ince when has it been a buyers have the right to ask for
crime to convert a garage the work to be undone before they
into a bedroom? Actually purchase the house and this delay
there are planning and zoning any closing date you may have
codes that were created in had.
California that reach as far back
as the 1930's. Many of those were Many homeowners like to believe
amended in the early 2000's, that the city is trying to
these codes talk about the limits control the way their house is
that apply when adding rooms to a built or the size of the house.
house. The truth is it is quite the
opposite, for the most part zones
Those zoning codes state that it and codes are made to protect
is a crime to alter your house you. The real reasoning behind
without a permit. You can (and the need for a permit is to
many do) receive a fine, they can ensure you have an inspection of
be very extensive it is also the work done this makes sure the
possible to get jail time, but codes are met which guarantees
jail time is unlikely. The fines safety. Inspections check if the
can range from $100 a day to foundation is deep enough and if
$25,000 a day if changes aren't the plumbing and electricity are
made. The city is also allowed to done correctly. A lot of the time
cut off the gas and electricity homeowners think that skipping
at the property to prevent a the permit process will save them
safety hazard if changes they money but in the long run it
want aren't made in a timely actually lands up costing more.
fashion. Lastly it is much more
difficult to sell your house if The most popular conversions are
there are adjustments made turning a garage into a bedroom.
without a permit. Perspective Since Los Angeles has many
housing issues, the conversion the advantage of an extra room
seems promising to homeowners and but you can also have the
it works out well for renters. disadvantage if there is not
More often than not these garage permit. So check to make sure if
bedrooms are little more than there is a permit thats great, if
death traps. Most of them do not not get the price down to cover
have proper access in and out the cost of going through the
many do not have proper heating. permit process to make the
It has been estimated that necessary changes and once again
throughout the city of Los have the advantage of the extra
Angeles 90 percent of garage room.
conversions are illegal. The wise
thing to do is obtain a permit to There is also recognition that a
build another garage to satisfy lot of additions made in houses
the parking space requirements. in Los Angeles were made in the
1970's and 1980's. If you bought
For those of you that are looking your house with additions around
to purchase a house and it that time, maybe it's time to get
happens to have a garage a permit before you want to sell.
apartment or bedroom it can be a
negotiating point. You could have
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