The Best Garage Renovation Ideas

The garage is often an overlooked asset. A diamond in the rough so to speak. It can be hard to see through the cobwebs and overflow of stuff you never really got unpacked from the last move. Don't forget the exercise equipment you used once before it got its own boxes. Don't let this potentially valuable square footage attached, or detached, to your home go to waste. Take a gander at these garage renovation ideas to increase your net worth and net some good times all at once.


It's the right time to renovate your garage when the value of the square footage of the garage would be more valuable as renovated space more than it would cost to perform the renovation.

Garage Renovation Ideas For Inspiration

Of course, the value is as individual as your renovation can be. Some will look at the increase in the value of the home by adding taxable square footage to their investment. Others will see value in having a family game room or home studio. Still, others want a temple for their favorite toys. Regardless of why you want to increase the value of your home by converting that poorly designed box you store all of your extra stuff in, here are some cool things you can do with it. From a modified front porch for neighborhood gatherings on warm summer nights to an elegant dining room, we'll go over some of our favorite ideas.

Home Office

Many employees and business owners enjoy the benefits of working from home. Not only does it save money on the commute, but working from home can also reduce the amount of stress in your life. One of the challenges working from home can bring is that there's no clear line where your personal life ends, and work begins. This can cause some difficulties for your brain to "get in work mode." A home office can solve this problem quickly by providing a place where work is done and, when you leave that space, work is left there. The financial benefits don't stop with saved commuting costs. The IRS will allow you to take a deduction for the square footage of your home dedicated for your primary employment. A yearly tax write-off is nothing to scoff at when it comes to the already tight budgets we all live on. Don't forget to look at the latest recommendations on standing desks to support good ergonomics; if you are building it, you might as well make it custom.

Movie Theater

You could convert your garage into a movie theater complete with a big screen and a projector. Depending on the dimensions of the room, it can be designed into a quality sound system. Some foam sound deadening board to reduce echoes and a few can lights for effect are a great touch. A plush carpet and a row of recliners and you and the family just saved a pretty penny on going to the movies once every couple of weeks. Your family will start looking forward to the next Netflix release...be careful or you may become the neighborhood theater!

Bedroom

Maybe you have always wanted your master suite off and out of the way of the rest of the house. Here's your chance to convert your garage into your master bedroom suite. A two-car garage can give you enough square footage for a comfortable bedroom, closet and bathroom combination. With a one-two power combo, you just added value to your home and a place to retreat and recharge at the end of the day. Go ahead; you deserve it.

In-law Suite/Efficiency Apartment

Are one of the kids getting old enough for their own section of the house? Maybe one moved back in - it's a reality today. Perhaps you want to make a few extra bucks renting a portion of your home. Whatever the reason, a garage can offer you the space to install an in-law suite style space. Drawing from the design of an efficiency apartment, it's possible to pack a lot into a little space. Use a professional building crew with experience to help you layout an ingeniously designed space that'll allow someone to live there without impacting your household. This can be especially lucrative in a college town where students are coming and going all the time.

Studio

What artist doesn't want their own home studio? The open space of a converted garage can give you exactly the area you're looking for. Whether you're a sculptor, painter, graphic designer or architect open space allows the creative mind to flow and gives you the ability to expand and create freely.

Play Room

As your children grow, so too will their needs for a playroom. The garage can create an adaptable space that can evolve over time with your kids. Early on, a converted garage with good insulation, thick carpet, and HVAC can be a bright and enjoyable space to sequester all of the toys, clutter, and noise of a toddler's playroom. At the end of the day, you can close the door on the chaos and relax in your part of the house. Later, the room can be converted to the lego den or video game center with a table for homework and bean bag chairs. In the teen years, the garage can morph into the local kid's hangout and theater space allowing the kids their space to mold as they desire.

Neighborhood Hangout

The front porch has long been the gold standard in meeting your neighbors and staying in touch with your local community. Warm summer evenings aided by a glass of cold iced-tea and a rocking chair are custom built for telling stories and sharing laughs. The garage has a unique feature that the rest of your home lacks - a big, wide, fantastic door that lets you open your home to the world. Converting your garage to an indoor front porch can be a rewarding and enjoyable way to employ that space. Insulate, drywall and paint the interior walls and upgrade the windows to brighten up the space and give you a vast canvas to work from. Install a couple of ceiling fans, a fleet of rocking chairs, a few tables and a fridge in the corner and you have everything you need for building friendships. Add a portable fire pit and a grill, and you can expand into the driveway for an extended evening. When it's all done, roll everything back into the garage out of the elements and close the door. Everything stays just as it is until it's time for the next meeting of the neighborhood social club.

Garage Renovation Is Worth While

To recap, the garage is an excellent opportunity to increase the value and happiness you get from your home. A well thought out and intentional conversion can render dividends on the investment. After all, does your car need to be parked inside next to the boxes of stuff you never use? Or would you instead use that space to grow the memories and good times with your family? If your garage renovation involves something a little bigger, such as a new garage, then you can trust Danley's to build you the garage of your dreams. Since 1959, we've been providing the Chicagoland area with the best garage building available. Get a free quote now and join the over 100,000 homeowners that have trusted us with their garage building project.