Garage is a building or a part of a building mainly used to store cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and other types of vehicles. It has been an indispensable part of many households worldwide as it acts as a flexible room that can accommodate other amenities such as tools, lawn equipment, or seasonal decorations. Nevertheless, that does not mean that it lacks problems.
The garage can become one of the most cluttered places on the property. Due to its flexibility, homeowners may dump everything in the garage and block vehicle access. Moreover, homeowners who love to tweak their vehicles can quickly litter the space with dirt, trash, and stains.
But a cluttered space can easily affect a person’s well-being and productivity as it burdens the brain’s capacity to function. In addition to affecting well-being, unorganized areas can reduce the house’s overall aesthetic and make it unappealing to others.
This article will discuss the appropriate time for garage conversion, explore the pros and cons of garage conversion, and elaborate on innovative and practical ideas you can replicate to organize your car garage. With some intelligent organizing solutions, you can create a garage that provides ample storage space and makes it easy to access and maintain your garage!
Should you convert your garage?
When is the right time to convert your garage? The question can be answered by looking at the current needs of the house. Below are a few things to consider:
Assess your property value
When you intend to sell your house and garage for more money, it must reflect its full potential worth. A key component to increase the property’s attractiveness is a well-organized garage since most homeowners prefer a well-organized one.
Custom garage storage can increase the house’s resale value, a wise financial investment. Statistics have confirmed that 75% of participants in a study conducted by the American Real Estate Investment Company, Cresent Communities, agreed that having a garage is necessary. Additionally, 82% of the 500 realtors surveyed by Braun Research say a cluttered garage can affect how potential buyers see the home.
Change in your household composition
A study from The University of Illinois stated that garage conversion is popular in modern times. Usually, vehicles are protected by carports and garages. However, society has expanded its use to include terraces, workshops, playgrounds, utility storages, and even places to dry clothing.
This research is supported by statistical data, where the Wall Street Journal surveyed 900 people about their opinions on garages. The poll revealed that storage was a more frequent garage use than parking. Homeowners store 93% of their belongings in garages, and 84% park their cars there. Nearly half of the respondents admitted using their garages as a place to work on their vehicles or engine in loud activities which aren’t suitable inside the home.
When there is a security risk
Expensive vehicles can be seen as an investment and will affect people’s perception of an individual; it also represents the homeowner’s social status and wealth, which show the family’s capabilities and settled financial condition. Therefore, houses with garages are prone to criminals.
A recent study investigates how thieves selected their target by relying on residential features to maximize a trade-off between perceived advantages, effort, and risk. The study uses information from 650 residential burglaries and almost 500,000 homes in the Belgian province of East Flanders. It was confirmed that the likelihood of being chosen is higher for houses without garages, terraced houses, and houses close to thieves’ base camp.
Taken as a whole, the conclusion suggests that garages are one of the house characteristics which increase the house’s security risk. Thus, consider upgrading your home with a garage to lower its risk.
Pros and cons of garage conversion
After knowing the proper time to convert the garage, it is essential to understand the pros and cons so that homeowners can analyze its cost and benefits. Here are a few examples:
Pro: Protect expensive items
Bicycles, motorcycles, and cars should be stored and protected from the weather, primarily because of their high price. Therefore, it is crucial to design, organize, and maintain the cleanliness of a garage.
A garage conversion can benefit homeowners by protecting items from bumping into one another. Doing so will make it simpler for you to discover objects in the garage, which prevents items from missing. Aside from the internal factor, garages are also prone to external risk factors such as flooding. Flooding can harm specific equipment, and having an enclosed garage helps in protecting your vital equipment and vehicles.
Pro: Ensure functionality
Keeping items in their designated location is crucial to ensure the performance of garage equipment. Garage equipment must be checked and maintained regularly to function properly. Cluttered garage equipment tends to make you constantly neglect things.
By doing a garage conversion, you can install a designated place for all the garage equipment to easily access each object. It will help to ensure the garage’s functionality and feel more put together.
Pro: More vacant space
Garages are commonly perceived as junk space to store unused items. Keeping junk in the garage should be organized to clear the floor of miscellaneous objects and debris.
You can free up more space for moving by reducing the number of things that take up floor space. Additionally, you will benefit from using the additional space for various purposes, such as a workstation or bicycle space.
Con: Parking alternatives
Converting your garage into additional living space might be a cost-effective and quick option to expand your house’s living square area. Garages are frequently transformed into family spaces, such as playrooms, art studios, home offices, and gyms.
However, consider other parking options when your garage no longer serves as a carport. Some homeowners may be able to park on the street, while others may need more driveway width. Additionally, remember that eliminating the garage’s essential function means sacrificing a place to store outdoor equipment.
Con: Permit cost
If your country requires permits and laws to do garage conversion, you must collaborate with experts to complete the project, including architects, electricians, and professionals. It can be an expensive and time-consuming process.
Make sure to find out what permissions are necessary and what local laws apply before converting your garage into a living space. Additionally, you have increased your property’s taxable square footage by adding more living areas.
Garage conversion ideas for your home
A garage conversion can be done in several ways. The list below will give you insights on how to do it well:
Stack vertically
Always remember that items may be stacked vertically. Wall space makes a good storage area. It’s preferable to install pegboards and magnet racks to retain repairing tools. Therefore, making an inventory of the existing garage equipment is necessary before starting the garage conversion.
You can also put the bicycles up on the walls along with the cleaning supplies and gardening tools. If constructed right, the walls may even act as a car-washing area.
Use overhead storage
Another best practice you can implement is to think about overhead storage. Overhead storage can maintain your vehicle area while adding more space for garage equipment. This approach can maximize every square inch of space while reducing clutter. It will not remove the actual function of the garage and will keep the vehicle secure from burglars and weather.
Also, using overhead storage will allow you to use the ceiling space as a double room, which can be used to store rarely used luggage, sports equipment, and pet carriers.
In conclusion
Just like how the invention of the vehicle could transform a barn into a garage, the transition will always happen in the lives of modern people. The best thing about converting your garage is getting additional space without purchasing new land.
Nevertheless, a proper garage conversion comes with several pros and cons that homeowners should know about. Knowing garage conversion ideas you can copy will help you understand the most relevant concepts for your home!
If you would like to see more resources on garage organization, check out the Home Organization Science Labs. The lab uses the research of the Institute for Life Management Science to produce courses, certifications, podcasts, videos, and other tools. Visit the Home Organization Science Labs today.
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