Remodeling a garage can be an exciting prospect, since garages are often a bit neglected in the world of home remodeling. You may be able to boost your home’s value if you remodel your garage, and by investing in your home, you’re hedging against the current issues with inflation we’ve been having in the United States economy. A higher-value home will, ideally, sell for more in the future, and you get all the benefits of the garage’s new utility right now!
You may only think of sparkling kitchen sinks and rain showers in renovated bathrooms, but remodeling a garage can be a cost-effective and excellent way to add value and useful space to your home. The key is to prioritize what matters most to you and not get into the project before you’ve fully planned it out.
Start With Budget Breakdown
You want to know not only your big picture number (can’t go over such-and-such thousands of dollars) but rather the actual price for each thing you want to do to the garage. Start pricing out how much flooring you’ll need for your actual square footage and talk to the home improvement store team to see how much paint, insulation, and other supplies you’ll need to make your dreams come true.
Plan Out Cash Flow Strategy
Many people assume they’ll be able to pay for repairs as they go, only to realize they need to make a payment right now and end up putting it on a high-interest-rate credit card. Save yourself some stress and have a plan ahead of time. If you know that you’re not going to have a lot of cash wiggle room, consider a lower-interest-rate HELOC (home equity line of credit) to cover any unexpected overages so that you can pay them off over time. You can also set savings goals and plan to start the project after you hit those goals, which costs even less in interest costs.
Get the Lay of the Land By Reducing Clutter
As you’re making your plans and setting your budget, work on decluttering your space. If you’re like most people, the garage ends up being a ‘dumping ground’ for items that are out of place or not needed right now in the main home. By decluttering the garage, you’ll spend some time in it, realizing what you really want from the space and making it a more functional place for storage or other activities.
Handle Exterior Wall Changes First
If you know you’re going to want more physical space, wall expansions can be arranged. Just make sure you price out expanding the garage first, since no other parts of the project should be started until those wall changes are in place. That way, any interior flooring and wall colors are all added to the final shape and size of the room.
Improve Insulation If You’ll Be Heating and Cooling
HVAC can become an expensive ongoing expense if you’re making the garage into a living space that will be used frequently in summer or winter. By insulating the garage better than they typically are insulated, you can retain heat from a space heater or mini-split AC unit for longer. You’ll recoup part of your costs over time as you reduce the wasted energy costs.
Choose a Durable Flooring Option
Flooring in a garage needs to stand up to wear and tear: a carpeted garage is great if it is become a bonus room but not so good if you still want to park a car in there sometimes. Epoxy and concrete sealer are popular and durable ways to keep your concrete looking good but still have an easy-to-clean surface in your garage. Other folks choose to paint in order to give themselves options to do periodic color changes and updates over time.
Give the Storage Options a Facelift
So much of why our spaces get cluttered is because we don’t have a system. If you commit to adding shelves, labeling new cabinets, and creating hooks and pegboards for items that can be easily stored vertically, you’d be amazed by how much space you can reclaim. You’ll be able to access more of the items you want while still knowing where everything is all the time. Allocate some budget to updating storage to make it truly useable for your family.