Move Over, Chevy

Homeowners devote garages to highest and best uses

Garages and carports have never been just for vehicles. Sure, they are great for keeping pine sap off of the paint and leaves away from your windshield wipers, but before long, they assume other roles: storage, workshop or home gym.

With the cost of housing on the rise, homeowners are investing in garage renovations now more than ever as a way to maximize their space without upgrading to a larger home.

“I think it’s just an evolution,” said Brittany Isham, realtor with Coldwell Banker in Crestview. Most often, she’s seeing garage spaces being transformed into home gyms.

“Ever since COVID, I think garage gyms have become huge. Just because people accumulated so many things over that COVID period to where they were able to workout at home.”

Second to storage and gyms, Isham frequently encounters garages being used as extra entertainment space. She had a buyer recently purchase a home where the previous owners had transformed the space. They carpeted the floor, removed the garage door track and drywalled over the door, walls and ceiling, blocking off but not removing the garage door.

“From inside the house, you had no idea it was a garage. But on the outside of the house, they still had the garage doors.”

While this type of remodel sounds achievable for most homeowners, Isham warned that concerns arise in closing off the garage door.

“One of the big things I was kind of shocked about was that the garage space had no windows. As a safety concern that’s a huge red flag because if there’s a fire, you can’t get out of that room.”

Adding on a gym or rigging a man cave may seem a simple project to tackle, but start considering doorways and windows, and you may find yourself digging in the couch cushions for extra cash to enlist a contractor.

Isham advises would-be garage renovators to consider the exterior of their home when looking to install windows and doors. Poured concrete and cinder block homes won’t have studs, making it difficult to find placement for windows and doors. Brick, concrete and cinder block can be difficult materials to cut into when opening those spaces.

While most garages come equipped with one or more electrical outlets, Isham noted that, depending on the lengths of your garage transformation, more in-depth wiring may need to be done. Structural changes or the addition of plumbing can present challenges.

Isham emphasized the importance of seeking out a professional for tasks beyond the average DIYer’s scope. But the process of coordinating with an engineer and getting plans drawn up takes a contractor’s time and effort, and that’s not free. Even without these complications, a contractor cannot always provide a firm estimate for renovation without some leg work.

Alternatively, homeowners might opt to maintain the bones of the garage, incorporating easier alternatives to make the space comfortable.

Portable air conditioners can be used, and couches, game tables, TVs and decor can be added to make for extra living space without going through the expense of contracted renovation.

Isham said that many DIYers may be able to install sheetrock and even epoxy their own floors with some help from the internet or an instructional kit.

Keep in mind that if you’re looking to add technical square footage in your garage renovation, Isham said that permits will be necessary and an appraisal will be needed after completion to verify the measurements.

Paige Aigret contributed writing to this story.

Top Uses for a Garage Space

Many homeowners have devised creative ways to utilize the space, transforming it into workshops, art studios or storage rooms.

• Storage
• Workshop
• Entertainment
• Home Gym
• Studio
• Mudroom
• Living Space Above Garage
• Ideal Parking Space