Renovating Your Garage in to a Living Space

It always seems like the garage tends to end up being the part of the house where everything that doesn’t have its own place ends up, which in turn makes it look a bit cluttered and messy. Instead of just throwing things in there and forgetting about them, why not turn your garage into another living space? Perhaps you can turn it into a game room for the kids or a crafting area for those of you who like DIY projects or even a second kitchen if you want to get creative with it. Whatever it is you have in mind, it’s time to make that garage useful! Below are some tips and things to keep in mind when it comes to renovating your garage into the perfect addition to you home:

1. Permission & Permits: If you don’t plan to make any structural alterations to the room, such as dividing it into two rooms or expanding the garage itself, then you most likely won’t need any permits to make any changes. Of course, it’s always good to double check, but unlike when you are doing additions to your home, this isn’t something you should worry about too much.
2. Remember to Insulate: Typically, a garage isn’t insulated like the rest of your home, which is part of the reason it gets so hot or cold during the winter and summer months. If you plan to make this a livable area, make sure you insulate the garage before anything else. This will ensure that this will be a comfortable room all year round.
3. Keep Your Budget in Mind: Depending on what you’re looking to do to your garage, according to Houselogic, converting it into another living space can range from $20,000 to $50,000. Of course, if you are handy yourself and can do a lot of the work, the cost will go down. Make sure to take into consideration the cost of everything before you get started.
4. Make it Legit: A lot of the times when people convert a garage into a living space, it’s pretty obvious it used to be a garage. To help avoid that, add some window, carpeting and details such as molding to really make it blend into the rest of the house and keep the same flow going.

Whatever you decide to convert your garage into, value will be added to your home. It will also definitely be a hit when you have your next get together with family and friends.

Photography by [fneun] © shutterstock.com