Garage Transformations

Sadly garages overall are greatly underrated and taken for granted since they are merely seen as storage for your car. However, the latest real estate trends are putting extra emphasis on this space, and for a very significant reason; its transformation power. If you take the right steps, there are various ways your garage can be turned into creative living space​, for example this space could now be turned it into a home office.

Freelancing is no longer a novelty, and there are plenty of professions which allow working from home, making the garage a great newfound space for the home office. Alternatively, a lot of family’s love having play space for the children, their toys and friends, which is neatly separated from the rest of the household, enabling the grownups to have some peace and quiet. Alternatively, your garage can be turned into a home gym or even a spare bedroom.

Renovating the garage space has become so popular and has become such a practical solution for bigger families, that this is reflected in the home buyers’ market. Having the flexibility to renovate the garage has become a key feature in the buyers’ market and it is becoming a significant booster in adding value to your home. So, without further ado, let's look at what needs to be done so that your garage gets a new look.

In order to be able to use the garage as your new home office, without shivering /overheating or adding to your already huge energy bill, we advise to make a ​smart insulation investment. Insulation keeps the heat out in summer and the warmth in winter, However and make sure to explore insulation options for the ceiling and not just the walls. As we all know, the ceiling can become extremely hot during summer, making it almost unbearable to be ‘indoors’ without air conditioning and a like. Particularly through a metal Garage Door heat transfer, both into and out of the garage, can be large. To avoid having an uncomfortable temperature, invest in an insulated garage door solution, that will allow easy access and keep you at a comforntable temperature year round.

When discussing insulation, it’s inevitable to mention the garage door, and the door leading to the rest of the house. Trying to stay cool in summer and warm in winter will be difficult (even with insulation) unless you have a high-quality garage door. The garage door can be the key to reducing those energy costs whilst giving the home a modern look, which not only adds to practicality but adds to curb appeal.

Would you go be intrigued if you saw a house with a shabby old garage door, would you feel reluctant going in? Possibly the latter, and for a good reason. A good garage door means safety. New technologies are allowing for more motion sensor garage doors that stop opening/shutting when someone stands nearby, which is great for families with toddlers. The fact that a new garage door brings in the biggest return on investment speaks for itself. Another door to be taken care of is the one leading into the rest of the house. Check if it’s properly caulked or it needs some weather-stripping for better insulation.

To make your garage a living and/or working space, it needs to have the very essence of
comfort and the one thing that best brings about this feel is light! Make sure that the space has as much natural light as possible. There are several ways you
can do this;

• put in a new and bigger window (we all know that garages have smaller windows, so a new one is needed) and
• choose an appropriate garage door with nice looking windows. Additionally, consider the artificial lighting as well; will you leave the stock standard neon tube, or would you consider adding downlights allowing users to control light in the space and how it’s used (increase/decrease luminosity).

Typically, a garage floor consists of a concrete slab or two, but you’ll be needing something much better than that for your playroom or the gym. You might be surprised to find out, but there are many options available to spritz up your garage flooring. There are a myriad designs and material to choose from including; tiles, ceramic tiles, natural stone, vinyl, creative and colourful concrete inventions or even wooden floorboards. When you finish with this, your guests will barely believe they’re standing in what used to be a garage.

Finally and before you start tearing the garage down, make sure to check with your local council that you do not need any special permission to make certain change. This is particularly important if you considering making changes by putting in bigger windows - does this change the ‘plan’ of your home or even insurance policies? Make sure to explore all of these before taking more drastic steps.