Variance request South Carolina

[Jonah Kolsrud]

Hey BP members, 

I bought my first home back in April and am house hacking by living in one half while renting a MIL suite that was attached to it. This is working out great so far, but I think there is more juice to squeeze from the property. We bought it because it also has a 1000 sq. ft external garage that has a split HVAC unit in it and used to have plumbing maintained in it. 

The zoning in Dorchester county is R2 and from my reading does not allow ADU's, guest homes, or any external dwelling. I can only rent the MIL because it is still technically attached to our home as a room. I have done some research about submitting a variance, but the situation does not look ultra promising. Before I go down that path I was wondering if any of you all have had experiences with variances and perhaps have some pitfalls to avoid or tips of how to make your case to the county on changing the zoning.

Thanks in advance!