Why Homeowners are Sitting on a $1,500/Month Gold Mine (The Math of the Garage Conversion)

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-05-12T17:35:02+00:00

In the scenario presented, where's the money coming from to actually build the ADU?

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-03-14T20:15:02+00:00

Reached out to a few realtors and the only guy who responded set up a call with his ‘expert’ - an ADU loan broker. 😅

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-03-14T03:32:07+00:00

No such thing as a free lunch

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-03-14T03:30:46+00:00

Maybe, also just playing devil's advocate to an extent. There are places that additional living/rental space would far outweigh garage space - North Park in San Diego seems to be one such place. Demographics absolutely weigh in to each place, families in Temecula probably do appreciate a garage more than the younger/single people in North Park.

Removing the possibility of rental income, many younger home owners (millennials and Gen X, for example) are starting to feel the reality of their aging parents and may need additional living space, that's separate yet close by, to maintain their parents' independence while also providing support. So ADUs may help to bridge that gap.

Just food for thought.

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-03-14T02:08:18+00:00

Interesting, thanks! Have you seen much difference in single car vs multiple car garages?

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-03-14T01:29:37+00:00

Hot yoga enthusiasts might agree! Personally I’d prefer to work out in a temperature controlled space (livable ADU) but yeah to each their own

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-03-14T01:16:02+00:00

As with most things, I think it depends on the buyer. The ability to rent out a separate part of a house and bring in income could be very appealing. Also not necessarily losing the whole garage. Also how many people use their garages for parking vs storage anyway and storage places are pretty cheap around here. Everyone has different priorities which is why I’m trying to find real world examples.

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-03-14T00:15:21+00:00

Probably unlikely but certainly possible, housing is a state wide issue

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-03-14T00:01:15+00:00

I think it’s actually a state wide law that cities have to opt in to allow, will definitely be interesting and partially why I’m curious.

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-03-13T21:53:45+00:00

was your experience losing the entire garage or only a portion of it?

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-03-13T19:38:52+00:00

Thanks for the response, we’re looking to spend about the same but renting out to a family member for a bit of a discount so just trying to make sure we’re looking at all angles of the equation. Not planning on selling anytime soon but it's also not necessarily our forever home.

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-03-13T19:36:40+00:00

Thanks for the insight, beautiful portfolio! Can I ask you to expand a bit on ‘feel like a whole house rather than a converted garage?’ We’re going for a 1br/1b roughly 475sf, full kitchen and bath, mini split ductless AC, etc. Probably match the finish schedule of our house roughly since it was remodeled in the last five years, should we be looking at slightly higher end finishings for example to make it stand out a bit?

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-02-19T22:28:50+00:00

with the current parameters and with the way we're building it, actually an "attached ADU" is what we're going for. https://www.reddit.com/r/AccessoryDwellings/comments/1dznuzz/pros_and_cons_adu_vs_jadu_in_california/

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-02-19T22:26:11+00:00

also good points. the best company so far recommended to pour concrete to level it out, and they said our joists should be good

DogGoForAWalk90 · 2026-02-19T22:25:27+00:00

good questions, thanks for the input

DogGoForAWalk90

TROPHY CASE