Thinking about converting your garage into living space?
Wondering if it’s the right choice for you?
If you’re planning to turn a garage into a living space, there are a lot of things to consider. While there are a lot of benefits to doing it, you need to think about it from every angle to ensure that things go smoothly and you don’t regret your decision.
Below we’ll look at the 5 most important things you need to consider before going through with your garage conversion.
1. Know Your Budget
While it may seem like a garage conversion will be a simple task, it may take more effort and money than you may believe. Before you get started you should determine your budget and map out everything that you’ll be spending on the task.
Think about what you’ll handle yourself, if anything, and what you’ll be hiring out. You may have to pay design fees or a structural engineer for the job, for example. Typical costs for a single, 18 square meter conversion can often cost £12,000 at the least but can be up to £22,000 in some cases.
2. Find Out About Local Council Regulations
Depending on your specific city or area there may be regulations and zoning issues that you’ll be facing on the conversion. There are sometimes rules as to what you can and can’t do when it comes to changing one type of space into another kind of space altogether.
It may be illegal to change the space without getting permission, so make sure you find out what to expect in your local area before getting started.
3. Plan Your Design
You also need to determine what is needed for your design and plan carefully. The garage space needs to blend in well with the rest of the house. You also need to determine what your must-haves are for your new room.
A typical conversion will need windows for natural light to get into the new space, for example. You’ll also want to consider what kind of access there will be for the room.
You’ll need to consider changes to floors, walls, and every inch of the space. You may also need to go through damp proofing your new room in some cases.
Take the time to think carefully about the design, well before you get started on the conversion process.
4. Consider Other Options
It’s important that you compare your different options. Don’t assume a garage conversion is the best way to go. In some cases remodeling a basement or adding a new addition to your home may be the cheaper and better choice.
A garage is very useful for storage and for keeping vehicles. During a conversion, you’ll be switching completely from one type of room to another, and you may end up missing your garage more than you expect.
5. Make a List of Pros and Cons
There are many pros and cons to converting your garage so you need to be sure to consider your plan carefully.
Some good things about a garage conversion are that you will already have an existing structure that you can work with and you will likely be able to do the conversion as a DIY project, unlike a typical home addition. You also won’t have to lose any yard or space for your children to play.
However, there are cons as well. You may lose some storage space, for example, and may even decrease the value of your home.
Making the Decision to Turn a Garage Into a Living Space
If you’re planning to turn a garage into a living space it’s important to consider it carefully. By thinking about the above points you’ll have the best chance of making the most of your decision and being happy with the end result.
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