I also considered a 4 season room on back of house, but since that would not be counted as sq footage and cost 2x as much as garage conversion I am not sure it would be worthwhile. My next door neighbor has same house plan and previous owner added a 4 season room off the back of house (where sliding doors are).

I am getting a quote on a 4 season addition and the garage conversion from a reputable contractor to get a basic idea of the direction I want to go in.

You don't mention the size of your family. Do you need the room for an extra bedroom, guest room, or den for example?

Just given the info you've provided, I wonder if you could use the garage as a flex space without actually converting it.

For example if useful could you make a teen lounge? Just add a couple of couches and an indoor-outdoor rug. Kids have been hanging out in garages since garages were invented.

Or if you could use an office or craft room, put the furnishings for those things in.

I don't think I'd invest in a full-on conversion unless I needed the space for my family or a realtor had advised that it would improve the property value considerably. Just from what you wrote it feels as though you're speculating about what buyers would want or be ok with. Maybe you have more empirical evidence than your own observations and that just isn't mentioned.

Your numbers are way way off. Double them, and that’s a start. If the foundation of the garage is suitable for a legal habitable dwelling, that will save you a bit. But a slab on grade in a cold winter climate isn’t going to work for a comfortable legal habitable space.

There is a lot of retrofit that needs to happen to make this work. Start with your local permitting office.

I don't know why you wouldn't want a garage? Cars last much longer, keeps the snow off, more secure, and you can store outside stuff? Seems like a poor man's way to go.

Thanks for the responses.

Right now I am using the house myself and renting a bedroom to a friend (he is moving out into a house of his own soon). The bedrooms are rather large, the finished basement is plenty spacious also, but not exposed or a full height ceiling.

I do not have kids or a spouse. I bought the house as a way to get away from rising rental costs and to invest some time/money into to update. The house values in neighborhood are doing very well. Right now I am still "ahead of the game" if I wanted to sell and cover closing costs but I plan on living here for another 2-3 years or renting the home out to make some extra income.

My next door neighbor put in a 4 season room with a natural gas fireplace and it sold for 25k more than mine (same layout and floorplan) when they bought it in 2015.

The issue I have is the weird, small layout in the center of the house and lack of any substantial dining/living areas. It feels more like an apartment or trailer than a house on the inside due to this. The exterior looks nice (needs some landscaping and a new roof soon) and the private back yard with river view is quite nice.

Having another 300-400 feet of space would make the house much more livable and marketable as it would have a legitimate living and dining space and more privacy for the bedrooms. I am also aware that without a 3rd bedroom the ceiling is limited so I do not think a full room addition would be cost-effective.

At this point I am leaning towards a sunroom/4-season, but depending on cost may need to hold off for a year or so. After talking to some people I think the garage conversion would detract from the value and not be worthwhile in the long run.

I work with a retired contractor (he works as a janitor now) on remodeling. We can handle the drywall, flooring, roofing and most other interior work. I would be hiring out for any foundation, electrical and other work that requires permitting with licensed and insured contractors.

If the sunroom option does not look feasible anytime soon I am considering using the large 15x15 master bedroom as more of a hang out room (has lots of windows, decent location in terms of flow) and living in the smaller bedroom. Then using the central/entry room as a dining area.

I agree that I am probably taking the usefulness of the garage for granted. The house has plenty of pluses despite the negatives I have brought up.

Here is an idea: https://www.rachaelrayshow.com/lifestyle/diy/26193_garage_remodel_family_room/

You have room in your yard, have you thought about building a detached garage later? Or a carriage house with an apartment on the 2nd floor?

I think I am going to stay away from the garage conversion because of the loss of resale value, but I do like that small family room setup. I have been struggling to figure out a layout for my existing 12x13 area and something like that could work better than what I had drawn up. I actually already purchased an electric fireplace and was planning on building a small mantle like that soon. I think white makes the small space feel more open and the paneling breaks up the wall rather than just painting it. The space I have is open concept, but lacked enough walls for furniture so I am building a half wall and adding a console table or breakfast bar on the other side of the couch.