No nonsense real estate advice
How to decide to convert your home to a two-family house
Dear Monty: I need to find out if I can convert my single family into a two-family.
The second thing is, if so, what are the rules for transformation legally?
Monty’s Answer: The rules you seek are not uniform across the U.S.
There is no federal building code except one: HUD has a code for the design and construction of manufactured housing.
Building codes protect public health and safety.
According to Lawinsider.com, International Residential Code (IRC) is “the comprehensive stand-alone residential code that creates minimum regulations for one-and-two family dwellings.
It combines all building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy, and electrical provisions for one and two family residences.
Each municipality controls the codes, so if you live on a city’s border and your next-door neighbor lives across the line in a suburb, permitting construction or remodeling projects could be different.
Always locate your property’s municipality for permit and code questions.
The process
• The first step is to contact the municipality.
Much of the information you need could be online.
The zoning office is your first stop to learn if they permit a two-family home.
Suppose you live in a development that has a homeowners association.
In that case, that is your second stop, as HOAs commonly have rules that may affect your decision.
• Once you have passed the zoning test(s), there could be multiple departments to check.
The larger the municipality, the likelihood grows of a more complex process.
Other possibilities are a building inspector, a building code office, a planning department, and maybe more.
• You may be required to furnish a floor plan to scale depending on the extent of the renovation and a building permit which requires a fee.
• After determining the steps to proceed legally, you decide if this is an intelligent decision.
Many homeowners will declare that cost is not an issue when they begin, but regret it when it comes time to sell.
Here is a list of information you need to determine if the project makes sense.
Richard Montgomery is the author of “House Money - An Insider’s Secrets to Saving Thousands When
You Buy or Sell a Home.” He advocates industry reform and offers readers unbiased real estate advice.
Follow him on Twitter at @dearmonty or DearMonty.com.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here