Converting a commerical to residential (1 Fam)

Hi there – we’re looking at purchasing a building currently listed as commercial and converting it into a single fam residence. Has anyone had any experience with this or understands the process and financial commitment we should be considering. Its size is comparable to a carriage house. The property is in really bad condition and would require a pretty sizeable amount just to make it livable. It does seem to me that this property has been quite under the radar because of its commercial status. Any thoughts, feedback, advice – warmly welcomed. Thank you.

brooklymama

in Carpenters and Woodworkers 12 years ago

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brooklymama | 12 years ago

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Thanks all for your input. Its good to get a ball park of how much it would cost tp renovate as the quotes we have gotten have varied tremendously – even based on a very similar project brief. JCArch, to answer your question. This property is located in a primarily residential zone to I’m sure the conversion is possible. I just wanted to get a sense of the process, cost and timeline – and if it would be worth our time and investment. We love the area – see great potential in the building but also do not want to be blinded by these factors to the harsh realities of building permits etc.  I haven’t had much luck finding the relevant info on DOE’s website, but if anyone could direct me to a link, I’d really appreciate it. Once again, thanks all.

ela50 | 12 years ago

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Agreed that the cost could have been much higher, but no central AC, no staircase replacement and no sprinkler system required. Yes to new roof and everything else new in the house including replacement of ;arge % of historic molding. Where we saved money was first of all being fairly knowledgeable about construction and finding a contrator willing to let us purchase most of the material, in addition to doing some paint stripping. It  has been time consuming but the savings I believe were worth it.

jcarch | 12 years ago

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First things first…Is this a commercial building in a residential zoning district, or in a commercial or manufacturing district?  If the property isn’t in a residential district, you may not be able to legalize a residential use.   For cost guidance, things can really vary…ela50 spent $100 a square foot, which is very low (congrats on getting it done for that)…but depending on specifics:   – does the existing building need structural work? – do the existing utility connections need to be upgraded? – are you planning on central air conditioning? – will you need to add sprinklers to the building? – are new staircases needed? – are you replacing the roof? For each of these questions (and some others) where the answer is yes, the project’s costs go up by tens of thousands of dollars.  You also have to decide what level of finishes/fixtures you’re looking for inside. For a building in poor shape, my exerience is that you’re looking at $200-$300 a foot, including architectural/engineering/filing costs.   jcarch————————               James Cleary Architecture brownstoner.staging.wpengine.com/jamescleary

ela50 | 12 years ago

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While I cant respond to the process required to convert the property legally, I cantell you that we are in the midst of a total renovation of a two story row house with aprox 2000 sq ft of livable space plus a basement. We gutted the entire houseon the inside and had to pour a new concrete floor in the basement. Exterior work cost about $30,000 and interior will likely be about $180,000 – nothing fancy mind you, but just everything new