One of the fastest and most cost-efficient ways to add more space to your home is by converting a garage into a room. This way, you already have all the foundation, wiring, and walls in place, so you only need to make a few changes before the space is ready to live in.

Preferably you want your garage conversion to blend seamlessly with the rest of your house. Since the outside already matches the exterior of your home, you just need to make sure the interior matches as well. 

While your decor goes a long way to achieve this, there are some other factors you will need to consider when planning your garage upgrade. Keep reading to learn more. 

Garage Doors

The first thing you have to consider when converting a garage is what you’re going to do with the garage door. 

The first option you have is to build a wall where the door was. To avoid having a dark room and a blank wall, it’s best to consider adding windows to this wall too. 

You’ll need to hire a builder, as it can be incredibly difficult to build a wall that matches the rest of your home if you’ve never done it before. While you can DIY many home improvement projects, this one is best left to the professionals. 

Another option is exchanging the garage door for a panoramic or stacking door so that you have an outdoor view. The location of your garage will determine how feasible this is.

Lastly, you can have a new entryway installed where the garage door was. This is incredibly useful if you’re turning your garage into an apartment as it gives the people living there their own entrance to use.

Flooring

When building the foundation and floors of a home, the garage is one of the least important spaces. As long as it is stable and can carry the weight of your cars, it doesn’t matter how it looks. 

Unfortunately, this means you have to put in a bit of work to make the floors work for your converted living space.

Usually, garage floors aren’t insulated because that process is expensive and unnecessary for a room people don’t live in. Garage floors are often sloped to ensure any water flows toward a floor drain. If this is the case with your garage floor, you’ll have to get a skilled construction contractor to help you level the floors and add insulation.

While you’re changing the flooring, you also need to consider if you want to add a floor heating system. It’s best to do all these things at the same time so that you don’t have to go back and tear up the floor again later.

Finally, consider your options for the type of the flooring for the space. Would this space work best with tiles, laminate flooring, carpeting, or something else? Consider the pros and cons of these types of flooring, and what will work best with the rest of your home. 

Electrical Wiring

When converting a garage you can expect an increase in the electrical usage of the space. You might need to add additional wiring to ensure the electrical infrastructure can handle the increase. 

It’s likely you can run additional wiring from your house into the room, but it’s best to get an electrician to handle this part, as working with electricity can be dangerous. An electrician will also be able to tell you if you need any additional outlets or if you need to make changes to your DB board.

Plumbing Is Important

While most garages have the necessary structure and wiring to easily turn it into a living space, there’s seldom any plumbing. If you’re lucky, there’ll be a basin and tap attached to the garage, but even that’s unlikely.

Plumbing can be the biggest issue when it comes to converting a garage, because you need to organise a water supply and proper drainage system. This can easily be the biggest expense when converting a garage, but working with a plumber will help you find the best way to incorporate a bathroom into the space.  

If you’re planning to turn the space into an office or gym, you can consider skipping this step, as it will just be an extension of your current home. Plumbing is only important if you want to change it into a completely independent living space or laundry room.

Considerations When Converting a Garage

If you’re looking to add more room to your home but don’t have the available space in your garden, and can’t afford to build a completely new structure, then converting your garage is your best option. 

To avoid any problems later, make sure you’re considering all these factors before you start your garage conversion. Once you’re ready, book an expert contractor to help you with this project so that you can start enjoying your new space.