If you’re in need of more space, one option is to convert your garage into livable space. This increases your square footage without putting you through the cost of a full addition.
If you haven’t considered a garage conversion for your home, you may not realize what exactly you can gain from doing so. Here are some ideas for a garage conversion that will not only increase the size of your usable space but also make your life easier.
What is a Garage Conversion?
First, however, let’s define this project. What is a garage conversion? It’s more than simply using your garage as a room instead of a place to park your car or store your lawnmower.
A conversion completely transforms the space, adding insulation to the walls, transforming the door into a wall, and connecting the garage to your HVAC system or installing a second system for it.
Many garage conversions are designed to be permanent, although it is always possible to restore the overhead door by cutting into the wall.
The goal of a garage conversion is to create more space to meet your needs.
Before you begin, you will want to sit down with a contractor and talk about what you want and how much it will cost.
You may be surprised by how affordable a garage conversion can be, but some conversions will cost more than others. Make certain you have the budget in place before you move forward.
Now that you have an idea of what your garage conversion may take, let’s look at what you can do with that space.
Create an Extra Bedroom
Adding a bedroom is one of the most popular reasons to do a garage conversion. If you have children sharing a room, they may begin to want their own space as they get older.
At some point, your teenage children will want their privacy, but that can be very difficult if you simply don’t have that many rooms in your home.
If you have a parent or other relative move in with you, they will also need their own space.
Converting your garage into a bedroom offers that space. Garages, even those designed for one car, still tend to be around 20 feet long and 10 to 12 feet wide. That makes for a very good-sized room, even if you add in a large closet.
Because of this size, adding an en suite bathroom can also be done without taking away too much space. You may even want to make the garage bathroom your master suite.
If you will have a parent or other relative move in with you, giving them their own space, like a mother inlaw suite, can help ease the transition.
If space permits, you can even create a small apartment in your garage. You may have the space to install a bedroom, bathroom, and small living room with kitchenette.
This will allow your relative to truly have their own private space they can retreat to whenever they need it. It also gives you a space you could rent out at some point if you ever wanted to make some extra income.
Add a Home Office
You can also convert your garage into a home office. Because of the size, you can create a large workspace here for just about any business need.
You will want to make certain you have enough electrical outlets to power all of the office equipment you need, of course.
You may also need to make certain you run internet and phone lines to the converted room if those are necessary for your work.
If you create products as part of a home business, having a large space to store the raw materials and the finished products can be a game-changer.
This space will also likely be large enough to have several people working together or to include a space for meeting with clients.
Since your garage likely already has an exterior door, you can have clients and contractors over for a meeting without the need for them to enter the rest of the house.
Note that you won’t be able to make use of any shelving you currently have in the garage in its current form. Everything will have to come off the walls because they will need to be moved inward to make space for insulation.
You can, of course, take down your garage shelves and then put them back up once the conversion is done. This room will become a blank canvas, so you can transform it however you want.
Do note that if you think you may need to turn your home office into another bedroom in the future that you should add a closet now. It will give you extra storage and save you the need of adding one later.
Plus, a closet will make for a much tidier workspace.
Give Your Children their Own Space
Tired of your little one’s toys all over the living room? You can convert your garage into a playroom to give them their very own space.
This is great if you have several children and a small living area. They can keep all of their toys in their designated play space. Again, you can add a closet and other storage so the room can be converted into a bedroom if needed.
This is also a great idea if you homeschool. The converted garage can be half playroom, half classroom.
By creating a dedicated learning space, it helps get your children in the right mindset for learning. They know when they’re at their desk in the converted garage, they are there to learn rather than play.
As your kids age, this space can age with them. It can become the space your teens can go to watch TV, play videogames, or talk on the phone in private. They can have their friends over to hang out here and even host birthday parties and other activities.
If you have a child who is learning a musical instrument, having a space away from the bedrooms for them to practice may also be much appreciated by everyone else in the house.
Create a Home Theater
Do you love movies? If you’re a cinephile, you may find that watching your favorite films in your living room just isn’t grand enough.
You can transform your garage into a home theater to really get the most out of your movie-watching experience.
Since you may have to build up the floor due to how most garages slop downwards, you can build in several tiers similar to an actual movie theater.
Mount a projector to the ceiling, get some comfortable chairs, add a large screen on the wall, and you have your own private movie theater.
You can even put in a little concession stand in one corner. Don’t forget some built-in storage for all of your movies and snacks!
Have the Guys Over to Your Man Cave
Finding a space for the guys to get together to play poker or watch sports may not always be easy, but that can change if you convert your garage into a man cave.
You can have everything you need for weekly gatherings, including comfortable seating, a big screen TV, or a poker table. You could even install a small wet bar in one corner and keep it stocked with drinks.
Make a Craft Room
A garage conversion can be a great place for arts and crafts due to its size. You’re free to spread out all of your supplies and materials without cluttering your home.
When you convert your garage this way, you can have custom cabinets and storage installed to hold all of your supplies. You could even create a custom workspace so you don’t have to buy a new table or put up unstable folding tables.
Add a sink if you paint or do other crafts that require running water. In fact, a garage can make a perfect art studio.
Just be sure you add in a few large windows on one wall so you get a lot of natural light into the space.
Create More Organized Storage and Laundry
Some homes have the washer and dryer hookups in the garage, and that can make for a chilly laundry experience. If you truly don’t need the garage for your car, you could convert it into a large laundry and storage space.
You likely won’t need a 10×20 laundry room, so that extra space could become a large closet, storage space, or even a large pantry if your garage is off the kitchen.
These are just a few ideas for converting your garage. Whatever you transform your garage space into, make certain that it solves a need you have. You don’t want to create a new space that you very rarely use.
One way of ensuring that you get the best garage conversion is to create a flex space that can be used for several different needs.
For example, your craft room or home office could include a pull-out sofa so it can double as a guest room.
Determine what you need in your home, plan out the conversion to get meet those needs, and enjoy the brand new space you have.
