living quarters over garages

[Mztk1]

Well your first one, which is actually the second picture you provide above, is more akin to the houses I have seen.

Unfortunately, what I have done in the past does not sound like an option for you. But I've gone 20 miles, and I've gone a year and a half back to find a similar style house in order to check market reaction. The bottom level, when enclosed, I've called a garage with storage or workshop, when open, a carport with covered storage. I've never called it a basement. Without excavation, the costs would be different.

The other thing I've had to watch for is their potential to be finished to living area. In some locations the living area is up high as a zoning requirement due to flooding. In that situation, even if the ground level that was the garage was finished to living area, I can't count it as such. But in other locations that ground area can be converted. Like in your first one, it looks like it is possible to have a family room at the entry door, section off the garage, and put stairs in to the upper level. If that is the case, and zoning allows it, I would have to consider whether or not the market would view that as a positive feature or not.

 

[jay trotta]

In your 1st PIC - how much useable Living Area is there ? No big deal, just wondering.

2nd PIC, looks like a typical; Lake area / Mountain style living area.

For most that have answered before the pics. I think we're all on the same thought pattern, thinking of houses with attached garage's with living area above. A short story and some theory, back in the late 70's we added a garage to my house (Dad & I) and instead of wasting space, I decided to make a living area above the garage (3 kids & growing). The layout of the house & land was such that it lent itself to a one step down to access this area from the main dwelling, so we did it. This finished area consists of approximatley 525 SF, with access (stairwell)to the garage. Some of the builders I was doing work for back then peeeked at what was created and liked the idea for several reasons, but the main reason was extra living space.
They created what was known back then as a "Bonus Room" - Finished Area Above Garage(FAAG) and at a cost of $10-$15,000 they would finish off that area. Over the past few years they have just included this area in both Price & GLA. This area above the Garage needs no Zoning approval, but must meet the strict Codes of the local Fire Marshall, as abutting Walls, Ceilings, and stairs may meet with the main dwelling and thus act as a "wick". There is a required "burn time" that needs to be met, which has absolutely nothing to do with zoning.

good luck in your area.

 

[emeryalan]

Thanks for the replies, sorry for the delay ... really busy out here!! (Fortunately no more of these yet!)

My only problem with these types of houses, which didn't sit well with me, is that when you walk into these houses, they "feel" like the focus of the structure is the garage. They have a full unfinished "main level", with all the finish upstairs. No matter what, if you live here you will be climbing stairs. We have a few raised ranches, but almost 100% of those are built into at least a little bit of a hillside, so you don't have to climb a full flight if you go to the uphill side.

@ Terrel - I agree, it would be interesting to regress these out. Unfortunately, I don't have enough sales or cost data ... if I did I would just use the comps! There are only 2 real features, the finished upstairs and the unfinished main level.

@ Mike - The pentagram ... well, this is a timber-frame house, way overbuilt anyway, especially for its location, MOST especially for its style. But the builder wanted the house to express his philosophy in terms of how/where/why he built/decorated it. It's his "baby", for lack of a better word. Which is nice, I guess, if you have money. Not so nice if you need to use someone else's.

@ Mztk - No floodplain here. This is not ordinary construction. Yes, there are quite a few, but most of them are "guest houses" or "secondary houses" that don't sell alone. But these are all "THE STRUCTURE". In all cases you could finish out the bottom level and add some stairs (the pentagram house has interior stairs, with a door at the top just like a basement) and the house would be pretty much normal.

@ jay - pentagram house was either 30x30 or 30x40, full-footprint second level, and an attic that is currently unfinished (over about half the footprint, and minus wall height); little house had about 450 over 576 garage. We have a lot of "homes with attached garages that have bonus rooms above the garages". I have been handling those in one of two ways: if the bonus room is accessible without entering the garage (ie consecutive living space), and it is finished with similar quality materials, then I include it in GLA. If you have to go outside (or thru garage), or it is clearly different quality, then I make a flat adjustment for it on the garage line in the grid.

FYI for all ... in the cost approach I did not count it as basement. The only basement comparison came from the functionality ... both were unfinished areas below the main living areas. And the only reason I did that was lack of identical comps.

Thanks for all the responses!