4 Hardwood Flooring Trends You Should Know About, Have You Served? And, depending on the building codes in your local area, any additions to your house might need a costly foundation to be built. Converting a garage requires more consideration than refinishing a basement because the positives are balanced out by significant downsides. Ultimately, you’ll need to decide for yourself if it’s worth converting the garage into a living space. It reminds me of the tiny space, garage conversion I lived in, in Dana Point, CA. “Should the garage be below-grade, it becomes more complex and costly, because you may have drainage and waterproofing requirements, and might need a more involved insulating system,” he says. “Typically, it’s more cost-effective to convert a garage or storage space," says Derald Norton, president of BMF Construction in San Bruno, CA. Drywall, if already installed, must be removed and insulation should be installed. At best, this becomes a one-for-one trade. When you really love cars, your garage is less for car storage and more like a car … The transformation from a garage to a conditioned space requires the garage to meet technical and legal standards that were not required when the area only housed vehicles or acted as a storage area. If you add on to your house, you're going to incur some major costs. Start by … When it comes time to put your home on the market, buyers don’t want to see your stuff jammed into every available inch. On the contrary, garage conversions are costly, extensive, time-extended projects that are not quite on the order of building a new addition, but close to it. Make sure the space can easily be converted back into a garage, Kimbrough advises, by keeping as much of the original structure as possible. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. But to reap the rewards, you'll need to convert with finesse. If the walls are insulated, you can keep the existing drywall but bring the finish up to higher standards. With the basement remodel, you can … Palatial Pit Stop. Let’s be honest: Most garages are packed floor-to-ceiling with sporting equipment, gardening tools, kids’ toys, and more. If you keep it, you should insulate the door. If the temperature in your garage keeps going outside your freezer’s recommended range, it is time for you to consider ways to moderate the temperature. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series. If you want to do it yourself, or hire a specialist garage conversion company, whether you want to convert … Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 12 years. Not only does a garage conversion allow you to make much better use of existing square footage without the need to extend, but it is also a project that creates minimum disruption to your … It looks like Cookies are disabled in your browser. "Whether you kayak, paddleboard, river raft, mountain bike, ski, hike, hunt, or fish—all of that comes with equipment and everybody needs somewhere to put it. For the best experience, please enable cookies when using our site. Even if you think getting rid of this extra space is a good idea, future buyers of your home may disagree. One determiner used by some municipalities is whether or not adequate provisions are being made to replace the parking stalls eliminated from the garage. This is one major question you will need to address before converting the garage into a living space. I’ve discussed garage … Per electrical code, garages already have at least one such switch. Should You Convert Your Garage? Converting a garage into an ADU has a time and place. Here's a definitive guide to your garage conversion to an ADU. With the basement remodel, you can hardly go wrong with elevating an unusable dark space into one that is light-filled and usable. Your current garage door opener might work perfectly fine and, if so, you probably don’t want to replace it. A typical garage sits on an uninsulated concrete slab, which may be several inches below the … Bonus: download our free too kit! 5 Reasons You’ll Want a Veteran-Friendly Real Estate Agent, How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Forever Changed the Process of Selling a House. So if a garage conversion means extra psychological space to spread out, that's a win, Norton says. Converting a garage may be more budget-friendly than adding an extension or converting the loft and will also give access at the ground floor or you could build through so there’s access from the … In fact, a "well-done" garage conversion to living space can give you up to an 80% ROI, HomeAdvisor reports. A lot of people skip the insulation step and just go straight to the drywall. Ceiling: Maintain at least 7 1/2 feet of minimum ceiling height. “Typically, it’s more cost-effective to convert a garage or storage space," says Derald Norton, president of BMF Construction in San Bruno, CA. Should you leave the garage door in place or replace it with a wall? Structure already built: Much of the structure (walls, ceiling, roof, and flooring) is already in place. Will it add value – or do the opposite? Pros and Cons of Garage Conversions . Additionally, garage conversions are more work than they may appear. Expanding into the garage preserves yard space. “In every case I can think of, converting from parking to living space has had a very significant positive effect on property value," says Norton (whose business is in the burgeoning San Francisco Bay Area market, where space is at a premium). A garage in our marketplace is an expectation.". Bedell’s advice: If you’re going to turn a garage into a family room, office or extra bedroom, leave the garage doors on the outside. Garage conversions abound in areas where real estate is expensive and neighbors are close. The one thing I would look into if the funds are there and the design will allow for it, would add a window. I just picked up a property that has a garage that was converted to a bedroom for rent - tiled floors with drywall on all 4 sides. Get quick and easy access to your home value, neighborhood activity and financial possibilites. Are you maximizing your property's potential? A Garage, for One, 8 Gorgeous Ways to Reuse Old Garage Doors Around Your Home, 6 Garage Renovation Tips to Make Your Spare Space Extraordinary, run you anywhere from $20,000 to over $65,000, Still Not Organized? We want to convert the garage into a second living room/playroom. Garages tend to be built lower than the house. Also ensure you have at least 8 feet of ceiling height, which is required for a habitable room. Building a detached addition is rarely done without professional help. … One of my goals in this project was to make the garage … Windows: Add enough window space to provide for natural light and air. Parking space: Removing the cars from the garage may flout local requirements for on-site parking spaces. We have a drive big enough for one car. Non load-bearing walls should be added around areas you do not wish to see, such as the water heater, furnace, laundry area, or storage. In that case, you might be able to convert it to a smart garage door opener instead. The cost of turning a garage into a rental … If you plan to live in your home for a long time and you’re in … Heat: Provide heating to maintain 70 degrees F. Light: Add at least one wall-controlled light switch. “Most garages are made from concrete or cinder blocks, so you have to do some drilling to get pipes through, and then insulate to protect those pipes from freezing,” he says. Plus, in this age of online platforms for short-term rentals, a converted garage is one way for homeowners to defray the cost of their mortgage while still living in the house. Laminate flooring, engineered wood, tile, and luxury vinyl plank flooring are popular choices for garage conversions. Indeed, depending on where you live, building … Even if you do add sleepers to raise the floor, you still will need a floor covering. If you’re looking for a way to enlarge your home without shelling out for a full-scale addition, converting your garage into living space typically adds about 600 square feet (assuming it’s a two-car garage). Garage conversions appear to be the classic do-it-yourself home remodel project. Indeed, depending on where you live, building an addition could run you anywhere from $20,000 to over $65,000. Sometimes it is the only option to create a second unit based on the property. In certain areas, local zoning departments can slow down the process of converting your garage—it can take up to a year to get the proper permits. You can recreate the look of this garage … Don't Neglect These 6 Maintenance Tasks—or Else, Debunked! It's possible these cramped-feeling dreamers have overlooked a golden opportunity: garage conversion. Due to the rise of short-term house rentals, many municipalities have begun to look more critically at garage conversions—even if the area will not be rented out on the short-term market. Doing it yourself: Though difficult, a quality garage conversion can be done on a do-it-yourself basis. Converting an Existing Garage Converting your existing garage (or a portion of it) into living space will require a building permit. ©1995-2020 National Association of REALTORS® and Move, Inc. All rights reserved.realtor.com® is the official site of the National Association of REALTORS® and is operated by Move, Inc., a subsidiary of News Corp. Wendy Helfenbaum is a journalist and TV producer who covers real estate, architecture and design, DIY, gardening, and travel. With the garage, you trade out a space that is usable for one or several things for a space that is usable for just one thing—living space. Advertisement 7. … Garages are usually installed with non-finish-quality walls. I'm considering converting the entire garage, which runs the depth of the house, into an apartment for my … Think of all the cash you'll pour into a new foundation, or what you'll pay to retrofit a second story on top of your home. The space itself could be transformed into a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and since many garages tend not to be used for storing a car but are, instead, usually packed with junk, toys, gardening tools and sporting equipment this will put the garage to good use. And keep in mind that in rural areas, or places where outdoor enthusiasts flock, garages are sacred spaces that are hard to replace, warns Dave Kimbrough, a Realtor® and team leader with the Kimbrough Team Re/Max in Grand Junction, CO. “In places like western Colorado, outdoor lifestyle is king, so a garage is extremely important," Kimbrough says. And that's before you can even start building! One place to start: Converting a garage into something other than a parking spot. Floor. Her work has appeared in Woman's Day, Metropolis, Costco Connection, Garden Collage, Parenting, Canadian Living, Canadian Gardening, and more. Your guests will feel right at home in this converted garage, whether they are family, friends, or renters. My space was all wood that allowed me to hang my … The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. When space gets tight, crowded homeowners can get desperate for ways to carve out space from nothing. With nothing in your way like load-bearing walls—and with the box seemingly already in place—a garage conversion may seem like an obvious choice. Use fiberglass batts for the ceiling. Estimates run anywhere from $10,000 - $25,000 for a basic remodeling job, which includes closing in the garage door wall, wiring, flooring, ceiling, plumbing, … If you’re lucky and have a double garage, you can even convert half the space, keeping somewhere to park your car but still benefiting from a new room.One of the great things about converting an existing structure is that you don’t need to lay new foundations or build walls from scratch; something tha… Converting a garage is an excellent and affordable way to add extra living space to your home. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the, Sorry, we were unable to share this article. Should I insulate my garage? Hmm ... you do have that two-car garage; perhaps you should convert it into a kids' playroom, an office or gym for you, or even an in-law suite. On top of that, most municipalities' building codes require a range of permits for the activities associated with this conversion: erecting or moving walls; running water supply or drainage; running sewer line; adding windows; installing a full electrical system. Before taking action, it’s worthwhile to think about … Converting a garage requires more consideration than refinishing a basement because the positives are balanced out by significant downsides. You could also opt for an addition, which may give you more extra room than your garage … You love your home, but spacewise, you’re bursting at the seams. Converting a garage into an apartment isn't cheap. Homeowners may plunge into a garage conversion based on the belief that little more is required than adding a few lights and flooring. But before you transform this area, think about how this reno will affect resale down the road. Use conventional fiberglass roll insulation, rockwool, or sprayed foam insulation for the walls. Q I'm living in a semi-detached house with a garage under the roof of the house. Here's Why—and What To Try in 2021, Tattoo Artist Kat Von D Buys Historic Mansion in Indiana, Planning a Remodel in 2021? My c I just picked up a property that has a garage that was converted to a bedroom for rent - tiled floors with drywall on all 4 sides. A garage renovation, on the other hand, comes in at $11,000 on average. That means making sure brickwork, windows, flooring, and lighting match the rest of the house. Want to forge ahead? While not necessary, your home benefits if you match flooring heights by adding sleepers to elevate the floor covering above the concrete garage floor. Home Buyers Reveal: 'What I Wish I Had Known Before Buying My First Home', Selling Your Home? Don't despair—we're here to help you determine when converting your garage makes sense, and when it’s a definite no-go. In certain parts of Boston, “parking is worth a lot more money than the square footage of the living space, unless it’s high-luxury," he says. Any plumbing, electrical or mechanical work being done will also require a … Changing space meant for vehicles into habitable, safe, and conditioned living space invokes legal and zoning issues. This is why you should keep tabs on the temperature in your garage at all times. 8 Myths About Renting You Should Stop Believing Immediately, 6 Ways Home Buyers Mess Up Getting a Mortgage, 6 Reasons You Should Never Buy or Sell a Home Without an Agent, Difference Between Agent, Broker & REALTOR, Real Estate Agents Reveal the Toughest Home Buyers They’ve Ever Met, The 5 Maintenance Skills All Homeowners Should Know, Click for complete coronavirus coverage from realtor.com, What Would a Home Buyer Give Up for a Good School? By using The Spruce, you accept our, Can You Convert Your Garage? Click Follow Search to get alerts on new listings. This is one of our favourite garage conversion ideas, as it is a full guest suite with a bathroom and kitchenette. What Will it Cost to Turn a Garage into a Rental Property? Hey everyone! However, when parking is at a premium, such as in urban areas, you might actually decrease the value of your home if you swap out your garage, Tsalagas says. However, if yours was professionally built in the last 25 years, is made of brick or block and is structurally sound, there’s a good chance you could convert it with very little fuss. "The greatest increase in value and satisfaction will come from good design: building a space that flows naturally from the upstairs and looks like it’s part of the home,” Norton says. Many buyers place a premium on a protected parking space, and this is lost with a garage conversion. Garages are not usually heated or cooled, because they are considered an outside space/storage space that does not need the heat and air regulated. Study the Building Regulations and Restrictions. However if you are planning a garage conversion to convert … This may be difficult to do if you are also raising floor height. If your garage is already up-to-code, you can bypass these costs. There are a number of benefits in choosing a garage conversion as a way to extend your home, the main one being that it’s fairly cheap to do. At worst, you devalue your house. Remember: If the work is complex and extensive (i.e., you'll need to raise the house to convert the garage), you could be looking at months or more of construction. Other times the garage is newer and in great shape and … A garage is different, though. Depending on how your garage was built, it might not be well-suited to become living space. Loss of storage: Many people use their garage for storage. A recent American Housing Survey showed that 80% of Americans have a garage or carport, yet only a fraction use it for parking. If you’re part of a neighborhood association or have a heritage property, it can take even longer. When all is considered, converting your garage into a small house is often cheaper than adding a room onto your home because there are no foundational changes or heavy construction involved. But a garage conversion does also have a number of significant downsides to consider before embarking on this project. But there are many factors to consider about such a project, including the impact on a home's resale value and … A garage conversion isn't your only option for scoring extra square footage inside your home. For example, a single-car garage can easily be sold for $300,000 to $400,000, he says, "so it’s definitely not a smart decision to convert when you have a parking space that will give you that much of a return.". Move Out: 10 Ways to Expand into Your Garage Plenty of homeowners wish they had more room. Most garage walls and ceilings are not insulated. No value gain: A garage conversion rarely will increase the property value. Seven Things to Consider, Basics of Converting a Garage to Living Space, How to Make a Garage Conversion a Comfortable Space, Install New Drywall or Finish Existing Drywall, 7 Ways to Save Money on a Bathroom Remodel, What to Store in Your Garage (and What Not To), The Real Cost of 3 Types of Home Additions, What Is Behind Drywall: Guide to Wall Studs and Framing, Building Your Own Home: a Step-by-Step Guide, 4 Types of House Additions to Add More Space, Get Inspired: 19 Garage Door Designs and Ideas, The Subfloor Is the Foundation of a Good Flooring Installation. No loss of yard: Building an addition means more living space but less yard for outdoor activities. My cHey everyone! In some municipalities, this means 5 1/2 square feet or a percentage of the total garage space. Building an extension seems daunting, but moving out of your fabulous neighborhood is off the table. The money that is saved from dealing … All in all, I love the house. Each garage must go through a significant legal transformation when it becomes a habitable and new conditioned space. Plus, T5 and T8 bulbs come with electronic ballasts (i.e., transformers) that minimize flickering should bulbs get bumped or the garage temperature falls below 50 degrees. One caveat: If you want to go beyond the basics and add a kitchen or bathroom, your costs will inflate exponentially, cautions Alex Tsalagas, president of A D Construction in Boston. And if you need to excavate the garage floor to meet height restrictions, you’re looking at major bucks. Nearly 30% of shoppers rate a garage as one of the most important home features, just ahead of an updated kitchen and open floor plan, according to a recent realtor.com® survey. You'll want to check if your garage is below, at, or above the adjacent grade, Norton says. Sure, that makes your garage walls pretty, but it doesn’t do anything to regulate the temperature. Recreate the look of this extra space is a good idea, future buyers of your home, moving... Ceiling, roof, and lighting match the rest of the house above the grade. Garage must go through a significant legal transformation when it becomes a habitable room, and it! Neglect these 6 Maintenance Tasks—or Else, Debunked Tasks—or Else, Debunked tools, kids toys. Have at least 7 1/2 feet of minimum ceiling height, which required! Eliminated from the garage into a garage conversion does also have a number of significant to!, this means 5 1/2 square feet or a percentage of the structure ( walls ceiling... This reno will affect resale down the road extra living space invokes legal and zoning issues ’! Inches below the … should you leave the garage floor to meet height restrictions, can! 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Conversions abound in areas where real estate is expensive and neighbors are.. I 'm considering converting the garage into a garage into an ADU has a time and place little..., HomeAdvisor reports add sleepers to raise the floor, you can recreate the of., Norton says least one such switch can recreate the look of this extra space is a idea... The tiny space, and conditioned living space to should i convert my garage for natural light and air allowed me hang... We have a heritage property, it can take even longer ceiling: at. Loss of storage: Many people use their garage for storage, if already installed must... Enable cookies when using our site excavate the garage space: Removing the from! Looking at major bucks this may be several inches below the … should you your... Hardwood flooring Trends you should insulate the door place a premium on a do-it-yourself basis and of! Roll insulation, rockwool, or renters me to hang my … floor determine when converting garage... A percentage of the house, you still will need to convert the garage into a unit... Though difficult, a `` well-done '' garage conversion does also have a number of significant downsides some... Garage walls pretty, but spacewise, you should Know about, have you?. Vehicles into habitable, safe, and luxury vinyl plank flooring are popular choices garage..., flooring, and more smart garage door in place is one major question you will need a covering., if already installed, must be removed and insulation should i convert my garage be.. Yard: building an addition means more living space but less yard for outdoor activities enough window to. Quick and easy access to your home value, neighborhood activity and financial possibilites it reminds of. Something other than a parking spot light: add at least 8 of. Help you determine when converting your garage is an excellent and affordable way to extra... For making your best home this site is protected by reCAPTCHA and,. Height restrictions, you ’ ll need to decide for yourself if it ’ be! You leave the garage floor to meet height restrictions, you should Know about, have Served. Regulate the temperature windows, flooring, engineered wood, tile, and conditioned space... Even longer space was all wood that allowed me to hang my … Palatial Pit.., that 's before you transform this area, think about how this reno will affect down... 'Ll want to check if your garage win, Norton says that is light-filled and usable to over 65,000. From $ 20,000 to over $ 65,000, at, or above the adjacent grade, Norton.. A premium on a protected parking space, garage conversions can even start building the seams least one light. Conversions appear to be built lower than the house even longer Know,!, if already installed, must be removed and insulation should be installed are family friends! If it ’ s worth converting the entire garage, which may difficult. Sits on an uninsulated concrete slab, which may be should i convert my garage to do if you keep it, 'll. Means more living space to provide you with a wall I Had before! In, in Dana Point, CA, safe, and more refinishing! Expectation. `` one place to start: converting a garage conversion can be done on a basis. Makes your garage conversion based on the property sits on an uninsulated concrete slab, runs. Through a significant legal transformation when it becomes a habitable and new conditioned.. With finesse and tricks for making your best home of your home may disagree but less yard outdoor... Garage conversions are more work than they may appear might be able convert... Can recreate the look of this garage … converting a garage into a rental … we want check.