Recent lifestyle reports reveal many Brits don’t use their garages for parking cars; apparently, while over 80 percent of UK households own two or more vehicles, just 15 percent of them use their garage for parking.
It may mean their garage has been repurposed, but it may also mean some valuable space is going to waste or being used for haphazard storage.
Being able to use the garage space for other purposes can properly maximize space, and you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice vehicle parking; prefabricated, weatherproof, secure metal garages can soon be installed if you decide to repurpose your existing one.
Some ideas for using spare garage space:
1. Use the loft area
Without even having to touch the main garage, perhaps you have some loft space if your garage building has a pitched roof.
You could make good use of this space in all sorts of ways:
- Create a home office – ideal as it would be separate from your living area
- Storage – store various items including occasionally used bulky leisure equipment such as skis, surfboards and winter hiking gear
- Den or relaxation areas – create somewhere to relax in a style that suits you
2. Multi-use – ‘zoning’
You can repurpose your garage fairly simply, effectively and quickly by allocating areas for specific types of storage.
With the advent of compact storage methods such as clever racking and foldable workbenches, you may even be able to create various storage areas and still have room for your vehicles.
Some ‘zones’ you can create:
A boot room – ideal for storing outdoor clothing and shoes that may get wet and muddy, and providing an area to change into and out of them so keeping the house tidier.
All you need are a few hooks, maybe some shoe racks, and a simple bench to sit when changing footwear.
Garden equipment storage – racking can help efficiently store large garden tools like rakes and pitchforks in a space-efficient way.
Workbench area – foldable workbenches can literally be ‘folded out’ to produce a pop-up work area that otherwise takes up minimal space.
Customized storage – whole wall spaces can be made use of for storage with shelving and racking suitable for your needs.
This six zoned garage plan shows what’s possible.
3. Home extension
If you have an integral garage you may choose to repurpose it to give you a whole new room or space:
- Extend kitchen and dining area – you may reconfigure the whole kitchen to create something wholly new with your old garage space added
- Guest room – add an extra bedroom
- Home office – if you work from home in any way a dedicated office makes sense
- Den or relaxation area – a dedicated space to chill out is becoming more popular in US homes
4. Hybrid space
Not quite the same as ‘zoning’ above; the hybrid approach is where different areas are created and partitioned off from one another for various uses.
Examples could include:
- Play area for children
- Laundry area
- Mudroom area
Plus others to suit circumstances.
5. Dedicated ‘whole use’ area
You may decide you want to use your garage for one specific purpose and repurpose it accordingly:
- Home office – a cramped space in the house can be replaced by a whole, spacious home office designed to suit work needs
- Home gym – get a few more workouts in between gym sessions or maybe replace that gym membership altogether with a purpose-built home facility
- Den – create a relaxation area in the style you like such as a games room, home cinema and TV center, or maybe a themed space such as for sports or a musical era such as the 50s or 60s
There are plenty of garage conversion options.
Don’t forget permits
Unless it’s basic reuse of the space such as zoning, check with your local municipality’s planning people before embarking on significant conversion work.
- Selling a House in a Trust After Death: What You Should Know - April 18, 2024
- Maximising Your Home’s Potential: The Ultimate Renovation Checklist - April 16, 2024
- Key Tips on Managing Your Property Portfolio - April 16, 2024
