Turning the garage into an apartment. My mother is older, retired, and wants to move back to NY. Figure it's the simplest solution for her. Roughly, 13x15 living room, 8x15 kitchen/entryway, 12x12 bedroom, 2x8 closet, 7x12 bathroom.
I'd probably call it a major project, since I've done everything with a little help from my wife - concrete work, framing walls, cinderblock wall, all the plumbing, electric, gas lines, drywall, flooring, ceiling, etc. Basically, everything other than the shell of the garage - I've even re-roofed it. Bro-in-law helped with the plumbing a bit, roughing in the dwv, but other than the kitchen sink drain, and where it ties into the septic line, I've had to redo all of it, since the design changed slightly, leaving the rough-ins in the wrong locations - plus he forgot to rough in for the bathroom sink.
Thanks for the helpful, reply, explaining what you meant.
We call them "Granny Flats" in the UK.
Wow. So you are practically building a tiny house, all by yourself (+wife).
(Speaking from across the pond) Something about American culture, seems to give people the confidence, incentive, push, equipment etc to do things like that, themselves.
Which has got many good things about it. It is probably a significant factor, in some of the (eventually to become) massive, global companies, such as Apple. Which itself, was suppose to have started up in a domestic garage.
In the UK. Most people would NOT do stuff like that themselves. So it either would NOT get done (too expensive to get companies or builders to do it), or it would be built by a builder or building company.
There are some people in the UK (who are NOT professional builders or anything). Who do stuff like that, themselves.
Also in the UK, things are more formal (my impression). With much more red tape. Because stuff like that, may need to get planning permission, from the local council. Because of the change of use of a room(s). creation of a new dwelling, and various building/electrical inspections would be required. (I'm NOT too knowledgeable about planning or building regulations. But I think I am giving you the gist, of the situation).
Fixing a broken toilet, is probably the limit of my current DIY, experience/ability/confidence level. Even then, I managed to partly soak the carpet. Because there was a tiny (I thought) amount of water left in it, when I was changing the float mechanism.
Which decided to gush out, after I had removed the lower pipe.
I suppose if I helped someone who was very knowledgeable about stuff like that, do it. I would soon learn the ropes, and be able to tackle stuff like that, much more so, myself.
In the UK, it is now against the law, for non-electrician people, to add to the electrical systems in their homes. (Mainly on safety grounds).
E.g. Wire in a new mains socket.
Repairing existing systems, is allowed. E.g. renewing a bust mains socket.
I think, you can do a lot of electrical work. As long as, BEFORE you connect it up for real, a qualified electrician checks/inspects that it has been done correctly/safely/to-the-electrical-codes.
Some people enjoy stuff like that. I would prefer to be at my computer, or doing something else. But I can understand why people like stuff like that.
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