Breezeway as living area?

[Donny Lindner]

I am appraising an older home. It is 820 sf with a breezeway between the house and the garage. All under one roof. The breezeway is on a concrete foundation and the house is pier and beam, so you have an elevation difference. You have to step down into the breezeway from the house. There are glass louver windows in the breezeway. CHA was ran into the breezeway. Formerly, this area had a couch and tv. The washer/dryer connections are also in this space. The space is 10x15. It has painted paneling and vinyl flooring.

Would you count as living space?

 

[Annemieke Roell]

Is it finished in the same quality as the house?

 

[ccooper]

heated with finished walls and floors...I would probably count it as GLA. If it is below the normal quality level, then a quality adjustment might be in order.

 

[Mark to market]

If it is heated, cooled, professionally done and the finish is comparable to the rest of the home then you should have no problem. If the quality is not there follow ccoopers advice. The elevation difference should not be a problem.
One question that might make a difference. Does it have a concrete footing or just a slab on ground?

 

[Donny Lindner]

If it is heated, cooled, professionally done and the finish is comparable to the rest of the home then you should have no problem. If the quality is not there follow ccoopers advice. The elevation difference should not be a problem.
One question that might make a difference. Does it have a concrete footing or just a slab on ground?

It appears to be slab on ground. Same level as garage .

 

[Donny Lindner]

This is an older dwelling. Has been rented for the past 5 years with no updating. Looks like a rental. The breezeway fits right in with the condition and finishout of the dwelling.

 

[Walter Kirk]

A porch is a porch, of course of course...

 

[Randolph Kinney]

Donny,

Although it is a judgment call whether to count the enclosed breezeway as living space, if it was not done with permit, I would be cautious. For one thing, you cannot see if the electrical wiring in the walls or other aspects were done correctly or to code.

Are there any comparables in the neighborhood with enclosed patios, porches, breezeways, etc., that you can get a market reaction to having this? Permit or not, it has value but how much?

 

[Donny Lindner]

Donny,

Although it is a judgment call whether to count the enclosed breezeway as living space, if it was not done with permit, I would be cautious. For one thing, you cannot see if the electrical wiring in the walls or other aspects were done correctly or to code.

Are there any comparables in the neighborhood with enclosed patios, porches, breezeways, etc., that you can get a market reaction to having this? Permit or not, it has value but how much?

This breezeway appears to have been original to the house. The only thing that has possibly changed is the addition of the CHA duct and the floor coverings.

 

[CANative]

You figured out pretty quickly that it is a breezeway. So would a buyer. If they would think of and use this area to live in then it's value is probably similar to an extra 150 sf of living area. But I would break it out for purposes of clarity. It might require some form gymnastics but that's why you get paid the big bucks.