Zoning / Permits Currently Unknown

[Scott Vaeth]

Hi there BP! I found a single family house that I'm interested in because it has a large detached garage in the backyard that I'd consider converting into an apartment. This property has been on the market for some time. I think it's because of the location being near a busier street and a run down commercial property adjacent to it. However, recent comps in the area are stronger than I was expecting. Anyways, I was investigating zoning and permit laws in Greenville, SC and saw that you can't build a detached garage larger than 200 square feet. Since this garage is easily 3-4x larger, should I be concerned that this was illegally built? 

Would I call the city to figure this out? I'm considering having a contractor on site with me when I go to tour the place with my agent, but wasn't sure if there is some homework I can do beforehand. Any advice would be appreciated! 

[Mona Lisa Harrison]

Massive zoning changes just took affect July 15th.

Here's a link to 'read all about it'.  If the property is in the city limits, this will determine what you can do.

You can also pull up permitting history to see if permits were pulled.

I would say be careful, converting a structure like a garage into a livable legal unit takes a lot of money, time and permissions. You say there's a run down commercial building next door. Things like that will affect your rent.

You make your money when you buy....