Posts made in February, 2022

Every homeowner could use a bit more space in their house. That is why some of them consider an addition in the back. Others add another floor on top, while a few will finish their basement.  

However, one area that most homeowners ignore is their garage. It’s one thing to install a garage. However, converting it into a living space is one of the most affordable ways to add a huge space of the living room to your property.  

Since your garage already has an outer structure, converting it into a living space is only a matter of creating flooring, walls, and other features that define an indoor space.  

Here are several tips you can follow for your garage ADU conversion project: 

Install Insulated Garage Door  

Most homeowners would remove their garage door and replace it with a normal door when converting the space. However, some professionals recommend that you leave the garage door in place.  

The reason for this is that you can sometimes raise the garage door to open up your living space to the outdoors.  

If this is what you want, all you need to do is to add insulation to your garage door.  

Boost Exterior Appeal 

If you mainly focus on the interior visuals of your garage conversion, you’re ignoring how it will look from the outside.  

Because of this, it’s always best to hire an architect. The benefit is that this professional will help you blend in the garage conversion with the rest of the exterior of your house. On several occasions, this can mean greatly changing the fascia of your home to complement the wall that covers the garage door opening.  

Create Covered Parking 

Do you love your car? If so, then you probably don’t want to leave it in the open under the elements, such as sun, rain, snow, and tree saps. If you want to convert your garage but still want to protect your car, all you need to do is to build a carport.  

If you’ve got an electric car, make sure you include a power source outside.  

Widen Access Door 

If you widen the door between the two places, you can encourage flow from your home to the converted garage. If the footprint of your home allows for it, you should double the width of your door by installing a stronger beam throughout the header for a more open floor plan feel.  

Hide Functional Areas 

Your garage is probably filled with a lot of house functions. This includes the laundry room, furnace, water heater, and more. It can be a bit expensive and messy to move these features. Because of this, the best thing you can do is hide them.  

Study Zoning First 

You can’t just convert your garage right away. You need to know the legalities first. In several communities, it can be hard to obtain a conversion permit due to the rise in the popularity of house sharing.  

Even if you do not plan on renting or sharing your garage conversion, you will still have to look into the requirements for converting the space.