Reclaim Space With Garage Renovation

A garage is defined as a “building or indoor space in which to park or keep a motor vehicle.” The reality is often quite different. A car may be parked in a garage, but so too are all kinds of other things. From freezers to things for which there is no other storage space to junk. In time the car and the other stuff stored there live a cramped and uncomfortable existence.  But there are other uses for a garage and it can become a useful room that will add a lot of living space to a home.

The first thing to do is to decide if the garage is for your car. Can you park it in the driveway instead? Or maybe even on the street? If you can, then a huge amount of space is now available to you to use as you want.

The Basics Of Garage Remodeling

From a guest suite to a home theater to a gym, a garage can be turned into anything. The design, fittings and budget will depend on what you want to turn it into. But whatever it is, there are some basics that will need to be done.

Ø  The first thing to do is to clean out the garage completely. That means that not even one box must be left there. This will give you a better idea of the size you have available. It’s surprising how cramped a big garage can look when it is stuffed with all kinds of boxes, skis and other odds and ends.

Ø  Now examine the space carefully. Look for defects of all kinds from broken switches to cracks in the wall. Make a list of all the repairs and budget for it all.

Ø  If a car will no longer be parked there, do you need to keep the garage door? You could wall it up completely so the entrance is from inside the house. Or you could put in a door so that it can becomes a second entrance to the house or an independent entry point for a guest suite.

Ø  Garages do not normally have windows. This needs to be remedied. Keeping the end use of the room in mind, put in as many windows as possible. Good natural light is always going to be welcome, whatever the use of the room.

Ø  Do you need plumbing? if it’s a guest suite a small bathroom will need to be installed. Even a home theater will benefit if there is a small convenient toilet attached to it.  Consult a plumber on the viability of the plumbing you plan to install.

Ø  The same goes for electricity. Depending on the use of the room, extra lights and sockets will need to be provided.

Ø  If it is going to be a home theater or game room, it could get noisy inside. Do you need to think about soundproofing?

Ø  Then comes the issues of different seasons. Will you need heating or air conditioning to make the room usable in extreme climatic conditions?

Ø  If you have the space, think about partitioning off a small part of the room for use as storage space. Just because you no longer have a garage does not mean that things will stop accumulating in the home.

These are the basics that will form the backbone of any garage remodeling that you do. If it’s a simple painting a cleanup job, then it could be a nice DIY project. But if it is something more complicated then it is always better to use the services of a remodeling contractor. Avoid using the services of handymen, no matter how much you may save. They undertake repairs and small installation jobs. Changing the look and use of a garage can be complicated and is beyond the scope of a handyman. It’s better to wait until you have the budget to do the remodel properly instead of cutting cost and ending up with a room that satisfies no one.