Many people wish they had a little bit of extra space in their home, but they struggle to find it. If you have a garage, this could be the perfect area to be converted into an extra room.
What Are the Essential Tasks to Undertake?
Your first task will be to actually clear out the space in the first place. This may prove to be very challenging as you may have accumulated a lot of clutter. So, you will want to move all this out to begin with and then you will have a much better idea of the space that you have to work with. If you have a lot of debris lying around, finding the best portable air compressor can help out with this task. Once the space is clear, you can then start looking into the steps needed to convert the room.
To begin with, the door will need to be replaced with a new wall or window, which may mean new foundations so this could end up being quite a sizable task. Next, the roof will almost certainly need an upgrade to ensure that it is water-tight. Checkout signs your roof needs replacing to be sure. This is where you may need to start looking into planning permission if you are intending on making major changes.
Windows and ventilation are what you will want to think about next. You will want the windows to be as energy efficient as possible so double glazing is a good idea. As we already mentioned, you should aim to match them up with the existing windows of your house. As for ventilation, you will want to install an extractor fan if you are using the space as a bathroom or kitchen, and it may also prove to be useful if you are planning to use it as a home gym.
Moving onto heating and insulation, you may need to dry-line the walls and floors so you don’t end up with a cold, damp room. The amount of insulation required really depends on the usage of the room. For example, a bedroom will need more than a utility room. With regards to heating, you may find that it is not practical to install a radiator so underfloor heating may end up being the right choice.
Any electric and plumbing work that gets done will need to be signed off by the building control department of the local council, so you should make sure that this work is completed by a highly qualified professional.
What Are the Other Factors to Think About?
As with any major home improvement job, you need to think about the disruption to your everyday life and how long the task will take to complete. Costing everything thoroughly beforehand is also important as you don’t want to let the project run out of control. It is also worth considering the perceived value that it will add to your home. If there is on-street parking anyway then converting the garage may add value but it could be detrimental if not. Ultimately, it is worth weighing up all the pros and cons carefully before taking on this task but many people find that it frees up the space they were looking for.
