|
The garage, once known as a place strictly for cars, is being thought of in brand new ways in many American homes. As homeowners are increasingly deciding to renovate and improve the home rather than face a difficult real estate market by selling and buying a new house, ideas for how to update the home are getting further and further from the box.
Most suburban American homes have a garage, and many people do not use the space in the garage as fully as they could. For this reason, the garage renovation is now becoming one of the most popular ways to improve the home. Using the garage creates more space and often solves a difficult problem in the home. Whether it creates a place to house workout equipment or a place to get business work done, the garage has many offerings for many different types of families.
Below are some of our favorite new uses for the garage.
In-Law Suite
Whether it’s for frequent visitors or to bring in a little extra income from rent, an in-law suite can really change the way your home is used. Some homeowners go as far as converting the garage into a complete apartment, including a living room, small kitchen, bathroom, and separate bedroom. Doing this gives a great space for relatives to stay while still maintaining their own privacy.
Home Office
The home office has grown in popularity since the internet made it possible for so many of us to get our work done at home. A popular trend among those who are converting their garages to home offices is replacing the solid garage door with more sightly sliding glass doors. Doing so gives the office the appearance of being a real part of the home, and it brings in plenty of natural light, which is known to improve productivity.
Extending the Livable Space of the Home
Though many people jump to creating a function for the new space created by renovating a garage, some families simply expand the livable space of their home by knocking down the wall between the home and the garage and creating a big open space. Integrating the garage into the rest of the home does come with its challenges, though, as it then becomes absolutely necessary to insulate the walls of the garage and to extend electricity and plumbing to the garage.
Creating a Tiny New Home
Similar to the in-law suite, some families have actually created an entire (tiny) home in the garage. One family in Seattle created a 250 square foot home in a garage, complete with a tiny kitchen, a bed, and a living area.
Discover a Play Space
Many families desire to give the kids a place to call their own, and the garage is often a great answer to that conundrum. The garage is out of the way and is often rather spacious once cleaned out, giving the kids plenty of room to store their belongings and run around a bit.
|