Part of the issue is that a lot of the shelves/workbench/etc are screwed or nailed into the walls, so if my friend doesn't have the contractor do it now as part of the current job, it's going to be either more expensive (or a pain if he does it himself) to do it later.And yes @Frank Geiger, a majority of the houses in the neighborhood have a 2 car garage I believe....Although now that I think about it, my friend could ask the local realtor to see what people would prefer.

I thought this was going to be a pain but it has actually wound up to be a real blessing. 

Water coming in is such a pain and can cause considerable damage.  

Like Dennis mentioned above, it might be a pain in the butt to convert to Section 8 units and work with the housing authority, but it will be worth it when you make the change.

depending on your tolerance for pain....if your near the university you can also share a room in your own house or convert unused space into a extra bedroom for yourself....if you don't mind living like/with a student.for instance the owner of my place (UTC), before I bought it, converted the formal dining room into a bedroom so the owner could rent it out as a four bedroom instead of a three.

Clearly he has a challenge, figure out the pain point, and become a problem solver.

When we enter a recession, this could be very painful for any low income investor.

It can definitely be a painful process at times but, keep searching if you are unhappy with your last refi bank and eventually you’ll find one that you work well with 

I think they're looking on BiggerPockets to find someone to potentially solve their pain point THERE problem. 

Changing the occupancy is a major pain and a lengthy process that will add some hefty filing fees.good luck, I hope it goes well!