonna do? if you cant see anything from the outside who the frick is gonna know or care whats IN your garage? the city doesnt come inside your home and do random inspections. they arent fricking landlords.

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        >people use their garages to store extra junk that they would put in the attic.
        >people
        >people
        Weird way of spelling boomer.

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        >who gives a shit what you put inside of it.

        Municipal code enforcement.

        >where does it state anywhere that you have to store cars in the garage?

        Here, for just one example:

        "There is a permit application fee of $52.00 for applications requiring a field inspection. A field inspection is required if the address has not applied for a permit in the past. The application fee will be deducted from permit fees for approved applications.

        After your completed application has been received and processed, the Parking Division will then investigate the following criteria:

        ...The actual number of parking spaces at the residence. Parking spaces available on the property shall not be used for purposes such as storage. This includes using your garage or driveway for any purpose other than the parking of your passenger vehicle."

        https://www.cityofpasadena.net/transportation/parking-info/buy-parking-permit/house-front/#annual-overnight

        >people use their garages to store extra junk that they would put in the attic. the frick is code enforcement gonna do?
        Cite and fine you and put a lien on your property if you ignore them.

        >if you cant see anything from the outside who the frick is gonna know or care whats IN your garage?

        Neighbors, code enforcement, fire department all care.

        >the city doesnt come inside your home and do random inspections.

        Who said it's "random"? In the case of overnight street parking in Pasadena, you have to ask them to do an inspection to get a permit. They are very anal about it, but it's not at all uncommon for municipalities to limit garage use to car storage....that may not mean that you *have* to park in it but even where driveway and street parking aren't as regulated as they are in Pasadena that can still mean you can't use them for anything else without risking code enforcement up your ass.

        Also you can ask your parents or a trusted adult like an aunt or uncle or school counselor to explain it to you.

        • 11 months ago
          Anonymous

          >California
          oof.

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        >the garage is part of the house.
        Actually it's not in the sense of being residential living space, which is why you need special permits to turn it into living space.

        >where does it state anywhere that you have to store cars in the garage?

        142.0510 General Parking Regulations

        (a) Use of Required Parking Spaces. Required off-street parking spaces, parking areas, and transportation facilities shall be used only for parking operable vehicles of residents, employers, employees, customers, and visitors as appropriate to the allowed uses of the applicable zone.

        (b) Parking Spaces to be Kept Clear. All off-street parking spaces and aisles shall be kept clear of any temporary or permanent obstructions.

        (c) Existing Parking Not to be Reduced. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Land Development Code, existing off-street parking facilities that were provided and maintained on the same premises before parking was required and which serve a use now requiring off-street parking spaces shall not be
        reduced in number, dimension, or any other manner below the requirements
        of this division.

        https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/municodechapter14/ch14art02division05.pdf

        • 11 months ago
          Anonymous

          >operable vehicles
          >operable
          Oh frick

        • 11 months ago
          Anonymous

          In general, for residential districts, the parking spaces can be provided outside of the residence; they might have a restriction on placing the parking in the front yard, but often times they won't.
          Now HOAs are different. Those bastards would take exception to your kid leaving his bike on the front porch.

  5. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    If it's not a shop or otherwise way to produce things on your own, then it should be a way to improve yourself. Gym, dedicated study, painting/drawing studio, etc. You're better off converting basements.

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      >You're better off converting basements.
      Basement can flood in most places quite easy, many insurance companies are increasing rates for flood damage or just giving you a hassle and no honoring anything.

  6. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    the floor is too low for a proper toilet to drain, so plan on building a toilet platform with a handicapped ramp, or insist that your tenants use a portable bucket for wastewater disposal to curb

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      Weird how basements can have a toilet sitting straight on the slab but a garage floor is too low huh.

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      A word of advice if you're going to convert your garage to an apartment and rent it out is to get it permitted and inspected. If you don't, a vindictive tenant could really frick you over with a simple phone call. You also may be required to remove the garage door and wall in the opening, as well as possibly closing off the door between the apartment and the house so they are separate dwellings. Depends on the code in your area.

      >the floor is too low for a proper toilet to drain
      This is almost never the case, sewer and septic lines are typically at least a few feet below grade so they aren't subject to freezing.

      >the garage is part of the house.
      Actually it's not in the sense of being residential living space, which is why you need special permits to turn it into living space.

      >where does it state anywhere that you have to store cars in the garage?

      142.0510 General Parking Regulations

      (a) Use of Required Parking Spaces. Required off-street parking spaces, parking areas, and transportation facilities shall be used only for parking operable vehicles of residents, employers, employees, customers, and visitors as appropriate to the allowed uses of the applicable zone.

      (b) Parking Spaces to be Kept Clear. All off-street parking spaces and aisles shall be kept clear of any temporary or permanent obstructions.

      (c) Existing Parking Not to be Reduced. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Land Development Code, existing off-street parking facilities that were provided and maintained on the same premises before parking was required and which serve a use now requiring off-street parking spaces shall not be
      reduced in number, dimension, or any other manner below the requirements
      of this division.

      https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/municodechapter14/ch14art02division05.pdf

      This is more about minimum number of off-street parking spots than what you can and can't put in your garage. A residential dwelling is required to have a certain number of parking spaces, based on certain factors like number of bedrooms, square footage, etc. which changes from place to place. If you can show that you meet the required number of parking spots in your driveway, then filling up your garage with shit is perfectly fine because they aren't "required" parking spaces. But like I said, it differs from place to place, and from what you posted apparently sand diego says you can't use a parking space for something else even if it doesn't put you below the minimum number of spots, which is from what I've experienced a rather uncommon regulation.

  7. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    If you're just building a place for yourself or your kid or something then you can really do whatever you want.
    However, if you're going to rent it out to AirBnb guests or lease it to some third world family then you need to cover your ass. Even if you don't plan to get permits or inspections the place should be up to code. Fire codes require a certain number of exits, smoke and CO detectors, fire extinguishers, etc etc. I know, you're thinking frick all that right? That's cool until your arab tenant starts a fire cooking kebab on a charcoal grill indoors and all 38 kids get killed. A tenant getting injured or killed will ruin your life. Insurance won't cover your illegal apartment. The city will fist frick you with fines and violations. You'll get sued in civil court for wrongful death( and lose) and you could even face criminal charges.
    Make sure your neighbors are cool too. If they suddenly see your culturally diverse new friends living in your garage they'll start calling the city on you.

  8. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    >Advice
    Youtube
    >Warning
    Make sure your neighbors are cool neighbors

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      But what happens if an angry old lady moves in next door?

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        She can narc on you. If the inspector comes, you'll have 3 choices:
        1. Convert it back to a garage.
        2. Go through the legal conversion process. That would include hiring an architect, contractors and inspectors.
        3. Move everything out that hints it as a living space. It better looks like a garage or a storage.

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        Blasting time

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        Throw a good frick into her once a week or so. That should keep her quiet.

  9. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    I remember a story where the guy wanted to build a tiny house but the city wouldn't aprove it. The fricking bureaucrats wouldn't let a person build a house the size of a 2 or even 3 car garage because reasons.
    So he approved the plans for a huge house with a garage, built only the garage and check mate.

  10. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    Boomers use the garage to store boomerhoard.
    People that are too poor to rent a room in a house usually don't care if the walls are finished.
    Why even bother?

  11. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    if you live in a den of sweat, weed, piss an shit your neighbors will hate you. fricker living next to me reeked so bad - i never ratted him out but god damn that fricker smelled.

  12. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    Insulate, finish, lighting,

  13. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    what a weird thread

    here in san diego we have a thing called a
    adu

    aditional dwelling unit
    it allows you to build a fully built appartment in a garage on side
    we even have list of plans that are already ready made for this thing
    its big here
    in san diego we rent any room we can for like 1000

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      the plans are already made, just look up garage adu plans,

      san diego passed a law to actually maked these affordable

      their pretty cool, its pretty much a studio appartment

      • 11 months ago
        Anonymous

        here
        look up adu garages

        this is a thing and its prob gonna spread

        • 11 months ago
          Anonymous

          States like Minnesota are going to make them mandatory.

  14. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    My buddy lived in one. It wasnt bad. except no outside windows. had a good size bathroom added, it was comfy, we even had 8 people crammed into it after a show.
    I would remove the garage door, it takes up ceiling space.

  15. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    So I lived in one of these right out of highschool. Ex's parents put up a frame halfway into the garage, then hung sheet rock and put it a window unit. Legit super comfy at times. Would go outside and get super stoned, then go back and watch Berserk on a portable dvd player. Wrote an entire album in that garage room. Back then the ex was actually manageable too....

    Anon you need to build it, it will be cool

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      I've been sleeping in a detached one for about a year now, I still go to the main house to shit shower and cook but the garage has a fridge,microwave, tables, couch, tv and wifi, what more could a guy want? Insulated and with a heat pump, it's pretty comfy tbh the only thing that is missing is a water hookup and a toilet/shower and it's basically a mini house. I sleep in a little loft area above the floor that was used for boomer storage and I wouldn't have it any other way.

  16. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    I want to buy/rent an industrial warehouse and build out a little apartment in the back. How can I do this without getting caught?

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      Get one of those insulated building kits from Duramax or the like and stick it somewhere the floor is level and not contaminated by whatever was made in the warehouse.

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      just buy a parking lot and put a mobile office
      fix it up and live in it
      those mobile offices are allowed on commercial property because they are offices to run buissness
      tons of buissness have tiny appartments on them
      lots of liquor stores hava appartments above them

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      Build an internal office instead because you don't need something that looks like an apartment to live well. Put in a nice shower and shitter if you like.

  17. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    An angry old lady next door reported me for converting a garage. I had to pay tons in permits and inspections. Any good ways for me to get back at her?

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      >permits and inspections
      She did you a favor. Does it have a bathroom?

  18. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    ITT:
    >the US have tons of regulations like most other countries
    but thanks to a disfunctional government a lot of people get away with it

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      You can call it dysfunctional but how is any agency going to know what has been done within your home if the owner doesn't pull permits or report it in any way? Most jurisdictions don't have the manpower or desire to go door to door in order to find out. If anything it just puts all the risk on the owner as their homeowners insurance will shit all over them if something happens and the work was unpermitted when it should have been.

  19. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    The garage is man's castle

  20. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    My Ex’s family converted the garage of house they were renting into bedrooms.

    The landlord kicked them out.

    Oh that and put a deck on the house and a concrete driveway.

    They couldn’t comprehend that you can’t just go making alterations to rental properties. They were never asked to do it either

    • 11 months ago
      Anonymous

      >They couldn’t comprehend that you can’t just go making alterations to rental properties
      Even beyond the "fricking with someone else's property without their permission", what were their thoughts on dumping capital into something they have no equity stake in?

  21. 11 months ago
    Anonymous

    >Fricking stucco (no fastdry shits)
    >no ground rain slope

    You will be fricked up. And if you need to ask, you are not gonna make it.

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