Studio Apartment Above Garage: 10 Great Reasons For Building One in 2024!
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Why Build a Studio Apartment Above Garage?
Do you have a detached garage or are planning on building a new free standing garage on your property? Are you wondering if you should build a studio apartment above the garage? It is an excellent idea!
There are 10 great reasons for building a studio apartment above the garage.
- Guest Rooms – when family or friends visit
- In-law Suites – want your parents near but give them their privacy
- Space for Adult Child – help out your son or daughter till they can move out
- Home Office – work from home but have the office vibe
- Hobby Space – for hobbies where you need solitude
- Downsizing – for empty nesters wanting to simplify life
- Starter Home – before you build your real home
- Rent Out – to generate regular income & cash flow
- Airbnb Rentals – high returns if location is right
- Home Value – get a better price at resale
Building a studio apartment above the garage is a serious investment and not as simple as it sounds. It can be done, but you have to be aware of several issues, before you start off on this project.
In this post I am going to explain how you can go about building a studio apartment above the garage and go deeper into the benefits that you can derive.
Let us start off by
Assessment
To get going, start off by assessing your current situation. There could be a number of possible scenarios
- You have an attached garage and you are looking at building the studio apartment above it
- You have a detached garage and you are looking at building the studio apartment above it
- You are looking at building a new detached garage that would have a studio apartment above it
Make sure that building a studio apartment above the garage is permissible. Do a quick assessment of the location, the area involved, structural integrity of the existing garage, existing utilities etc. Based on all this information and data, try to do a few sketches of what you want the studio apartment to look like.
You can get inspiration from sources such as eplans or houseplans.
Permits
You will certainly need the permit to build from the local building office. The permit is a written approval and will only be granted after you submit the application with all required details.
If you are using a professional and reputed contractor, as you must, then they will handle all the paperwork. So you need to talk to a few good contractors in your area, discuss possible plans, get quotations and finalize on a contractor.
Essentials of a Studio Apartment
When discussing the plan and the budget with the contractor, make sure that you cover all the basics
Floor Plan
This is the basis of the complete construction plan and cost estimates. You have to make some key decisions at this point.
For example, will the studio apartment have access only from within the garage or only from outside or both. It depends on the intended use. However, as that can change with time it is safer to go with the “both” option.
You also need to consider the wiring & placement of the garage door exterior lights. Will the garage door lights be on all night for safety or will it be a disturbance to the studio apartment residents?
Do ensure that the studio ceiling height is adequate. Do not compromise by making a studio apartment above garage that has a low ceiling.
Facilities
Will the studio apartment be fully contained? In which case it should have a bedroom, living space, bath and kitchen. This is essential if you want to rent it out or keep it totally separate from the main house.
However, if you plan to use it as a home office, hobby space or guest room, then you may not need a kitchen.
In my opinion, it is best to go for a fully contained studio apartment. The cost increase will be marginal but you will have total flexibility in the way you use it.
Utilities
You have to be very careful that all the utilities are provided for. This includes electrical, plumbing, gas, sewer, HVAC, etc. Will these utilities draw from the main house or will they be separate? Is the subpanel in the existing garage big enough to handle the additional load?
You will need separate connections or meters if you are going to rent out. Make sure the outlets are GFCI compliant as that is the 2020 NEC requirement.
The home HVAC can not be connected to the garage for safety reasons. The toxic fumes from car emission can not be allowed to enter the studio apartment above.
What about the drainage system in the existing garage? Is it adequate or will you need to put in new drains in the existing garage?
Fire Protection
The building code for a dwelling attached to a garage is quite strict to ensure the safety of the residents. You must ensure that you follow the code exactly.
The building code requires you to ensure that the door that connects the garage directly to the studio apartment is a 20 minute fire-rated door. The garage ceiling should be at least ½ inch gypsum or drywall.
Please double check the exact requirements with your local building office as they may be more stringent.
Soundproofing
A garage is not a quiet place. Apart from the noise from the cars, there may be a lot of noise from tools and equipment such as drills & saws.
Do ensure that the garage ceiling has some amount of soundproofing. Your tenants or guests are not going to stay very long if they can’t have some peace in their apartment.
Cost to Build Studio Apartment above Garage
The cost of building a studio apartment above a garage will depend on a host of factors and personal choices.
It seems that the cost of building over an attached garage should be lower than building over a detached garage. You can use the existing utilities, which should save a lot of money. A wall or two and some structures can also be shared or modified at low costs.
If the apartment has direct access from the main house rather than the garage, you will be able to save on stairs, the fire-rated door etc. too!
But there are quite a few challenges too, such as alignment, blending the looks, building a stiff floor for the apartment, augmenting the existing HVAC, plumbing, drainage etc.
Estimates & Guidelines
This is what Northwood Construction has to say about building an apartment above an attached garage,
“So- very roughly- an “easy to execute,” simple fit and finish, basic addition above a garage could be as low as $275 per square foot. This assumes that all the stars align. If you are thinking about this type project I would start at $300+ per square foot because “star alignment” is a rare occurrence.”
Home Advisor estimates Cost to Build an Apartment Over a Garage at $300 per square foot. So a 400 square foot studio apartment will set you back $120,000.
However, according to Home Guide, for “an average 400 square foot garage, an apartment costs between $60,000 and $70,000 to add fully finished.” That works out to $150-175 per square foot.
Ultimately, as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Get quotes from a few contractors in your area, specific to your requirements.
The Ten Reasons
The ten reasons to build a studio apartment above a garage are:
1. Guest Rooms
Do you have a large close knit family or a circle of friends, who drop in often to spend a weekend with you? This can be a common occurrence if your home is close to some natural attraction such as a beach or a national park.
You love hosting them, but would also like to maintain the privacy of your home.
Why not put them up in the studio apartment above your garage. They will really appreciate your hospitality and cherish their independent stay.
2. In-law Suites
Of course you love your parents and want them to stay close to you. Your parents love you too and want to live amicably with you. But old habits die hard and they do resent their dependence on you. Use the studio apartment above the garage as an in-law suite.
The parents could stay there and enjoy their independence.
And yet, they are close at hand to spend time and play with your kids (their grandkids). You have the peace of mind that you can take care of them should they fall sick.
3. Space for Adult Child
Is your son or daughter in their early twenties? They are ready to step out in the real world. This is a delicate age and times are tough.
As a loving parent you want to be there. To hold their hand and help them at every step. But you know that they must grow strong and ultimately face the world all by themselves.
Why not make this transition easier for both of you.
Move him or her to the studio apartment above the garage. They will appreciate their independence and also learn the meaning of responsibility. But they know that mom & dad are close by to lend a helping hand, if required.
When they finally find their own place and move, you will have the peace of mind that you have prepared them well for the real world.
4. Home Office
Did you start a small business from home that has grown faster than your expectations? Do you find that your bedside table is no longer enough as a place to work?
Instead of renting an office space, paying rent and commuting, why not set up a Home Office in your Garage.
Better still, build a studio apartment above your garage and furnish it as a home office. Do it professionally and your clients will have a new respect for your business enterprise. It will also increase your efficiency. You could even scale up by hiring some staff!
You get all the office vibe with none of the commute.
5. Hobby Space
There are some hobbies or passions that you have to pursue in solitude and silence. Have you taken up painting or meditation and need to be all by yourself? Sometimes at odd hours of the day or night!
Need to concentrate on your watercolor aloof from the chaos of your home? Want to get up really early and practice meditation in an absolutely quiet environment?
The studio apartment above the garage could be your sanctuary.
6. Downsizing
Have the kids flown leaving behind an empty nest? The house that you built with so much love seems too big for just the two of you. It’s quite a job, just keeping it in decent shape.
More and more Baby Boomers find them in this situation and find themselves overwhelmed. But maybe this is the time to hit the reset button!
Have you thought of downsizing?
Many of your generation are doing just that. Moving into a studio apartment above your garage is a way of downsizing without losing touch with your home. Time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, free from material encumbrances.
7. Starter Home
Have you bought a large piece of land and intend building your dream home on it? The trouble is, this is a mega project. It is going to cost a ton of money and take a couple of years for your dream to become a reality.
Why not reverse the construction process somewhat? Build your garage and a studio apartment above it, first.
Think of the studio apartment as your starter home!
Then you can stay in the studio apartment and start to build your dream house. As the dream home takes shape you are always there. Ensuring full quality control, making tweaks in the design and adding new features now and then.
8. Rent Out
Is your house walking distance from the subway or train station? Can folks get into downtown in less than half an hour, from your house? Then you may be sitting on a potential, very lucrative rental asset. Maybe your neighbors are already on in to this secret!
Turn the space above your detached garage into a regular cash inflow. Build a studio apartment.
Of course you need to do a financial analysis of stuff like your investment and the projected annual rental. Knock off the additional maintenance, insurance and various taxes that you will need to pay.
Calculate your return on investment (ROI) and payback period. Do the maths. Do the numbers make sense? Is it better than keeping money in the bank. If the answer is yes go ahead with the project.
9. Airbnb Rentals
Whatever long term rentals can do for your cash flow, airbnb rentals can do better.
But there is a caveat! Location.
Proximity to a transport hub, especially an international airport will be a huge bonus. Alternatively, proximity to the most popular tourist spots in town, will be equally attractive to potential customers.
Sometimes it may also help if your house is close to a training center or an university campus. Persons looking to stay for a week or two usually prefer an airbnb to a hotel.
10. Home Value
Last but not the least, a studio apartment above your garage is going to increase the valuation of your house. Irrespective of the reason you had in mind when you built it.
The new buyer will likely pay a higher price, because he might have a different use in mind for the apartment. The apartment may be an invaluable asset to him.
Consider demolishing an old garage that is falling apart and building a new one with a studio apartment above it. A great way to get additional income and increase the home value!
A studio apartment is independent and versatile. And that adds value to the house.
Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and useful.
