How to convert a converted room back to garage

[banshee2347]

I'm about to sell the house where we converted a garage to an extra living space / den without permit. That was years ago, done by my parents. I'm thinking of converting the room back to a garage so we don't get low offers due to unpermitted space. What used to be the garage door is now completely sealed off and looks like a well insulated wall, with two kind of awkward placed windows.

1. Do I need a permit to do this work?
2. How much would it cost, assuming I contract out all the work? (Unfortunately we live far away from the house and can't do the work ourselves) This is in North Carolina.

 

[Old Man Roger]

If it wasn’t permitted then it’s still just a garage. Rip that **** out.

 

[Old Man Roger]

To be honest, I don’t know ****..lol

 

[banshee2347]

We're also considering getting the permit retroactively. How hard would this be? Would it takes months?

 

[kbuhagiar]

We're also considering getting the permit retroactively. How hard would this be? Would it takes months?

Don't. Just...don't.

Remove everything, put it back like it was and pretend that it was all a dream...

 

[Old Man Roger]

Agreed, I would be worried that would cause more trouble. The only problem I see is that he’s hiring a contractor and not doing the work himself.

 

[banshee2347]

Looks like getting the permit retroactively would be a nightmare? Do others feel the same way?

 

[Old Man Roger]

Is the contractor going to just gut the garage? Or is he going to be putting up drywall and finish trim?

 

[Old Man Roger]

Will there be any electrical or plumbing work?

 

[acer66]

This can be tricky and it is getting more common around here too where you run into problems when selling do to not permitted work.

If I would be in the OP’s situation I would give it a shot and see if it can be permitted but I do know some of the guys there due to my work.

If nothing structural was altered during the remodel I would give it a shot if adds a lot of value and you know it was build to code it might be worth it.


OLM is asking the right questions.

 

[banshee2347]

We're planning to just remove the wall that should've been the garage door. I don't anticipate any electrical or plumbing work, but I also don't have full information on how my parents did the work decades ago.

 

[Old Man Roger]

OLM is asking the right questions

I realized my first reply was flippant and made completely without thought..lol

We're planning to just remove the wall that should've been the garage door. I don't anticipate any electrical or plumbing work, but I also don't have full information on how my parents did the work decades ago.

If it’s just a wall, and no other work, I’d probably just have it removed. Especially if the neighbors are far away or friends..lol

 

[banshee2347]

What's the absolute worst that can go with angry neighbors? Fined for having had unpermitted space for decades? Clearly we don't need a permit to undo the unpermitted work .. or do we?

 

[Old Man Roger]

What's the absolute worst that can go with angry neighbors? Fined for having had unpermitted space for decades? Clearly we don't need a permit to undo the unpermitted work .. or do we?

In some areas, you would need a permit for almost any construction.

 

[Shiftless]

Perhaps a knowledgeable local realtor has seen this problem before and can give advice.

 

[Shiftless]

In some areas, you would need a permit for almost any construction.

In my area, you need a permit to replace decking boards on an existing deck or to replace a water heater.

 

[Just_Steve]

I would just sell it "AS IS" If someone has an issue.......Kick rocks, have a nice day.

 

[u3b3rg33k]

FYI house HVAC can't be tied to garage air.

 

[acer66]

In my area, you need a permit to replace decking boards on an existing deck or to replace a water heater.

Not much different here since you need a permit to exchange a receptacle.

How many do that and if that is ever even being enforced is another story.

 

[Rc_Guy]

FYI house HVAC can't be tied to garage air.

It is not a garage now, it is part of the house.

 

[Shiftless]

It is not a garage now, it is part of the house.

Just a heads up… if you tied that living space into your central heat with ductwork, that needs to be eliminated if you convert back to a garage.

 

[Old Moparz]

Being too far away to do the work yourself leaves you at the mercy of a contractor or a handyman that you may or may not be able to trust. Trying to schedule a project like this with a contractor before listing the place for sale can be a major problem, especially if you have a buyer that wants to finance. Chances are their lender will want the place inspected & will also check with the town or tax office to see how many rooms there are supposed to be, if it has a garage & whether there are any open ended building permits that don't have a CO.

As far as a permit it depends on the municipality, the building department & the inspector. Some are strict & some let things slide. My parents needed a permit 40 years ago to replace a water heater. A few years ago I called asking if I needed a permit to replace my roof & was told, technically I did, but don't worry about. My wife's friend just sold her house a couple of months ago & her house was scrutinized by the buyers, the town & the bank's inspector. They made her do several things to the house that seemed unreasonable to me.

You also have to expect the unexpected when it comes to renovating unpermitted projects. The wall that was previously the garage door is in all likelihood not built to code. You may be asked to open it up to see if the sole plate was anchored to the slab, if the header is sufficient, if there is electric, plumbing or anything else inside the wall. Remnants of the garage door & tracks could possibly still be inside the framing which means there is probably no insulation. Ask me how I know!!....LoL

 

[acer66]

Being too far away to do the work yourself leaves you at the mercy of a contractor or a handyman that you may or may not be able to trust. Trying to schedule a project like this with a contractor before listing the place for sale can be a major problem, especially if you have a buyer that wants to finance. Chances are their lender will want the place inspected & will also check with the town or tax office to see how many rooms there are supposed to be, if it has a garage & whether there are any open ended building permits that don't have a CO.

As far as a permit it depends on the municipality, the building department & the inspector. Some are strict & some let things slide. My parents needed a permit 40 years ago to replace a water heater. A few years ago I called asking if I needed a permit to replace my roof & was told, technically I did, but don't worry about. My wife's friend just sold her house a couple of months ago & her house was scrutinized by the buyers, the town & the bank's inspector. They made her do several things to the house that seemed unreasonable to me.

You also have to expect the unexpected when it comes to renovating unpermitted projects. The wall that was previously the garage door is in all likelihood not built to code. You may be asked to open it up to see if the sole plate was anchored to the slab, if the header is sufficient, if there is electric, plumbing or anything else inside the wall. Remnants of the garage door & tracks could possibly still be inside the framing which means there is probably no insulation. Ask me how I know!!....LoL

That is a pretty good call and I overlooked that the OP is pretty far away from the project?

Where in NC is that?

 

[ldl]

I'm about to sell the house where we converted a garage to an extra living space / den without permit. That was years ago, done by my parents. I'm thinking of converting the room back to a garage so we don't get low offers due to unpermitted space. What used to be the garage door is now completely sealed off and looks like a well insulated wall, with two kind of awkward placed windows.

1. Do I need a permit to do this work?
2. How much would it cost, assuming I contract out all the work? (Unfortunately we live far away from the house and can't do the work ourselves) This is in North Carolina.

 

[ldl]

I would think the statue of limitations has run out by now and it is a mute point. Might just check on that.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Never heard of a statute of limitations on a permit before, but like I said earlier, I don’t really know ****..lol

 

[acer66]

I would think the statue of limitations has run out by now and it is a mute point. Might just check on that.

Good luck with that.

OMR beat me to it.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Google says it’s 7 years in Florida. Hmm, learn something new every day.

 

[acer66]

Google says it’s 7 years in Florida. Hmm, learn something new every day.

Florida has building permits?

 

[Old Man Roger]

Florida has building permits?

Should have seen the hoops I had to jump through to get a 12x24 Ted’s shed at my last house.

 

[acer66]

Should have seen the hoops I had to jump through to get a 12x24 Ted’s shed at my last house.

That *****, I think depends how populated the area is where you are in.

That is why I was asking where the OP’s house is.

Because we have some very rural areas where things go quite different than in the metropolitan cities.

I am just outside in the county of the biggest city in WNC and the inspectors are a bit more “relaxed” than in the city.

 

[Old Man Roger]

That *****, I think depends how populated the area is where you are in.

That is why I was asking where the OP’s house is.

Because we have some very rural areas where things go quite different than in the metropolitan cities.

I am just outside in the county of the biggest city in WNC and the inspectors are a bit more “relaxed” than in the city.

Ya, not only was I in a very congested city, I was also essentially in the hurricane capitol.

 

[banshee2347]

It's in Chapel Hill. Where can I check the statute of limitations?

 

[rayra]

We're also considering getting the permit retroactively. How hard would this be? Would it takes months?

lulz what a terrible idea. Never invite 'the Dept of Making You Sad'* into your life if you don't absolutely have to. You don't say what country or State you are in. Rules vary wildly.



* hat tip to Jack Spirko

 

[Rc_Guy]

lulz what a terrible idea. Never invite 'the Dept of Making You Sad'* into your life if you don't absolutely have to. You don't say what country or State you are in. Rules vary wildly.



* hat tip to Jack Spirko

Believe it or not, not everybody knows the rules or the codes, 2 people dead here from carbon monoxide poisoning because they were running space heaters in the house with a generator running a couple more heaters. I get that inspectors are a pain but typically rules and codes are there for a reason.

Reminds me of when I was on the Fire Dept and also worked at the grocery store, one of the manager ladies was making a display of paper towels in front of the exit door, and I asked her why she was doing it in front of the door, and she said well all you gotta do is push it out of the way to use the exit door so I asked her if her three year old daughter could push it out of the way to get to that door or her 80-year-old grandma in a wheelchair could she push it out of the way to get to that door?

I told her exit doors are for everyone, not just steering healthy people.

 

[rust in the eye]

If title has changed hands, parents to you, then I'd think you are relieved of responsibility for permitting work to a home you didn't own.
The only advice I'd ask a realtor (they are a self serving lot) is if the garage is preferable to the living space and NOT discuss unpermited work previously done by others. You can then make an educated decision about cost/benefit of reverting to a garage or not.
I see you are not in the same town, another reason to leave it alone. Long distance contracting? F no!
Wanna open a can of worms? Inquire about permits for work already done.
Me, I'd likely not mess with it and sell in its current configuration, perhaps at a hit to the price. These remodels are usually very apparent so if someone wants a garage they'll know one is there waiting under the current finishes.

A neighbor did an under the radar conversion similar to yours leaving the garage door in place to deceive with a couple empty feet behind it. Its a goofy configuration but the house has since turned over several times since we've lived here and nobody has been forced to change it back or buy permits.

Just_Steve said it better above

 

[rust in the eye]

Believe it or not, not everybody knows the rules or the codes, 2 people dead here from carbon monoxide poisoning because they were running space heaters in the house with a generator running a couple more heaters. I get that inspectors are a pain but typically rules and codes are there for a reason.

Those people are dead because they were stupid. No permitting procedure is going to prevent what they did.

 

[Rc_Guy]

If title has changed hands, parents to you, then I'd think you are relieved of responsibility for permitting work to a home you didn't own.
The only advice I'd ask a realtor (they are a self serving lot) is if the garage is preferable to the living space and NOT discuss unpermited work previously done by others. You can then make an educated decision about cost/benefit of reverting to a garage or not.
Wanna open a can of worms? Inquire about permits for work already done.
Me, I'd likely not mess with it and sell in its current configuration, perhaps at a hit to the price. These remodels are usually very apparent so if someone wants a garage they'll know one is there waiting under the current finishes.

A neighbor did an under the radar conversion similar to yours leaving the garage door in place to deceive with a couple empty feet behind it. Its a goofy configuration but the house has since turned over several times since we've lived here and nobody has been forced to change it back or buy permits.

We had a house a few miles from us rent a skid steer and dig out one end there basement and make it a walkout, somebody must have explained to them that excavating down to your foundation now means your foundation is at ground level and not 4 feet under the ground so they ended up taking the door out, putting some cement blocks back in the opening and burying the basement wall

 

[racecougar]

You don't say what country or State you are in. Rules vary wildly.

The OP has stated that the house is in Chapel Hill, NC.

OP, have you reached out to any contractors for bids/opinions yet?

 

[Old Man Roger]

If title has changed hands, parents to you, then I'd think you are relieved of responsibility for permitting work to a home you didn't own.
The only advice I'd ask a realtor (they are a self serving lot) is if the garage is preferable to the living space and NOT discuss unpermited work previously done by others. You can then make an educated decision about cost/benefit of reverting to a garage or not.
I see you are not in the same town, another reason to leave it alone. Long distance contracting? F no!
Wanna open a can of worms? Inquire about permits for work already done.
Me, I'd likely not mess with it and sell in its current configuration, perhaps at a hit to the price. These remodels are usually very apparent so if someone wants a garage they'll know one is there waiting under the current finishes.

A neighbor did an under the radar conversion similar to yours leaving the garage door in place to deceive with a couple empty feet behind it. Its a goofy configuration but the house has since turned over several times since we've lived here and nobody has been forced to change it back or buy permits.

Just_Steve said it better above

Even if he isn’t responsible for paying fines on un permitted work, the buyers bank/mortgage company could still want it taken care of.

So the question still remains, to permit or not to permit..lol