I've talked to the local zoning board and it looks like I can legally
convert the attached garage and storage area on my rental property
into a one bedroom in-law apartment.

My next step is to get an idea of what it would cost.
The garage has no plumbing at all.
I'm just making wild guesses, but I'm thinking $5k to hook into the
house's water & sewer, $5k for a 1/2 bathroom, $10k for a small
kitchen, $5k for wiring and electric heat.

Really, I'm just pulling these numbers out of thin air.
Has anyone here done this type of conversion?

Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycles
http://OldRoads.com

On Aug 21, 11:26 am, OldRoads wrote:
I've talked to the local zoning board and it looks like I can legally
convert the attached garage and storage area on my rental property
into a one bedroom in-law apartment.


My mother-in-law (to be) lives 1000 miles away and that isn't far
enough.

"OldRoads" wrote in message
oups.com...

I've talked to the local zoning board and it looks like I can legally
convert the attached garage and storage area on my rental property
into a one bedroom in-law apartment.

My next step is to get an idea of what it would cost.
The garage has no plumbing at all.
I'm just making wild guesses, but I'm thinking $5k to hook into the
house's water & sewer, $5k for a 1/2 bathroom, $10k for a small
kitchen, $5k for wiring and electric heat.

Really, I'm just pulling these numbers out of thin air.
Has anyone here done this type of conversion?

I think you mean 3/4 bath (aka sink/stool/shower)? Elsewise, Granny either
smells or comes into the main house at least once a day.

I'd price out a regular addition and/or one of those modular backyard
'granny flat' units. Around here, losing the garage permanently is a big hit
on renter or buyer appeal. And converted garages look like, well, converted
garages.

Is this something the renter requested, or are you trying to create another
unit on the cheap, as a place to park your own MIL?

aem sends...

I think it would be way less than that. Maybe around $10k (of course it depends on where you live). Think of it in terms of sq ft. Around here houses go for ~$100/ft2 (fully finished and including the lot)

I guess an average (two-car) garage is about 400-500 ft2. So fully built from scratch, that much square feet finished out would be $40-50k. But you already have the land, the excavation, the slab, the roof, windows etc. All you need is to convert the garage door into wall/windows and of course the interior work. So I'm estimating (really dangerous) about only 25% work remains so about 25% the cost of the full build so about $25/ft2 - say about $10k

So take the average price per foot in your area and try about 1/4 of that.

Of course all of this is just a wild guess. Best to find a neighbor who has had similar work done and of course find a home improvement contractor who can give you a getting started estimate.

--
Richard Thoms
President - Top Service Pros, Inc.
Connecting Homeowners and Local Service Professionals
http://www.TopServicePros.com

On Aug 21, 8:20 pm, Richard Thoms richard[at]topservicepros[dot]com
wrote:
I think it would be way less than that. Maybe around $10k (of course it depends on where you live). Think of it in terms of sq ft. Around here houses go for ~$100/ft2 (fully finished and including the lot)

I guess an average (two-car) garage is about 400-500 ft2. So fully built from scratch, that much square feet finished out would be $40-50k. But you already have the land, the excavation, the slab, the roof, windows etc. All you need is to convert the garage door into wall/windows and of course the interior work. So I'm estimating (really dangerous) about only 25% work remains so about 25% the cost of the full build so about $25/ft2 - say about $10k

So take the average price per foot in your area and try about 1/4 of that.

Of course all of this is just a wild guess. Best to find a neighbor who has had similar work done and of course find a home improvement contractor who can give you a getting started estimate.

--
Richard Thoms
President - Top Service Pros, Inc.
Connecting Homeowners and Local Service Professionalshttp://www.TopServicePros.com

Yep, 3/4 bath, you're right.
We're looking to create a place for us to stay a couple times a
month. We have other rentals in this town, but live 75 miles away.

The space is 450 sq ft. How do I find out the cost per sq ft of new
contruction in this town?
If I take the cost of the property, and divide it by the sq ft of the
house, the price comes to $222/sq ft.
Is that any indication of the cost of a conversion?
Using 1/4 of that puts the cost at $25k to do the job.

Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycles
http://OldRoads.com

On Aug 22, 7:36 am, OldRoads wrote:
On Aug 21, 8:20 pm, Richard Thoms richard[at]topservicepros[dot]com
wrote:

I think it would be way less than that. Maybe around $10k (of course it depends on where you live). Think of it in terms of sq ft. Around here houses go for ~$100/ft2 (fully finished and including the lot)

I guess an average (two-car) garage is about 400-500 ft2. So fully built from scratch, that much square feet finished out would be $40-50k. But you already have the land, the excavation, the slab, the roof, windows etc. All you need is to convert the garage door into wall/windows and of course the interior work. So I'm estimating (really dangerous) about only 25% work remains so about 25% the cost of the full build so about $25/ft2 - say about $10k

So take the average price per foot in your area and try about 1/4 of that.

Of course all of this is just a wild guess. Best to find a neighbor who has had similar work done and of course find a home improvement contractor who can give you a getting started estimate.

--
Richard Thoms
President - Top Service Pros, Inc.
Connecting Homeowners and Local Service Professionalshttp://www.TopServicePros.com

Yep, 3/4 bath, you're right.
We're looking to create a place for us to stay a couple times a
month. We have other rentals in this town, but live 75 miles away.

The space is 450 sq ft. How do I find out the cost per sq ft of new
contruction in this town?
If I take the cost of the property, and divide it by the sq ft of the
house, the price comes to $222/sq ft.
Is that any indication of the cost of a conversion?
Using 1/4 of that puts the cost at $25k to do the job.

Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycleshttp://OldRoads.com

There are so many variables here that it's very difficult to get any
realistic estimate without getting actual quotes. Using the avg cost
of new construction isn't much use either. A whole house has lots of
space that is lower cost, eg bedrooms, family room, and some that are
high cost, eg kitchen, bathroom. In your case, you're going to have a
lot of kitchen/bath for the total space which is small. During new
construction, routing plumbing is easy. Whith a garage with a
concrete floor, it's a lot different. Any one of these things can
vary 2X. For example, what size service and panel do you have? If
the service is too small, now you need to upgrade that, as opposed to
just adding on which is less expensive.

Having said all that, my guess is that it's going to be a lot more
than $10K, and the $25K number seems more likely.

OldRoads wrote:

I've talked to the local zoning board and it
looks like I can legally convert the attached
garage and storage area on my rental property
into a one bedroom in-law apartment.

Be very careful when dealing with Zoning Boards.
What you are creating is known as a "Coach House."
In many locales, coach houses are NOT rentable as
separate units. However, I read in another post
that you wanted to use it as an owner's apartment.
That I suspect is permittable.

My next step is to get an idea of what it would cost.
The garage has no plumbing at all.
I'm just making wild guesses, but I'm thinking $5k
to hook into the house's water & sewer, $5k for a
1/2 bathroom, $10k for a small kitchen, $5k for
wiring and electric heat.

Really, I'm just pulling these numbers out of thin air.
Has anyone here done this type of conversion?

My thin-air opinion is that your costs are low.
The sewer hook up may require breaking up a concrete
a concrete floor so I'd guess 8 to 10K for the
the sewer/water hook ups.

You need a shower in the 1/2 bath so I'd put that
at 7 to 8K.

10K for a small kitchen might be high. But 5k for
the wiring and electrical heat is probably low.

OTOH if you have the ability to act as your own
general contractor, your costs may be lower.

It will come as a shock to me if they let you put
in separate meters for the electricty.

Dick

On Aug 22, 4:38 pm, Dick Adams wrote:
wrote:
I've talked to the local zoning board and it
looks like I can legally convert the attached
garageand storage area on my rental property
into a one bedroom in-law apartment.

Be very careful when dealing with Zoning Boards.
What you are creating is known as a "Coach House."
In many locales, coach houses are NOT rentable as
separate units. However, I read in another post
that you wanted to use it as an owner's apartment.
That I suspect is permittable.

My next step is to get an idea of what it would cost.
Thegaragehas no plumbing at all.
I'm just making wild guesses, but I'm thinking $5k
to hook into the house's water & sewer, $5k for a
1/2 bathroom, $10k for a small kitchen, $5k for
wiring and electric heat.

Really, I'm just pulling these numbers out of thin air.
Has anyone here done this type of conversion?

My thin-air opinion is that your costs are low.
The sewer hook up may require breaking up a concrete
a concrete floor so I'd guess 8 to 10K for the
the sewer/water hook ups.

You need a shower in the 1/2 bath so I'd put that
at 7 to 8K.

10K for a small kitchen might be high. But 5k for
the wiring and electrical heat is probably low.

OTOH if you have the ability to act as your own
general contractor, your costs may be lower.

It will come as a shock to me if they let you put
in separate meters for the electricty.

Dick

In our area they call this a "supplemental apartment" and it cannot be
rented to a non-family member.
Of the 450 sq ft, about 300 sq ft is the garage with it's concrete
floor, and the other 150 is a storage and has a wooden floor built on
son-tubes.


Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycles
http://OldRoads.com

On Aug 21, 8:26 am, OldRoads wrote:
I've talked to the local zoning board and it looks like I can legally
convert the attached garage and storage area on my rental property
into a one bedroom in-law apartment.

My next step is to get an idea of what it would cost.
The garage has no plumbing at all.
I'm just making wild guesses, but I'm thinking $5k to hook into the
house's water & sewer, $5k for a 1/2 bathroom, $10k for a small
kitchen, $5k for wiring and electric heat.

Really, I'm just pulling these numbers out of thin air.
Has anyone here done this type of conversion?

Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycleshttp://OldRoads.com

Garden hose outdoors for a shower. Paint bucket for a crapper. There,
I just saved you 10 grand. Your welcome.

Just to follow up on this...
We received a few estimates, the lowest of them was $95k, so in the
end, it's not worth pursuing.
Thank you for your reasoned replies.

Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycles
http://OldRoads.com



On Aug 22, 6:37 pm, wrote:
On Aug 21, 8:26 wrote:

I've talked to the local zoning board and it looks like I can legally
convert the attached garage and storage area on my rental property
into a one bedroom in-law apartment.

My next step is to get an idea of what it would cost.
The garage has no plumbing at all.
I'm just making wild guesses, but I'm thinking $5k to hook into the
house's water & sewer, $5k for a 1/2 bathroom, $10k for a small
kitchen, $5k for wiring and electric heat.

Really, I'm just pulling these numbers out of thin air.
Has anyone here done this type of conversion?

Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycleshttp://OldRoads.com

Garden hose outdoors for a shower. Paint bucket for a crapper. There,
I just saved you 10 grand. Your welcome.

"OldRoads" wrote in message
ups.com...
Just to follow up on this...
We received a few estimates, the lowest of them was $95k, so in the
end, it's not worth pursuing.
Thank you for your reasoned replies.

Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycles
http://OldRoads.com


It all depends on many things. If you can do some of the work, you will
save there. The estimates you gave were far too high. We did one for far
less than half of that amount.

Steve

On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 08:09:04 -0700, "SteveB"
wrote:


"OldRoads" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just to follow up on this...
We received a few estimates, the lowest of them was $95k, so in the
end, it's not worth pursuing.
Thank you for your reasoned replies.

Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycles
http://OldRoads.com


It all depends on many things. If you can do some of the work, you will
save there. The estimates you gave were far too high. We did one for far
less than half of that amount.

A friend converted his attached garage to a bedroom. His m-i-l has to
walk up one step and around to the powder room to use the bath room.
But I suppose it only cost a couple thousand. Less if he left the oil
cans on the shelf.

Steve

Much of the cost depends on what structural changes are needed to make a
garage into a habitable building, the cost of changes to add windows, doors
and to supply plumbing, electrical and heating. The internal design will
also dictate the costs, such as a bathroom backing onto the kitchen so that
the plumbing is concentrated within one wall will reduce the costs. Internal
wall framing, drywall, and trim will not cost much. To get good estimates
you should have a complete set of plans and specifications of the materials,
fixtures and so on so that everyone knows what is expected and the quotes
are all for the same thing. Don't leave it up to the contractor to choose,
as there can be a great deal of difference in cost between supplies,
materials and the labor to install them.

"OldRoads" wrote in message
ups.com...
Just to follow up on this...
We received a few estimates, the lowest of them was $95k, so in the
end, it's not worth pursuing.
Thank you for your reasoned replies.

Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycles
http://OldRoads.com



On Aug 22, 6:37 pm, wrote:
On Aug 21, 8:26 wrote:

I've talked to the local zoning board and it looks like I can legally
convert the attached garage and storage area on my rental property
into a one bedroom in-law apartment.

My next step is to get an idea of what it would cost.
The garage has no plumbing at all.
I'm just making wild guesses, but I'm thinking $5k to hook into the
house's water & sewer, $5k for a 1/2 bathroom, $10k for a small
kitchen, $5k for wiring and electric heat.

Really, I'm just pulling these numbers out of thin air.
Has anyone here done this type of conversion?

Vin - Menotomy Vintage Bicycleshttp://OldRoads.com

Garden hose outdoors for a shower. Paint bucket for a crapper. There,
I just saved you 10 grand. Your welcome.

I have thought about this over the years. by DIY and low end fixtures,
like shower surround it can be done really cheap..

of course no granite counter tops, no ceramic tile, no high end
anything