Noticing signs of wear, such as worn-out doors, cracked flooring, and stains in your garage, can indicate the need for a garage renovation.
Given its substantial importance as an investment, this endeavor demands thorough planning and sufficient resources. You can engage a professional service or embrace a do-it-yourself approach to achieve an ideal garage transformation.
Garage Makeover Essentials: 6 Important Things to Consider
If you choose the DIY path, you must first establish a budget and meticulously plan tasks by creating a blueprint. You should also gather all necessary renovation resources, and systematically progress through each phase to ensure comprehensive coverage.
For those contemplating a garage revamp, implementing these five straightforward yet essential garage renovation tips can enhance the elegance and spaciousness of your garage, offering long-lasting benefits.
Verify if Planning Permission is Necessary
The initial step is to adhere to garage renovation planning permission regulations. Thankfully, it’s highly unlikely that you will need to obtain planning permission for your garage or garage extension.
Garages, porches, and outbuildings typically fall under permitted development rights. However, if your garage is sizable, exceeding four meters in height and with an eaves height surpassing 2.5 meters, you may necessitate planning permission.
If in doubt, we strongly recommend seeking guidance from your local council. Avoid completing your garage renovation only to discover it violates planning permission rules or faces rejection on appeal. You can contact a garage door service professional to assist you in understanding the rules and regulations of your area.
Building a New Garage: Attached or Detached?
When considering a garage, you can have an attached or detached setup. An attached garage is connected to your home, offering convenience and shelter during inclement weather. It may also lead to cost savings and more outdoor space, yet intricate designs can make one for an older home complex.
On the other hand, a detached garage stands independently from the house, providing advantages like greater flexibility in layout, enhanced privacy, reduced disturbances from vehicle activities, and a better fit for narrow lots.
However, it requires walking outside to access the car regardless of weather conditions. It reduces yard space, tends to be pricier than attached garages, and could be subject to HOA limitations in certain situations.
Integrating an Adaptable Storage System
When renovating your garage, incorporate the appropriate storage system as a key consideration. A common oversight is restricting the storage setup solely to meet current needs. Maintaining flexibility is crucial to ensure that future requirements can also be accommodated.
Enhance an Existing Garage or Construct a Brand-New One
Collaborate closely with your design-build contractor to align your vision for an ideal, cost-effective garage upgrade with the current setup. Working with existing structures offers advantages in terms of cost efficiency, project timing, and minimal disruption to your property.
Room additions, wall partitions, and enhancements to fixtures, appliances, and materials can expand existing garages. However, a fixed layout, structure, and style constraints may limit flexibility and design possibilities.
Despite the higher cost involved, building a new garage from the ground up allows you to create a fresh and customized layout according to your precise requirements. This approach allows for additional space for more vehicles, including a second-floor bedroom, gaming area, or workspace. Constructing a brand-new detached garage lets you position it anywhere on your property or consider attaching it to your home.
Decide on the Location of Garage Entry Points
The accessibility of a garage plays a crucial role in ensuring its efficiency and practicality. This holds true whether you opt for an attached or detached garage on your property. It’s advisable to incorporate an exterior entrance to your garage to avoid the need to continuously operate the overhead door for pedestrian access.
If your residence lacks a garage, carefully plan the location for its addition and where the entry point from the garage into the house will be situated. Ideally, position the entry in a space segregated from general household traffic.
Garage entries that lead directly to a mudroom or a similar designated area aid in maintaining cleanliness within the home. It works by preventing dirt from shoes and the accumulation of winter clothing and jackets during colder months. These factors are essential considerations before embarking on a garage expansion project.
Select Materials with Care
Another crucial decision involves teaming up with your design-build contractor to choose optimal and cost-efficient materials. The spectrum of quality, functionality, and pricing is broad. Typically, the selection of finishes plays a significant role in determining the budget.
Exterior finishes vary from aluminum and Hardie Board siding to brick and stone. Doors, windows, and the main garage doors are also available at various prices. Interior finishes can range from basic drywall and cement floors to a fully customized living area.
Essential materials like insulation, plumbing, and electrical components should meet your requirements. While outlets are essential, the quantity and placement depend on the appliances, tools, and devices you plan to incorporate.
Access to running water and radiators can be highly beneficial or even necessary. Additionally, considerations for heating and cooling the space may also be important.
Declutter
Before commencing the renovation, always declutter the area. Take the time to sort through all the items accumulated in the garage over time. Organize these belongings into groups of items to retain, discard, repair, or donate.
Remove any irreparably broken items, donate those in good condition but unnecessary, and temporarily relocate the remaining items to initiate the renovation process. Identifying the possessions to keep will be beneficial when determining the type and size of storage shelves or cabinets to incorporate.
Endnote
Undertaking garage renovation projects can bring excitement and fulfillment. You can craft a practical and chic area that meets your requirements by meticulously planning, budgeting, and employing smart design approaches. Utilize the resources available, including online tutorials and home improvement stores, to successfully accomplish your garage renovation venture.
