Outbuildings

Outbuildings

Barns, studios, pool houses, and the detached garage everyone argues about. This module covers Outbuilding, Vehicle Storage, Subject Property Amenities, and Overall Quality and Condition.

One section per structure

An outbuilding is any structure on the site besides the main dwelling, and the section repeats for each one. Its black tab carries the Outbuilding Type, like Outbuilding, Barn. If nothing on the list fits, choose Other and describe every use, like Workshop/Garage.

Real property, or not?

First question: is it Considered Real Property? Yes gets the full section: Units in Structure, Gross Building Area, details, and defects. No gets a short version, say for a manufactured home used for storage: a photo, whether it sits on a permanent foundation, and comments. And it never appears in the Sales Comparison or Cost Approach.

Two kinds of area

Gross Building Area is the whole building, including any garage and ADU space. The Outbuilding Area table leaves those out. It shows only the remaining finished and unfinished area, plus a room summary. So a nine hundred square foot Workshop/Garage reports nine hundred gross, but the table shows just the workshop and its bath. The garage goes to Vehicle Storage.

When there's an ADU inside

Units in Structure counts the ADUs inside. Zero means none. With no ADU, you just mark Heating and Cooling yes or no, and list the utilities. With an ADU, you get Mechanical System Details instead, and the ADU's own area and rooms go in the Unit Interior section that follows.

Garage or outbuilding?

Now, that detached garage. If it's only a garage, even an oversized one with no dividing wall, it's not an outbuilding. It goes in Vehicle Storage. Add an ADU, and it's an ADU/Garage outbuilding. Add a separate workshop, and it's Other, like Workshop/Garage. Either way, the parking stays in Vehicle Storage, with only the garage's own area.

Every place to park

Vehicle Storage always displays, one line per kind: driveway, carport, garage, parking garage, and more. Count only dedicated spaces. A driveway gets one to nine, or ten or more. A shared lot with no dedicated space gets zero. Half spaces aren't spaces. They show up in the area. Garages and carports add attachment and area, and driveways add a surface.

Owner-only features

Subject Property Amenities covers features only the owner can use, like decks, pools, and fireplaces. Each sits in one of five categories, which organize the amenity lines in the sales grid. Shared HOA amenities go in Project Information instead.

One rating for the whole property

Overall Quality and Condition always displays, reconciling every dwelling and unit into one quality and one condition rating. Exterior ratings show for each dwelling only when the homeowner handles all exterior maintenance. Interior ratings show for each unit that isn't an ADU. On a subject-to appraisal, rate condition as if the required work is done.

Four things to remember

Quick recap. One. Real property gets the full outbuilding section. Anything else, the short version. Two. Gross Building Area counts everything. The area table leaves out parking and ADUs. Three. A plain garage is Vehicle Storage only. Four. Owner-only amenities here, shared ones in Project Information. Next up: Project Information.