Remodeling ideas for your garage

Remodeling ideas for your garage


What is the easiest way to add more space to your house? Of
course the answer is to remodel your garage. A very cost-effective
way to gain more space for your house is to remodel your garage.
You can greatly expand your home’s living space especially if you
no longer use your garage to park your car using your driveway
instead. Remodeling your garage can help you become
more organized and stop storing everything in your garage. This is
why you have a basement.

Your garage offers a perfect environment to house your workshop,
studio or home office. Many people also find that their garage
can also be used for a gym or for another living room designed for
special activities. However, remodeling your garage does not
necessarily mean that you have to sacrifice your storage
space or your parking area. Garages today have become multifunctional,
allowing cars, general storage, a workshop and even a home office
all in the same place.

Because many garages are attached to the home they can benefit
from the same comfort as a home: phone wires, heating and
cooling and plumbing. All you need is a little imagination, a fixed
budget and a plan.

If you think that by remodeling you might be losing too much
storage space, you can always build a small storage space behind
your garage to house sporting equipment, tools and other items.

Moreover, when remodeling your garage you should consider an
addition above the garage. Adding a room for work space and even
for living, for one of your kids(they usually love this) above the
existing garage can give you additional space and also increase the
value of your home without major changes to the floor plan.

If you feel the need to remodel your garage but you don’t know
exactly what you want or need, you should consider the following
ideas.

You can transform your garage into a laundry room if you have your
laundry room in the basement. By building a laundry in your
garage you will eliminate the need to go up and down the stairs.

A music studio can be a great choice for your garage remodeling
plans if you or your kids have some tendencies in this direction.
The garage is the place where many “garage bands” got their start.
To avoid your neighbors’ complaints consider soundproofing your
garage walls.

Another idea for your garage can be to transform it into a gym. If
you have your equipment and you don not have enough place to
use it indoors you can always move it into the garage and have
plenty of place for your daily exercises and training. Also here you
will not be bothered by anyone.

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Planning ahead your garage

Planning ahead your garage


What would your dream garage look like? Some people want
to have it fitted for the car, others dream for a really nice
workshop, a laundry room, a gym or a rehearsal studio for their
own musical band. Some other people only want it to expand their
living space and improve their lifestyle.

How much money do you have to work with? Even if you want
only to remodel, rebuild or only reorganize a small area of your
garage you must have a budget. It is imperative to have in mind a
specific target and a realistic and finite budget for it.

The first step is to carefully evaluate your needs regarding the
space and your needs. Even if it is a small garage, you can find
plenty of space to use for your work area.

Making the decision regarding whether to do the project
yourself or to hire a contractor depends on several factors,
including your skills and the magnitude of the project. Having
only basic skills you can produce a great reorganization project.

You can buy the needed furniture yourself according to your
needs and your available space. Cabinets, shelves, pegs and
hooks are a must have in order to turn your garage into usable
space over a weekend. If you have a greater project in mind,
maybe you should consult a plumber or an electrician.

If you are planning to convert your garage into a living area
you’d better be a professional or you’ll be risking decreasing
the safety and value of your own home.

If you opt for a contractor, and this is the choice that we
recommend regardless of the project’s magnitude or your skills,
get one whose work you’ve seen and if you have the chance,
get some recommendations. It is better to see with your
own eyes the skills and some relevant work of the contractor so
you can decide whether you could be satisfied with his work or
not.

Costs and construction times vary with the scope and the
magnitude of the project. If there are no structural issues,
finishing and enclosing a garage and turning it into useable room
would take less than two weeks. The costs depend on the
materials that you decide to use, but keep in mind that expensive
does not necessary mean quality and that cheap does not grant you
reliability every time.

Your garage can be a place to spend many happy hours for a long
time to come if you plan it right according to your needs and
dreams.

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Organized garage

Organized garage


The garage is that one place where we all seem to love to be
disorganized, however the sooner you get organized, the sooner
you can make better use of that space. Organizing your garage
can be a tiresome task for many homeowners. When you think
about organizing your garage you should keep in mind that this
activity means to find a designated place for everything while
keeping your goods available for everyday use. The following
five steps compromise a simple system for garage organization.

Sort your garage items.
First of all sort and categorize all the items in your garage, for
this you should empty your garage and start sorting everything
into categories. Separate the tools from sporting equipment,
electric tools, etc. You will realize how much stuff you have
and only then you will be able to determine the best ways to
organize and store everything. Misplaced items in your garage
should be returned to their proper place. Also you should sort
the things that should be in the garage from the things that
should actually be in the basement, attic or better, sold at a
garage sale. Remember to recycle everything that you decide to
throw away.

Separate seasonal items and equipment.
A special rack should be installed to hang lawn maintenance
tools and to keep them accessible yet out of the way. If it is
near winter place snow related tools like snow blowers, ice
scrapers, snow shovels and also skis, snowboards and sleds
grouped together. Also the items for warm seasons should be
stored in a special cabinet. Near the beginning of every season
you should plan this activity and rotate the cold and warm
items places in the cabinet. For the other sporting equipment,
shelves and drawers should be designed.

Additional shelving and cabinets.
While organizing you should consider adding additional
garage storage space to help you maintain the organization.
Shelves and cabinets should be mounted on the walls. The
basic principle is to store the items that you use on a regular
basis in a way that makes them accessible every time you need
them.

Create efficient working area.
Installing a bench or a table would be a good choice if you use
your garage as a workshop. A sturdy tool chest and a pegboard
are great in storing your tools and keeping them easily
accessible.

Relocate trash and recycling bins nearby the garage.
To easily dispose unwanted items from your garage a good
idea is to relocate the trash and recycling bins near to your
garage entrance. This way you won’t be tempted to keep
certain items because the trash bins are too far away.

Now would be the time to hire a handyman to have cabinets,
closets and shelves built right into your garage. Invest in some
good storage units as described before and start organizing,
sorting and storing.

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