We tend to think of our garages as storage space, whether that’s for our stuff or our cars. However, our garages can be turned into a variety of spaces — a “man cave,” a play area, and even a bedroom! If your family is growing larger by the day, or you’re having friends over to stay and you’re running out of room, look to your garage as an option.
That doesn’t mean just throwing some furniture in your garage and calling it a day, though. It means sitting down with a professional and figuring out the best way to convert a storage space into a living space. You want to make sure that the bedroom area is clearly defined, if you’re choosing to keep parts of the garage as a storage option. No matter how good your intentions are, nobody wants to sleep in an area where boxes are piled up around them! Making sure that your new bedroom fits in with the rest of the house will not only be visually appealing, but up the value of your property as well. In addition, you can always rent the space out, though this option is best considered if the garage is no longer being used as a storage space. Family and friends can put up with it, but paying tenants may well take a second look if they’re surrounded by Grandma’s photo albums.
It’s important to make sure that your garage is connected to the house’s heating and electricity cycles — nobody wants to sit in the dark or be sweating through the night. The garage may also need to be wired for more lights and other electronics. It’s also possible that you’ll need to put in more windows, if it wasn’t made with them. A garage can easily feel stifling, so it’s important to make sure it’s not. Overall, it’s a serious renovation project, and it’s important to be upfront with your renovator. A project like this only works if everybody is on the same page. In addition, your garage door may need to be reevaluated and replaced for security and weather reasons. Anyone staying there may feel self-conscious about being open to the street with a touch of a button, so you want to get the most secure garage door you can find.
It may not seem like an obvious option at first, but your garage can really be turned into any kind of space you want. Instead of building an extension onto the house or trying to reorganize everyone’s bedrooms, take a look at your garage. If you absolutely can’t live without that storage space, though, it may not be for you.
