What Is an ADU Building, For Starters?
An accessory dwelling unit, or ADU as it’s called in the business, is a secondary house or apartment that occupies the same lot as the primary residence but with a separate entrance, kitchen, bath and bed. It may take the form of the conversion of an existing space on your property (like a garage), or building a detached, stand-alone unit on the property. ADUs offer one of the more immediate and easily attainable ways to increase the supply of affordable housing in the Bay Area while increasing property owners’ home values.
If you’re considering building an ADU on your property, you have options. If your garage is being used primarily to store stacks of boxes full of items you may never even think of again, an ADU garage conversion is an option you should strongly consider.
A garage to ADU conversion is one of the most popular and common types of ADUs for a number of reasons. Many of us have heard the old saying about one person’s trash being another person’s treasure. Turning your garage into an ADU conversion, when done right, can represent a situation in which your trash becomes your very own treasure. If your existing garage is currently being underutilized, a garage to ADU conversion can accomplish these four goals: 1) it increases your property value, 2) it provides an opportunity to generate rental income, 3) it contributes to solving California’s critical affordable housing shortage, and 4) if desired, it provides a unit in which a family member, such as an elderly parent, can live separately and potentially avoid the need to move to a retirement or assisted living facility.
Example of a garage conversion (2 units) in a multi-family apartment building in Oakland (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
ADU Garage Conversion Treasure (aka Advantages)
A garage conversion can take advantage of existing structural elements that are already in place. As opposed to starting from scratch like you would with a new, detached unit, this could save you money, assuming the garage’s foundation, walls and roofing are still in good condition and its age is not going to mean additional work (and expense).
If a garage is attached to a single-family home, a Junior ADU (JADU) may also be an option. A JADU is one that is no larger than 500 square feet and must be created within the primary structure, and a garage might meet this requirement. JADUs still require a separate entrance and at least an efficiency kitchen, but they can share a bathroom with the primary dwelling. In addition to the JADU, another ADU can be built elsewhere on the property, as long as either the primary dwelling or JADU is owner-occupied and available space allows for setback requirements (four feet from the property line). Essentially, this means that a single-family home can be turned into a triplex situation through ADU conversion.
An example of an ADU garage conversion at a single-family home in Pacifica (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
Potential Garage to ADU Conversion Aversion & How To Overcome It
Size, layout and building code issues represent the potential downsides of ADU garage conversions, as layout and size are limited by the existing dimensions and walls. What could be a negative in terms of windows and natural light can often be overcome with the addition of skylights, an open floor plan, and/or utilizing the larger garage door space for a larger window.
Ceiling height and additional building code issues are the most common challenges with a garage to ADU conversion, as building codes for habitable spaces are more stringent than they are for garages. A new garage to ADU conversion must meet or exceed the building codes of its jurisdiction. Workarounds to maximize ceiling height might include lowering the floor, raising the structure, and/or making alterations to the existing ceiling. If additional expense is incurred, it may ultimately result in a significant upside in the overall return on investment of your unit, as a legally rentable unit with maximum ceiling height will likely be a more desirable unit. The more desirable the unit, the more likely it is to generate top rental income.
Garage Bandwidth
When you work with Adapt Dwellings, the Bay Area’s ADU garage conversion experts, you’ll be working with a team with over 25 years of experience in real estate and rental housing in Oakland, San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. Each of our ADU conversion projects begins with conducting a thorough feasibility study that will clarify the viability of your specific project, as well as the challenges, projected costs, and anticipated increase in property value your garage to ADU conversion should expect. We partner with you to remove any doubt you may have about the ADU process, so let’s get started!
