Garage conversion has been a long-time trend for many homeowners. The reason behind the conversion can be anything from generating profit to simply having an additional living space for you or your family.
Turning your garage into a room to generate profit
The emergence and then the steady rise in popularity of rental properties like Airbnb also have a hand in this. Turning your garage into a rental space is something that more and more people find to be an attractive means to generate extra profit. As a homeowner, this is an excellent way to kickstart a rental property business. For those who are already in the rental biz, this can be another additional way of maximizing your income margin. Turning your garage into livable space is not the cheapest way to start a rental property. But it certainly can be affordable and well within the possibility and scale of a home business.
An additional room or two for your family’s living space
If your garage is merely a place to store your items and you’ve been thinking of expanding your home, then yes, converting the garage is a great place to start. A garage can amount the size of a living room or even two small bedrooms. How would you use your garage space?
You won’t have to sacrifice your yard space
Creating an addition to your house by building more structure on your land is going to cost you your outdoor space. If you have a garden you’re just so fond of, this may be very off-putting. This is where garage conversion comes in as a brilliant solution.
Converting a garage is considerably more affordable than a bump-out
A bump-out would cost you at least 50K, and spending around 100K is actually quite common. It is one of the priciest home renovations move you’ll have to make. Converting a garage is only going to cost you a fraction of that price. This is why a turning your garage into a living space is something very attractive to many homeowners. The most costly change in your garage conversion project would be the addition of windows if you needed any, as well as proper insulation and heating distribution.
There are things to consider before making the decision
Garages, aside from housing your vehicles, are also a place for storage for many people. It’s where your Christmas tree goes to. A lot of people put their children old toys there. By converting your garage, you risk sacrificing a storage room in your house. If this is an issue for you, perhaps it’s time you hold that garage sale. Or put your belongings at the thrift store for sale. This way, you won’t have to worry about too much stuff, in the end.
Other things to look out for would be the rules or regulations surrounding garage conversions in your area. Legal issues can be a headache when you don’t know where to start. The first thing would be the zoning issues of a garage conversion. Your space must be suitable to live in according to the required legal standards.
