The Perks Of Converting Your Garage Into An ADU

1. Additional Cash Flow

Converting your garage into an extra living space can generate important cash flow for anyone needing some extra income.

If you don’t often use the space, or if you’re just using it to store items that you rarely (or never) touch – why not put it to good use and rent it out?

Even if you’re well-off financially, the added income from renting out your ADU can allow you to gain a little extra luxury in your life; buy that hot tub you’ve been dreaming about, or go on a vacation to beat the winter months.

2. Increases Property Value

Whether you use the garage conversion for income or as an additional living space for your family, it adds quite a bit of additional value to your property, if done correctly.

In fact, the conversion could potentially raise your property value by up to a whopping 10%.

3. Extra Living Space

If your current residence is cramped or is starting to get a little packed, turning your garage into an ADU can provide some much needed extra room.

This can be a living space for family during the holidays, or even for elderly relatives who need daily care.

Possibly the most important aspect of any added living space is privacy. No one likes being cramped together for days or weeks at a time.

Thankfully, an ADU is the perfect solution.

It could also be a play area, man cave, or home office.

Whatever you can’t fit in your home, you could extend over to your new ADU.

You could even expand your kitchen, living room, or bedroom.

The options are pretty much endless and are only limited by your imagination.

4. It Pays For Your Mortgage!

Imagine all the things you could do with your money if you no longer had housing costs to account for. Seems a little too good to be true, right?

Well, it’s not! Whether you rent out the ADU, your home or both – you could actually use the extra income to have your mortgage paid off nearly twice as fast.

And if you’re not a fan of renting it out long term, another viable option is to list the space on AirBnB or a similar site.

4 Types of Garage Conversion: Which One is Right For You?

When it comes to garage conversions, most people don’t really know that there are actually plenty of different types they can choose from. Here are 4 of the most popular types of garage conversions:

1. Attached Conversion

This type of garage conversion is perfect for those looking to expand their home’s square footage. Whether this is to remodel a kitchen or add an extra room to a small house, this type can add quite a bit to your property valuation.

2. Detached Conversion

The detached garage conversion is ideal for those seeking to earn an income from their ADU. It’s one of the easier options to rent out after the conversion and is arguably the most flexible on this list.

3. 2nd Floor Conversion

This conversion adds another floor to your existing detached garage. It’s a really popular option for people who still need their garage for parking, but want to build an ADU nonetheless.

4. Partial Conversion

This type of conversion applies to larger garage spaces. You don’t have to sacrifice all your parking space for the project, or pick between parking space and extra income. With a partial garage conversion, you can renovate a portion of your garage into a whole new space, and leave the rest as is.

What Is The Process Of Converting Your Garage Into An ADU?

When you imagine all the work and planning that goes into most construction projects, no matter how big or small they are – converting your garage into an ADU might suddenly seem like a pretty daunting task!

However, conversions are actually not all that difficult, and when you work with a professional and experienced team, the process is generally straightforward.

To give you an idea of what you can expect – here’s a quick summary of the most essential steps you’ll need to take to get started with your ADU project.

1. Draft The Blueprints and Design

No matter the type of ADU you’re looking for, the most important step is to plan, plan, and plan some more.

Here at Architects LA, we have an experienced team that has the know-how and expertise to turn your garage into a beautiful accessory dwelling unit.

Before you go off to hire contractors and get permits for your project, you’ll need to put together a detailed design blueprint for the space.

2. Get The Right Permits

Perhaps the most confusing part of the entire process. Depending on the type of conversion, you may be looking at several specific permits.

Thankfully, we handle all of this for you. We’ll do all the footwork to help you obtain all the necessary permits to bring your dream space to life.

3. Build Your ADU

Once you’ve got the planning and approval out of the way – it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get building.

How Much Should You Expect to Spend On A Garage Conversion?

On average, you should expect to spend anywhere from $30,000-$150,000 for your garage conversion.

However, for a so-called “bare bones” conversion, you may pay as little as $15,000. This low cost conversion will not break the bank, but also will not bring in as much cash flow.

Keep in mind, however, that if you’re after a more luxurious remodel, the cost could easily jump up to $150,000 or more.

On the flip-side, if you’re planning to rent the space out – this would help you attract more renters and ask for higher rent as well. It all depends on the specifics of your garage conversion and who you choose to hire.

Contact us today for a personalized quote on ADU design projects!

Things You Should Consider When Planning Your Project

When planning a garage conversion, there are many technical and legal elements that must be taken into account before any construction can begin.

Perhaps one of the most obvious considerations is the design of your ADU. Surely this goes without saying, but if you’re converting your attached garage into an extra room in your house, it isn’t only the interior that needs to change.

Garages are often wildly different in appearance compared to the materials and colors of your house. The exterior of the garage must be changed to match your home in order to preserve your property value.

This is also an important consideration because you want your ADU to appear as if it is a natural part of your home and not just an addition.

You must also pay close attention to the access points of both your home and the garage. The last thing you want is an awkward entrance that just doesn’t make sense.

While using the existing entryways may generally seem like the right thing to do, and appear as the most convenient course of action, it may not serve you so well in a functional sense.

Another thing that often goes overlooked is space, especially in terms of the storage requirements when designing your ADU.

Do you currently store seasonal or rarely used items in your garage? Take a second to think about where they’ll go after the remodeling project.

Having a gorgeous new space is an exciting change – but the last thing you want to do is to disrupt that by cluttering up the rest of your home!

It’s also important to consider the purpose of your new living space before you begin the design process.

Is it going to be a rentable apartment, a home office, or maybe a third or fourth bedroom? All of these options require very different layouts and will force you to use the space you have available to you in vastly different ways.

So, make sure you keep functionality in mind during the design process. And when thinking of functionality, make sure to remember light sources as well! Especially for attached garages, natural light sources are often severely limited or non-existent. Adding a couple of extra windows would be a great way to make the space feel bigger and brighter.

Permits and other legalities are also crucial aspects of any remodel or conversion project. So, before you roll up your sleeves – be sure to educate yourself on what permits you’ll need and what you’ll need to do to make sure your new space will be up to code. This will make the process of obtaining the necessary permits much easier, and will result in a far higher chance of them being approved, without any pesky back-and-forth which can otherwise take quite a bit of time.

This is where we come in! Having a professional and knowledgeable team helping you get through the planning, design and permits is the most reliable way to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

Choose Architects LA For Your Garage Conversion

Architects LA is an award winning team that has spent many years helping homeowners around L.A. successfully turn their garages into beautiful and comfortable ADUs.

Our team of experts will handle every step from helping you plan, providing you with professional designs all the way to handling the permit process and making sure that you’re ready to build!

We’re dedicated to helping you turn your dream living space into reality and we have a solid track record in doing exactly that across hundreds of projects.

From standard conversion to complex and ultra-luxury projects, we’ve got the right skill-set and know-how to help you make just about any garage conversion project into a simple and seamless process.

Allowing you to focus your time and attention on what matters, while we handle all of the tedious and difficult footwork to make sure your project can go ahead as planned.

Over the last several years, we’ve been known to be the most affordable and top-rated team that specializes in ADUs and garage conversions in Los Angeles. Just give us a call, and let us help you turn your garage into a cash generating machine.