Cost-effective Garage Conversion Ideas
While garage conversions tend to cost between £5,000 and £10,000, there are steps you can take to lower your overall bill. In this blog, we’ll explore the most cost-effective conversion ideas and why they are cost-cutting solutions. Let’s go!
Garage Office Space
One approach worth considering is having your garage converted into an office space. This could be the perfect redesign for remote workers or anyone who’d like to have an office space added to their home, perhaps to work on personal projects (e.g., novel writing, self-study or otherwise).
Among the cost-related advantages of a garage office space is that there will be a limited need for insulation and plumbing; thus, it shouldn’t require as much work as many conversions would. Moreover, garage office spaces tend to involve fewer planning requirements and building regulations, making it a swifter and often cheaper part of the process compared with most garage conversions.
Garage Gym
If you’ve always desired an at-home gym, then a garage gym conversion might be the ideal solution for you. With relatively few thermal and acoustic requirements, a garage gym conversion can be particularly cost-effective.
Depending on what sort of setup you’re opting for, you may not even need electricity if you intend to use it only during daylight. However, do verify with the designer/professionals you’re working with to ensure that your garage gym will not need electricity first.
Garage Bedroom
A somewhat unconventional approach would be to convert your garage into a bedroom. However, it would need to be connected to the main house. Of course, plenty of building regs will apply, and you’ll need to submit a change of use planning application. Ventilation and other health and safety concerns must be taken fully into account too.
While a garage bedroom conversion is expensive upfront, it could bring financial benefits in the long term. For example, a garage bedroom conversion may allow you to rent out the space, either occasionally (e.g., for students from abroad who are staying for several months) or on an ongoing basis. Moreover, a garage bedroom can add a whopping 20% to your property’s value!
Make A Games Room
One fun and relatively inexpensive garage conversion are to turn it into a games room which can make for lots of fun for the whole household and visitors alike.
Depending on what you and other household members prefer, some games you may want to include are:
- Pool or snooker table *
- Darts board
- Jukebox
- Foosball
- Table for playing cards
- Video game console(s)
*While a well-suited match for a games room, you’ll need to consider there’ll be sufficient room to safely and comfortably play. You don’t want to install your pool/snooker table only to realise that the back of the snooker cue is going to hit the wall!
Play Room for the Kids
If you have children, you may want to convert your garage into a playroom. Some additions you’ll want to consider include:
- Kid’s sized chairs and tables
- Plenty of toys
- Bean bags
- Video game console(s)
One key consideration here is safety. For young children, you’ll always want to have an adult present, whereas, for older kids, you should still make it possible to see them and keep an eye on how they’re doing (e.g. by including a window in the garage conversion that faces toward your house). Or, to be extra cautious, it may be best to always have an adult there, even for older kids.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that you might decide to make a hybrid games room-playroom so that all the family can enjoy the space.
Simply Extend Your House
If your garage is directly connected to your main house, you might decide to use it to extend the inside of your house. This can also be seen as a cost-effective extension since the fundamental structure is already there.
As with building a garage bedroom, using a garage to extend your house can also increase the value of your property! However, some of the downsides worth noting here are that this type of conversion comes with plenty of red tape, and it can be complex work involving floor/ceiling height changes and a range of requirements.
Finding the Right Professional For You
Garage conversion costs can vary significantly, but with the right design and approaches, you can lower your final bill without sacrificing safety or quality.
Of course, another factor to consider when it comes to cost and value for money is hiring the right person/company to take on the conversion job for you. Additional professionals (e.g., plumbers and electricians) will also likely be necessary, depending on the nature of the conversion.
To find the best professionals for you, you’ll want to consider not only their quote but previous experience and any online reviews/ratings. After all, value for money isn’t simply going with the lowest quote but ensuring that you get your money’s worth.
This is a collaborative post.
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