There are few places that have seen such dramatic changes in terms of interior design as it’s the case with garages. Traditionally seen as places where your car is protected from weather elements, they are becoming increasingly interesting as places that can be converted in such a way that they start serving a completely different function.
Necessity is the mother of invention, they say. So, when a need arises for another room or an office to accommodate a new or old member of your family, there’s often no other way than to turn to your garage and turn it into whatever you need. It’s practical and cheaper than building an extension, provided that you can get a permit for such works. Let’s look at some options that people have already successfully exploited.
Loft
If you don’t need to adapt the whole garage, but just the upstairs part, you can still keep your car inside, while creating a cosy unit. This small loft can accommodate either an elderly family member who doesn’t require constant care, but appreciates occasional company and assistance, or a youngster about to start their career, but with insufficient income to rent their own place.
Complete conversion
Depending on the space available, garages can be converted into anything from small studios to truly magnificent two-storey duplexes. What most people do is have their floor replaced immediately. Concrete slabs are levelled and covered with hardwood. Other major works include introduction of heating, air-conditioning and plumbing, which need to be left to licenced professionals.
What else needs to be done?
Other things that need your attention are insulation, particularly of the roof, and sewage. These are also best left to experts. If you insulate the place properly, you’ll not only create more pleasant atmosphere, but also save a lot of money on utility bills.
Finally, you’d need to think carefully about the quality of the door and the quality and number of existing windows. It’s now widely accepted that they are the most critical points when it comes to giving away excess energy and providing poor insulation. So, a logical thing to do is to have them replaced and count on the initial investment to pay off in the future through savings made in terms of energy consumption.
Furnishing
You should try to reuse as many things as possible and to save as much as you can when furnishing your new living space, since you mustn’t cut any corners when it comes to major works and installations. In order to save both time and money, it’s a good idea to avoid going from one store to another. Instead, you can look for rugs online or look at what people in your neighbourhood want to get rid of. There might be something you need and you’d be saving money on both the product and shipment.
Conversion into an Office
Another extremely popular option nowadays is to have your garage turned into an original and comfortable office. Just by replacing the old folding metal door with a sleek sliding glass door, you’re creating a fantastic, bright and airy space. It might also be possible to lift the roof at an angle to accommodate a skylight, thus also providing more light.
Since an office doesn’t necessarily need all the amenities that a living space needs, this might be a financially more affordable option, particularly if you’re planning to rent it out to a small start-up company or an e-commerce enterprise. Some people have gone that far that they have turned their garage into a small pub or even a take-away restaurant, but not many are ready to have a promenade of people in front or in the back of their home.
As you can see, there are many things that can be achieved by changing the original function of your garage. The limiting factors, as usual, are your creativity and finances. Still, even with such constraints, you can obtain the desired result, as hundreds of pictures available online clearly demonstrate.