Many homeowners experience the problem of not having enough space. This can be a real issue as your family size grows. There are only two real options when you need more space, add onto your existing home or buy a larger house. Converting a garage is often a popular choice, because it doesn’t cost as much as a new addition or house.
The team here at Two Step Garage Doors has a few things you should consider when deciding if converting your garage is the best idea or not.
What Will You Do With The Items in Your Garage?
Most people store tools, lawn equipment, and other things in their garage. Many people park in their garage as well. If you decide to convert that space into a living space, you need to come up with a solution for storage and parking.
You may consider buying a tool shed for your lawn equipment and other storage items. If you have space to add on a carport, you could do that for covered parking. Otherwise, you will need to park on the street or driveway if you have one.
Are There Zoning Issues?
Before you make major changes to your garage, you must find out what the legal requirements are from the city. You may need a permit or a building inspector to come out and make sure your proposal is safe. Many states have strict requirement to turn a garage into a living space.
When a garage is built, it isn’t designed to be a habitat. Therefore, you will have to get it up to building codes if you are going to build it out. It is important to do this, especially if you ever want to sell your house. If you don’t pay attention to the building codes, you’ll have a mess on your hands during a sale.
Minimum Standards to Convert Your Garage
There are some bare minimum things you must have to convert your garage into a living space. You will need to consider these things:
● Ceiling height- you will need a ceiling height of at least 7 ½ feet. If you want to add a false ceiling you need to keep that in mind.
● Lighting- you need at least one light switch on your walls. Most garages already meet that requirement.
● Heat- even if you skip on the air conditioning, you at least need a heat source. You can go with electric baseboards or space heaters. Also, you might consider running it into your duct work.
● Outlets- many building requirements state that no cord should have to reach further and 6 feet from the center of the room to get to an outlet. That may mean you will have to have an electrician add in a few outlets.
● Flooring- since your garage is made out of concrete, you need to come up with a flooring solution. Concrete floors are very cold. It would be best to put down some type of flooring that can be insulated.
Call us now if you need our help. We look forward to working with you.
