Converting garage to livable space while keeping it functional as garage

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I want to able to use the space as a garage in the event of hail or high wind storms or in the event of an inspection. But I mostly park outside the garage and use it as a workshop. I’d like to make it a nice workshop that could be rented for maybe two weekends a month or stay there myself while I rent out my home and garage apartment. Tools and such in lockable cabinets and then a bed that could be folded down.

I would never want to park a car in there AND sleep there. So is it illegal in Europe because of car emissions?

25

I have multiple reasons for wanting to do this. One is the added income. Two is I can justify having a nice shop since it will bring in income. Three is when I retire I hope to travel or change careers to a job that involves travel and will be gone a lot. I’d rather live in the less desireable downstairs garage area when I’m home and rent the other parts.

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I think you’re trying to have you cake and eat it too. Either take off the garage door, re-finish that side and the inside, and rent it. Or keep it a garage/shop for the occasional wind/rainstorm.

27

You’ll need to figure out whether or not what you’re planning to do complies with your local laws.

If it does, you can make it nice by high pressure cleaning the concrete, painting it and laying down rugs; finishing the walls, etc. You’d have to be creative on how you’d hide your tools, etc. and to make it homely. Also, how to address moving furniture to fit your car and not damaging the furniture, walls or floors…

You’d find it difficult to balance making it a rental space and garage/workshed. Guests want a clean space, and garages/work sheds are inherently dusty and dirty.

I wouldn’t stay in a dual-use garage.

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Now I’m confused. Is this garage conversion for Airbnb renters or for @Gladestudio to live in?

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Rental until I retire.

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My main thought is that it may not be worth the hassle and cost to convert it into a space nice enough that people would want to stay in. I wouldn’t pay that much for it, so is it worth the cost to upgrade it for the income? Do it for you if you want, but if it’s primarily for income do a cost/benefit comparison to find out how often you’d have to rent it and at what nightly price to cover all your expenses to make it worth it. And how saturated is your area.

We have a similar set-up: detached garage with an apartment above it. We’re working on making the garage clean and have it set up as a game area with ping-pong and foose-ball tables. We’re also wanting to add a bathroom (for guest use and for the pool) and update the entry to make it nicer. But for us it wouldn’t be worth trying to make it a living space for precisely the reasons you mentioned: noise and the the cost of making it nice enough that someone would actually want to sleep there. Is thousands of dollars in updates (DIY, or tens of thousands with a contractor) worth it to make $100 a few weekends a month?

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Most garages I have been in smell really bad of petrol and other things that do not especially fill me with the urge to sleep in there… If you are going to use it as a garage, you should have very good ventilation. Or something.

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Not safe, not possible.

And I think this would give Airbnb, in general, a bad name.

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At sharedesk.net you can rent a room as office space, just for during the day. Someone writing a book or working away from their home town might want it. Other than that it sounds like something too risky and iffy for actual sleeping there.

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Thank you everyone for all your comments. I am reconsidering my ideas for a garage remodel and entertaining ideas to just rent a room out of the house.

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We are in the middle of this exact same type of ‘renovation’ with a 2 car garage on the back of our property. We decided for resale value that converting the garage into a proper guest house was not a good idea, bc it would eliminate parking. We replaced the current garage door with a very nice swing out carriage door with windows, insulation, etc, resurfaced and stained the concrete floors, painted and weather sealed the rest of the garage. So, the building is still a garage but with a full bathroom and laundry area, could be used as living quarters/office/rec room/etc, depending on the needs of the owners. Given our neighbors are none too happy with us ABB, I don’t think we will turn it into a second listing, but that’s only because of the neighbors, not because the ‘garage’ wouldn’t be fit for people to stay in it.

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