Shopping for a house in Tacoma WA

Member since 2019 · 7 posts · 1 vote

Hey all,

I am currently shopping for my first deal in Tacoma WA, and I have a plan for our first "house hack" that I wanted to see if it is doable/legal.

We are looking for a fixer 1500-200 sq ft (Ill be doing a large portion of the rehab myself excluding electric/plumbing) that we could turn into 2 separate units by adding a second small kitchen and potentially extra bathroom, and renting out the second unit, along with converting a detached garage into a vacation rental we would self manage, while staying in the first unit for the first year to fit the FHA loan.

My questions are for the lawyers and contractors in the area:

1. Is it legal/ what paperwork do I need to create a second unit?

2. How much would adding in plumbing for a kitchen/bathroom into a basement unit and bathroom into the "garage BnB" cost?

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Geordy Rostad
Real Estate Broker · Kirkland, WA · Member since 2018 · 549 posts · 411 votes
7y
Hi @Adam Hanson
You don't need a lawyer to create the second unit. You need to go down to the city and ask them if the zoning allows you to do so. There is probably a zoning map on the city website even that will show you exactly which areas you should be looking in to find houses where this will work.
So on a detached alley garage the numbers change drastically if you have to pull water, sewer, and power out there. Sewer can especially be a unique challenge because you either need gravity back toward the house or you need an injection pump to grind up the sewage and shoot it down a higher pressure line.
Also, where are you going to park if you convert the garage? Street parking is a real bummer. I'd probably rather tear down the existing garage and build a new one with a second story unit on top. More money but way a way nicer asset in the end.
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Richard Santi
Rental Property Investor · Tacoma, WA · Member since 2016 · 26 posts · 26 votes
7y
Adam,
Welcome to Tacoma. The city has an easy to use web based GIS you can use to look up addresses of houses you're interested in to see the zoning. Just recently, the city is now permitting Detached Accessory Dwelling Units in R2 (Single Family) zones. We just added an architect to the team and she's just finished the initial set of plans for an ADU in our backyard. Just another technique to "hack" your place. And it might be an easier option than trying to get a single family zone changed to support MFH.
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James DainardPro Member
Real Estate Broker · Bellevue, WA · Member since 2015 · 415 posts · 1k+ votes
7y
Hey @Adam Hanson a member of my team @Sean Barnebey specializes in the Tacoma area, I highly encourage you to get in touch with him and he can answer all of your questions as well as helping you find the property that you're looking for.
Podcast Guest on Show Seeing Greene: Paying Off Rentals, Partnerships Splits, & Using Home Equity
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Adam Hanson
OP
Member since 2019 · 7 posts · 1 vote
7y
@Geordy Rostad "So on a detached alley garage the numbers change drastically if you have to pull water, sewer, and power out there. Sewer can especially be a unique challenge because you either need gravity back toward the house or you need an injection pump to grind up the sewage and shoot it down a higher pressure line."
That is a huge factor I didn't consider. What is your take on the compostable bathroom bnbs? Is a non plumbed bathroonm in a vacation rental a huge deterrent? I dont want to cut corners on my first project, but dont want to break the bank for a vacation rental toilet ether.
And with carving a single into a double residence, does it require sealing the two units off from each other? I rented a room in Ballard in an old craftsman from 1910s with an apt downstairs and they had open access to our house from the basement door (no lock), the roommate in the house was good friends with the couple in the downstairs flat, so it wasn't too big of a privacy issue, but if a stranger moved in, would have been a completely different story. The landlord was a half step above slumlord to begin with, granted.
I'm wondering what that would do to the desirability of the property if I were to completely seal off two separate parts of the house, should I choose to sell down the road?
@Richard Santi, is that with all sfh's or specific zoned (ie. lot size, proximity to neighbors, etc)
How big are you able to build? I imagine its a specific percent max to the lot size? That has to be such a fun project to design! Would you share photos on here? I would love to see that!
@James Dainard I just shot him a dm and hope to connect over the weekend, thanks for the connect!!!
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