HVAC issues in garage conversion house?

Question

I'm considering making an offer on a house (for a rental).

The house used to have a one car garage. One of the previous owners decided to open up part of the adjacent living room wall to enlarge the living room into the space that was previously the garage. They also put a partition wall directly in front of the garage door (parallel to it), so there is another tiny "room" behind the garage door. The garage door was never cemented over on the interior--it is still visible.

My insurance agent says that the carriers don't mind the conversion as long as the space is heated/cooled. I am going to call the realtor to find out if that is the case with this house.

My concerns are, if that area is not heated/cooled, and I need to pull a permit to have ducts extended there: 1) the cost 2) if I pull the HVAC permit and the county reports it to Code, and they want it converted back to a garage. 3) It may not be possible to extend the ducts for one reason or another. 4) Since the garage door is directly exposed to the rest of the living area, I don't know how well insulated the area is, and if this is pushing up the utility bills.

I don't think this would be an easy re-conversion because the interior wall to the rest of the house has been opened up, and because of where the W/D hookups are situated in the house.

Would you pass on making the offer if the entire space is not heated/cooled?

Thanks.

Michael Shadow · Answer

You need to make sure the building is/or will be in compliance with local laws.  You may want to check with zoning on the issue of converting the garage to living space.  There shouldn't be an issue with it but the last thing you want is zoning breathing down your back.  You also want to make sure permits have been pulled and that you pull permits when doing any renovations that involve adding living space, electrical, hvac, or plumbing work.  If something isn't done right and starts a fire and the insurance company finds out a permit wasn't pulled they can refuse to pay the insurance claim.

I would remove the garage door and build a new exterior and interior wall and insulate it.  It will cost less than you might think and it will pay for itself in energy savings especially if you are in an area that has high heating/cooling loads.

Don Hines · Answer

I would pass because it sounds to rigged up to me. No telling what else you will find in the rest of the house once you start your rehab. I have spent half of the time fixing inferior "up grades" on my current rehab. 
Don

Bienes Raices · Answer

Shane,
Yes, there are lots of those in this area, where the carport or the garage has been converted. I'm not that concerned about selling one of those in the long term--unless the buyer or the buyer's lender made a stink about the unapproved conversion, I don't see how it would be an issue, and these houses seem to change hands regularly.

According to the county inspectors (and this forum), it's not a big deal, or expensive, to convert it back when the garage door is still intact but they've put a wall in front of it. But in this case they opened up the actual living room wall. That, combined with the fact that the house was already small, made me not want to deal with it.

According to the inspector here it can be a pain in the neck and a drawn out process to get an unpermitted room permitted after the fact. Maybe it's easier in other localities?

Shane Woods · Answer

Thanks for that :)  Is this the case with most of you that encounter this?  In my area, there are lots of the same types of properties, 2/1/1 converted to 3/1.  Some done well, some not.  Some permitted, some not.

Bienes Raices · Answer

I have called them in the past about similar issues and pretty much know what they will say -- have an architect create a blueprint and put it back to the way it was.

Joel Owens · Answer

Not an HVAC expert at all but another question is would the current system be able to handle cooling and heating more space??

The current installation might already be maxed out for what was originally built as livable space.

Shane Woods · Answer

I was hoping you had called the city folks, and had their reply for us :(  probably a good idea to keep looking though.  Don't get attached is probably the #1 or #2 thing I see here for us newbie investors...and vets alike.

Bienes Raices · Answer

Thanks for the advice. I have thought it over and decided not to make the offer.

Jon Holdman · Answer

I would have a chat with the city building department, in particular one of the inspectors.  This is really common in our area where post-war 2/1/1's have been converted into 3/1s.  Cities have gotten tighter on permitting, though, and might object at some point.  Best to understand what they will do up front.  Just give them a call and talk to them.  Say you're considering purchasing the house and describe it to them and ask how they would prefer to see this handled.

James H. · Answer

I'm not sure I'm clear on what you are trying to do. Are you trying to climate control the little "room"?

HVAC issues in garage conversion house?

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