Hi -
We have a two story unattached garage. The 2nd story is an unfinished "artist's studio" with electrical but no heat or plumbing. We'd really like to convert it to a 'mother in law suite' with a half or three quarter bath & heat. Anyone have any sense at all of feasibility/cost of doing so? If anyone's done a similar project & has any tips or advice, it'd be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Vicky

Hi, hope this helps...

First Thing: Be aware of Building Codes & Building Permits - and the need to follow / obtain them.
It's not only the legal issues (among other 'little' things, you can be forced to remove all the improvements if you're found to have an illegal remodel … this happens often in a home sale situation) but by following the various codes you will end up with a safe and secure project.

While I can't give you an estimate, I can say that it sounds like it could certainly be done. There are obviously 101 things to consider here, and I can't list them all. But overall, this is (depending upon your own skill and ability level) a project you could do yourself … saving a Ton of money. I've done remodels, even owner-builder homes and I believe that proper planning is the key to having things come out right when you're finished.

May I suggest that you get a design program that you could use to 'play around' with all the variations of what you have in mind. I've used several over the years and Really like the Chief Architect products. They have a line of Design Software programs that are great (in my opinion - and I have absolutely NO connection to the company!). The lower priced one's are marketed under the Better Homes & Gardens logo. I've tried several different programs from a number of companies and I really prefer the Chief Architect one's. Here are a couple of websites you could check out:

Home Design Software - Products (http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/products/)

Professional Home Design Software by Chief Architect (http://www.chiefarchitect.com/)

I use Home Designer Professional 7.0 but I think that you might be just fine with the much less expensive version - Home Designer 7.0 at just about $60.00.
Please feel free to contact me if I can offer any further information.

Best of luck with your project
Dave

I always appreciate a comment / rating if you feel this reply helped!

Your plan sounds like a great way to add functional living space to your property and adding a bathroom is usually something that adds as much value as it costs to install.

First though... it's real important to check with your local planning and building departments to make sure that your proposed project can be done legally. I don't know what part of the world you live in but many planning departments have limits for residential units per parcel, requirements and/or zoning rules for multi-units, etc. also... you need to make sure that the existing structure will meet your local building code requirements for second-story residential use. Most codes call for a perimeter footing for residential foundations and most un-attached garages don't have them. It's possible that the space that exists over your garage is currently considered "storage" space by your local building/planning departments.