SAN DIEGO: Homeowners are building spaces above the garage for guests, relatives and renters, complete with hardwood floors and marble countertops.
When he renovated his home in San Diego, Wes Wasson made some new additions: a Tuscan-themed, ruggedly elegant suite with a master bedroom, two smaller bedrooms, a bathroom, a great room and two private decks with ocean views. Downstairs is the garage—home to a Lexus LX-470 SUV, bike racks, yoga mats and assorted sporting equipment.
Mr. Wasson spent a good chunk of his high six-figure renovation budget on this apartment for guests above the garage. “The subcontractors joked about how it was nicer than some of their homes,” says Mr. Wasson, 49, a former high-tech executive who moved from Silicon Valley…