How to Renovate Your Garage : the Main Steps | Renovation Quotes

If you feel like your garage needs a good makeover, you may be having a hard time knowing where to start. RenoQuotes.com is here to give you a few ideas and tips on how to renovate your garage.

There are many reasons that could lead you to renovate your garage. You may be looking to increase the amount of space for a new car or you could also want to transform the garage into an extra room for your house. Whatever the reason, one thing that you should take into consideration is that if your project is well done, your new garage will contribute to the value of your home.

Garage renovation ideas : how to plan your project

Let's start with a few home improvement projects, keeping in mind that you are looking to maintain the current purpose of your garage. The first and easiest step that could make a big difference without costing a fortune is to organize your garage using furniture, hanging stuff on walls and throwing out any object that you haven't used in a long time.

Garages tend to become storage places where we keep all our junk. By simply working on having a better setup, your room will look like new and you will gain a lot of space.

Here's a great example of a garage that is well organized and functional:

If cleaning out your garage doesn't seem like a fun activity, you can hire a professional to do it for you. While you're working on organizing your garage, why not take the opportunity to do a deep cleaning of the surfaces? Using good products and equipment such as a pressure washer (only for the floors), you'll make your garage look brand new.

You could also paint your walls with a new colour or a fresh coat of the same shade that is already covering the walls. Garage floors are subject to a lot of wear and tear. Therefore, if you're going to undertake a major renovation project in this part of your house, chances are you will want to work on changing your floor. Here are a few good options:

• Carpet: Parts of your garage floor could be covered with a carpet. Easy to install and available in many colours, carpet can be used to cover damaged or stained floors.

• Epoxy: Epoxy resin is very popular due to its resistance and its good looking finish. People also enjoy the fact that it is easy to clean.  Epoxy resin is very trendy right now and it will give you the type of flooring that you see in car dealerships and showrooms.

• Paint: Painting the floor is also an option.  You can find concrete floor paints that are both affordable and easy to apply. This option is less expensive than using epoxy resin to cover the floor. However, it is less durable.

Transforming your garage into an extra room

Have you noticed that you aren't really using your garage in its current form? Think about your needs. Perhaps this part of your house would be more useful if you transformed it into something else. A few examples:

• An extra bedroom: Instead of building a costly home extension or moving into a new house, why not use a structure that is already there and turn it into a new bedroom?  You only have to work on isolating the room, removing the garage door and adding a wall, perhaps installing a few windows... Your kids could finally each have their own bedroom! Other possibilities include turning it into a guest room, a studio for a young adult or a room for a person with reduced mobility.

• A room that is dedicated to your work and/or passions: If you love collecting things, your garage could be turned into a special room. Your whole stock of objects could finally be stored in the same room. Film buff? Your garage could become a mini home theatre where you keep your thousands of DVDs. Trekkie? Why not transform your car park to look like the inside of a spacecraft. The possibilities are endless. It's not all about being a geek. This new room could also be turned into an office or a workshop for handymen and contractors.

• A bathroom: Lots of houses could use an extra bathroom and/or laundry room.

• A gym: No more monthly payments! No more long car rides after your workout! Build your own gym at home. You can exercise at your own rhythm without waiting for others to finish working on the machines you want to use.

• A storage room: Garages often serve as makeshift storage rooms. However, they aren't very well organized. Using shelves, labels and boxes, you can turn your garage into an excellent storage room. Big family? Stock up on food supplies, bathroom products and other things that can come in cheaper when bought in large quantities.

Whatever you decide to do, just make sure that you have a plan and that you have established a budget that will measure which projects are within your means.