6 Tips For Garage Conversions Into A Living Space

Table of Contents

1. Garage Conversions Into A Living Space[+]
   1. Widen the door
   2. Consider a covered parking
   3. Have excess storage
   4. Epoxy application
   5. Raise the floor
   6. Enhance the exterior appeal

The pandemic changed the way we look at our homes. They turned into workspaces, schools, and gyms. A lot of homeowners have now become so aware of this that they want to squeeze every bit of space in their houses, and they are turning the garages into living spaces, extra bedrooms, or exercise centers.

Renovations can cost thousands of dollars, and you must take every step to ensure that you do the garage conversion right.

Garage Conversions Into A Living Space

Whenever we are in need of extra space for work or storage, the first thing that comes to mind is the garage, and that is where you need to be very careful.

Converting the garage into any other space is a good idea, but you need to ensure that you do not ruin the space by treating it as a do-it-yourself project.

Garage conversion into a living space or workspace is a popular idea and can help make the most of the available area. Here are some tips to help you with the conversion of the garage into a living space.

1. Widen the door

The first thing you need to keep in mind is the easy access and flow from the house to your garage. This can be done by widening the door between these two spaces.

Wherever possible, you can consider doubling the width of the door with the use of a strong beam from the header. This will give you open space and a feel of an open floor plan. However, you need to check if the house footprint allows for the same.

You may be thinking that the projects in the garage are easy do-it-yourself jobs, but they are not. When you commit a mistake while building a house or a renovation, it will have an impact on the resale value of your property.

Such mistakes are often a result of the do-it-yourself owners who are trying to save money to remodel, build or repair, and bad workmanship can lower the quality while reducing the property’s value in the long term. Do not assume that the buyer will not be able to identify the fault in the garage. Hire Family Christian Doors professional to handle the task for you.

2. Consider a covered parking

It is important for you to have a space to park the car during the winter months so that you do not have to shovel the car out or clean it. By converting the garage space into a room, you could lose out on this parking.

Nobody wants their vehicle out in the open driveway during the sun, rain, and snow. But you can protect your vehicle with covered parking. Simply use a carport for the car, and it will be safe and secure. If you are using an electric vehicle, remember to include a power source right there.

3. Have excess storage

It might be useful to have additional storage in the garage to declutter the home, but you can consider the moveable storage options in place of the permanent fixtures. There are many homeowners who often run out of storage space and build more storage inside the garage.

However, if you need more storage space and also want to use the room, there is an ideal alternative for you. Invest in garage ceiling storage racks so that you have extra storage space without impacting the primary use of the space. It is a cost-efficient and durable way of increasing storage space.

4. Epoxy application

A garage floor is often cracked and spotted with grease and oil. It is nothing but ugly, and you can change the feel and look of the garage in no time by simply applying an epoxy coating to the floor.

Another option is a floor mat or interlocking floor tiles if the floor is too greasy for epoxy coating. When you add an epoxy coat on the garage floor, it will offer high durability and will repel things like gas, motor oil, solvents, and chemicals. However, you need to opt for a standard color scheme.

5. Raise the floor

In most homes, the garage floors can sometimes be much below the house level, and to integrate your converted garage with the house, you will need to raise the floor to the height of the home’s floor using a sleeper system.

While you do this, try to eliminate the functional areas of the garage like the furnace, water heater, or laundry room. It could be expensive and messy to move these services, but you can try to hide them.

6. Enhance the exterior appeal

It is important to focus on the interior as well as the exterior of your garage. If you only spend money on the interior and do not enhance the exterior appeal, it will not look good from the outside.

You can ensure that the garage conversion blends well with the exterior of your home and improves the overall appeal. Simply alter the house fascia and blend it with the wall that covers the opening of the garage door. It will not cost much and will not require a lot of effort or time.

As a homeowner, you are free to decide what you want to do with the available space, but you need to decide how much you are willing to spend on it.

If the full conversion does not fit your plan or budget, you can make the space more comfortable and convert it into a wine bar, a pub, or even a workshop. A lot depends on the available space and budget you have.

Small projects can also help convert the garage into a useful, functional space, and you do not need to spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on it. They are also easier to build and maintain.

However, if you have the budget and want to go all out, you can consider hiring a professional to work with. This way, you will ensure that the conversion goes just the way you planned and that there are no other issues at a later stage.

Thank you for reading!