Afternoon everyone. We have a detached two-car garage we barely use for cars, and with rents where they are I've been wondering whether converting it into a rental unit makes financial sense. I have no idea what's involved - plumbing, electrical, permits, whether the city even allows it, and what it costs versus what it might bring in. Bellevue, detached garage, and we'd be financing part of it. Has anyone here actually done a garage conversion, what did it end up costing, and would you do it again knowing what you know now?
Garage conversions are one of the more common ADU routes because you already have foundation, walls and roof, which removes a large chunk of cost. What you'll need to add is plumbing, upgraded electrical, insulation, egress-compliant windows and usually a heat source. Permitting in Bellevue is workable but has its own requirements around parking and setbacks. On the return, run the math with a realistic vacancy allowance rather than twelve months of rent. New Day Construction manages design through construction on these, see www.newdayconstruction.co. Get a feasibility review before you spend anything on design work.
