How To Transform Your Old Concrete Garage Into A Usable Living Space

Hands up who has a garage attached to their home which stores every BUT your car?

Don’t worry you certainly aren’t alone there – of all my friends with garages I think only 2 actually keep a car in there, others house sofas, old furniture, Christmas decorations, hide the kids birthday and Christmas presents inside and of course possibly hundreds of spiders and creepy crawlies too.

Did you know that by transforming this junk space into an extra room, not only gives you a usable room but can add up to 10% to the value of your home!

Depending on your family’s needs there are a variety of uses this room can be transformed into. From the practical, like an extra guest room, to the indulgent, such as a man cave. If, however, you are not lucky enough to have your own garage, there are companies who can design and personalising one to fit your needs just take a look at these double garages from Lidget Compton

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Here are just a few ideas of what you could use this space for:

Playroom/Den

If you are fed up with the mess of toys left all over the floor, train tracks built which they want to keep intact to play with tomorrow or just the sheer volume of toys, this is a great opportunity to give the kids their own playroom and to reclaim your front room again.

Fully carpet the garage’s concrete floor to prevent bumps and bruises or you can change from concrete to something like best garage epoxy and buy lots of boxes to store all the toys and books, Ikea Kallax units are great for displaying and storing toys (I have them in most rooms of my house).

If your garage is on the smaller side then turn the entire space into your children’s very own Wendy House – put in a play-kitchen and table, allowing your children to play make-believe in a safe and secure environment.

When children are older it will make a great space for them to hang out with their friends too – turn it into a chill out room/games room by adding a sofa and comfy seating, a TV, music system and games consoles. You could even add a fridge and stock it with drinks and snack to help make it into a place your teens want to hang out rather than I the park after dark or on the streets.

Office

Whether you work from home, just need a place to occasionally write a few emails of an evening or want a quiet space for your children to do their homework, an office is a practical and useful space for the whole family.

Adding a desk and also filing cabinets will mean you can keep all your work and documents together away from the kids who if anything like mine see a piece of paper and instantly draw on it, even if it is an invoice I have printed off ready to file my tax return.

You could even add a table and a few chairs and will mean that you can hold meetings in the comfort of your own home.

Man/Lady Cave

Imagine having your very own place to escape to when the mayhem of your house gets too much. Somewhere you can binge watch Netflix, play FIFA on your PlayStation or even just sit quietly with a cold glass of wine. Once you have filled your ‘cave’ with all your favourite pastimes, it’s worth spending a bit of time ensuring the security around your garage is tight. You can purchase special garage door locks or install a security system to keep all your prized possessions secure.

A den for the adults only maybe or perhaps a craft room for your card making, sewing etc.

Guest Room/bedroom

If space for visitors is at a minimum, then turn your garage into an extra guest room. Choose a pastel paint for the walls for a calming space, and carpet for the floor to save your guests from having cold feet during the night. By buying a sofa bed rather than a standard double bed you can create an extra living room for you and your family when your guests have gone home. If you have the time or inclination then utilise the large space where the garage doors used to be by replacing them with a huge window, creating a beautiful, light and airy space for your visitors.

My sister has done just this and her unused garage is now her teens bedroom, a place he can shut himself away from his 3 siblings and watch TV/play on his PS4 in peace and quiet and knows it is his haven and they aren’t allowed into his room.