Seeking info on turning my garage into another bedroom.

[Andy Eakes]

Hello! I live in a 1930s California Bungalow with an old detached garage too small to fit a modern car. My girlfriend and I thought about converting the space into another bedroom/laundry room as the space is only used for laundry and paint storage. There is also only an exterior wall. Would it be worth putting in an interior wall, some carpet, a side door, and improving the overall space? Or would it not add any value to the home? We have considered turning it into an ADU, but I am not sure if it is even big enough for that. Thanks in advance!!

[Keith Kellermeyer]

Hey Andy!

What makes this "worth it" to you really depends on your goal/plan. Do you want to minimize your expenses by living in this converted unit? Sure, it could be worth it. Do you want to just convert it to livable square footage to then sell the house? It may not be worth it then.

Calculate the amount of work and permit costs it will take to convert this unit. Then, look at A) how much you will save in rent by living there, B) how much it could rent for per month to someone C) how much livable square footage it could add to the house value.

For me, I just recently converted a 400sqft shed in my backyard into an ADU. Since cash flow and long term holding is my strategy, it made sense for me to invest the $2.5k now and recoup that cost in 1 year of renting the ADU. Since I never plan to really sell, this conversion is worth it since it will always bring cash flow.

Hope this helps!