It has been estimated that only around 30% of homeowners park a vehicle in their garage. With no dedicated purpose, that means that the garage just becomes a place to collect and store the things that you don’t use but also don’t throw away. However, some convert their garage into another functioning space of their house, increasing home value and making it a fun place to be, or just freeing up a little bit of elbow room in the rest of the house.
Check out these ideas for turning your dark, unused storage space into the first place you want to spend time in when you get home from work, or the reason why people will want to come around to your place, instead of popping down to the local.
Kitchen Extension
If you have a garage that enters your kitchen, why not just open the space and make the garage a part of the kitchen? If your household revolves around the kitchen anyway, this makes perfect sense. With more space for people to sit, relax, eat, do homework, and catch up on the day with each other, nearly doubling the size of your kitchen has an obvious appeal. At the very least, moving large appliances, like washers, refrigerators, and freezers into a different part of the house may give you more options with what to do with your kitchen area. You could also be adding thousands to the value of your home.
Home Office
More people are working from home now than at any point in history. Your garage, whether attached or detached, could be a great place to put your home office—far enough away from the normal comings and goings of the rest of the household to be out of the way, yet still a short walk to clock in every morning.
Kid’s Playroom
Converting your garage into a playroom may not seem like a benefit to you but giving your kids some space of their own to play and be creative in could significantly lower tension in the household, with the added benefit that toys and projects would be cleared out of the other shared living spaces.
Lounge
Going in the other direction, you could make it a place for the adults to retreat to for some relaxation. Easy chairs are a must, and TVs are optional, but you don’t need to stop at the basics. How about a gaming area, or a bar area for entertaining? There are a lot of options for bar countertops that won’t break the bank and will again add a desirable feature to your home resell value.
Home gym
When gyms had to shut their doors during the lockdown, two-thirds of Americans found out that they preferred working out at home anyway. Why not invest in your health and future by dedicating the proper amount of space to your fitness needs? It’ll take a little bit of money to get it all started, but just think of what you’ll be saving every month in expensive gym fees.
