GARAGE - REMODELING

Has your family gotten bigger? Have you begun to work from home and need an office space? Do you need an extra play area for the kids or a place for your teenagers to hang out? There never seems to be enough room for everyone. But before you add square footage for a family room, dining area, master suite, or home office, take another good look at your garage.

Remodeling your garage might meet all your space requirements while costing considerably less than an addition – and you'll avoid the hassles, disruption and complications that any new construction brings. And by remodeling your garage, you won't have to sacrifice any of your yard space as you would with an extension on your home.

Remodeling the garage is becoming increasingly popular among homeowners, and is often the next project to be completed after a bathroom or kitchen is remodeled.

Why remodel a garage?

The beauty of remodeling a garage is that the shell of the building – often with both electricity and plumbing – already exists. Structurally, all that's needed is to close off the garage door opening and perhaps open up the wall between the garage and the house. Using the interior walls to redefine the garage space, you can create a closet, bathroom, laundry room, storage area, or home office.

• It increases the value of your property. To find out more, contact a local real estate agent.
• A remodeled garage gives you a more spacious home without the need to take on a huge mortgage.
• It uses the space in your home more efficiently. A typical single garage takes up 160 square feet on average – space you can put to better use.

Unlike extensions, a typical remodeling will normally take only 2-3 weeks, and good weather is not a requirement. Workers only need to come into your house to make any necessary water, gas and electrical connections. So the remodeling itself will cause minimum disruption to your daily life.

How to remodel a garage?

If you're turning the garage into an extra room, make sure that when it's done, it doesn't look like a garage that's been turned into a living space. To effectively mask the changes you can cover the original concrete slab with new flooring or carpeting, or add framing to bring the floor level with the rest of your home's interior. After filling in the garage door gap, you can add skylights, windows, or French doors to brighten the space.

Insulate the outside walls and roof to increase energy efficiency. If it's too expensive or labor-intensive to extend existing heating ducts, consider adding a new gas fireplace that's rated as a room heater, a certified woodstove, or a fireplace with an outside combustion air source.

Remodeling tips

Since an attached garage is usually close to the kitchen, it's a good candidate for conversion to a family room or library. It could be used as a breakfast area or as a room combining dining and low-key entertaining functions. For an open concept, you may want to decorate with similar colors and furniture as the kitchen to blend the spaces together. Otherwise, you can create a separate room with its own unique character.

A freestanding garage offers the most flexibility for conversion. It might become a home office, a guest house, an entertaining room that opens on the rear garden, a living space for grown children, an art studio or workshop. You can even enlarge it to include a bathroom, a loft, and a small roof deck – creating a separate unit.

Remodeling your garage might meet all your space requirements while costing considerably less than an addition – and you'll avoid the hassles, disruption and complications that any new construction brings.

There are many style choices for your remodeled garage. French doors on the garden-facing wall can give it a cottage look. If you go for the spare, contemporary aesthetic – simple, exposed-wood framing, visible pipes, and industrial-style lighting – you can keep costs down.

Will you need a building permit?

Garage remodeling may not require building permits but must meet local codes and requirements, which vary between municipalities. You don't want to start work before making inquiries. For instance, most communities mandate some form of off-street parking, whether in a parking area, carport, or garage, so if you remodel your garage you may have to build another structure to house your cars. Be sure to check with your contractor and local building officials before undertaking a garage remodel.

How much will it cost?

The cost for remodeling the garage typically starts at about $7,500 and upward depending on the scale, type, materials and finishes you choose. It is far less costly than a new addition.