How to convert a converted room back to garage

[rust in the eye]

The lender doesn't give a flip

 

[Old Man Roger]

The lender doesn't give a flip

Of un permitted work? Oh yes they do. And in some cases, the insurance company may even *****.

 

[Skyman]

Recent experiences have revealed to me that appraisers, lenders and insurers may be scrutinizing many things that would previously have not even been noticed, let alone raised an eyebrow.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I’ve seen more than one roof over the decades that was done without a permit, both the banks and the insurance companies had issue with it.

 

[acer66]

Recent experiences have revealed to me that appraisers, lenders and insurers may be scrutinizing many things that would previously have not even been noticed, let alone raised an eyebrow.

Yeah, times have changed here too.

I have several realtor friends and they all say that.

A few years back I was in the building department and a guy was loosing his head trying to get them to find old permits for an addition that was done at his place and he had a hard time to accept their repose that there non.

Back when he bought the house with the non permitted addition nobody cared.

Fast forward when he wanted to sell the house he needed to show permits.


Having said all that I reread the OP’s first post and it seems he is just thinking out loud.

So I would talk to a realtor who knows the area well and knows what flies and what not.

 

[Rc_Guy]

The lender doesn't give a flip

Of un permitted work? Oh yes they do. And in some cases, the insurance company may even *****.

The people that bought our house in 2016 had a FHA loan and had no problems buying our house, I finished the lower level myself, everything but the carpet, and I wired my whole shop even running from the house panel underground to the sub panel in the shop

 

[racecougar]

Soooo much has changed since '16.

 

[jimy]

Perhaps I missed it, but you should be able to go online and see what square footage the town says the house is. Might be helpful.

 

[regguy1]

The house was originally permitted with the garage......seems like you're just bringing it back in compliance with original permit

 

[MikeC55]

FWIW, my son was shopping for a house in Norwalk, CT a couple years ago and one house they liked was in the process of restoring a (basement) one car garage from it's recent (well within 7 years) no-permit conversion to living space. The realtor told him the town was making them do it. If the statute of limitations thing is true, and it's obvious that yours has been this way for a long time, I might guess that you don't have to do anything. Maybe a good idea to talk to a local real estate lawyer before you have someone start pulling nails.

 

[03ranger]

Going the other direction, how long does the county keep record of permits? We sold my parents house several years ago and the county had no record of a permit for a remodel/addition for the property (60 years ago) . We had the permit still in the closet of the addition, it was the only record available. You may not have to do anything except a little legwork to find out.

 

[Barnabas]

I’m in nearby Raleigh. You should be able to do anything you want to your house as long as you own it and live in it. This includes plumbing and electrical. The problem can come when a potential home buyer has an inspection done and they find something questionable. If the work was permitted, then you have that in your favor. If not permitted, then it is you negotiating $$ with the potential buyer.

The main question is would potential buyers want the extra room or would they prefer a garage? If buyers in that area prefer the extra room, then leave it as it is. Negotiate with the buyer if they ask.

 

[ATC]

My parents did something similar to their house. They enclosed the attached 2-car garage and made it into a living room. Built a 24x32 detached garage, and remodeled a bathroom....all of it with no permits (the contractors were suppose to pull one, but they never did). Zero issues with the county, and they know about it because of tax assessments. That was 20-ish years ago.

 

[Notgrownup]

depends on the county building codes. I would do all the inside work then when you get the garage door, it should be pretty easy. The original framing should still be there. Minimal demo.

 

[Old Moparz]

Unfortunately for homeowners the tax assessment office & the building department don't always work together & don't seem to care what each one does. The tax assessor will adjust values accordingly to take in the maximum assessed value. The building department usually doesn't get involved until they have to.

It definitely varies by area & also depends on competency, but several people I know in different states have been taxed for an improvement that never had a permit or a CO. One example is my next door neighbors here in NY. They bought the house with a concrete pad in the yard that the previous owner installed for a kennel. It was just a fenced area & no permit was ever applied for.

My current neighbors decided to put a shed on it years later & suddenly got a letter from the tax office increasing the assessment because of a permanent accessory building. The building department never said a word about a permit but I can guarantee if & when they sell the house one day someone will attempt to use it to their advantage. The buyer will want a discount for something built illegally, the building department will then want the money for a permit they never got, & banks will refuse financing for all of it.

Another factor that is neither department's doing is having a nosy or jealous neighbor reporting it. At this point the municipality has to get involved.