Finish - Remodel your Garage

I'm about to embark on a project to remodel my garage and make it into some office/work space. I need a space separate from the house so that I can actually be productive while working at home. I will post some before pictures and then add in progress and after photos as the project progresses. My biggest consideration in going forward with remodeling my garage for workspace was what to do with all the junk in the garage not to mention my car. Luckily, I have a shed behind the garage which will accommodate all but my car. I am loathe to give up the shelter for my car but can either use a car cover or purchase a car shelter/canopy for about $150-200.

Pros of converting garage into work/office space

I can arrange it so I don't have to meet people at the garage/office; otherwise, I don't think that finishing my garage would work. I'm not going to add a bathroom to the garage either as that wouldn't make financial sense. The biggest pro is that all of my rent money will now be invested back into my residence. I can also eliminate my office insurance policy to the tune of about $1000 a year. The renovations to the garage will be paid for in about 6-7 months by the rent and insurance savings that I will experience. I need to factor in heating and cooling costs but my contractor assures me that those will be minimal given the small space and added insulation as part of the remodeling project.

Specifics upgrades as part of the garage remodel

1 - Insulated garage door with windows. I'm going to have to replace the existing garage door with an insulated garage door for heating and cooling considerations. I also want windows to add more natural lighting to the garage space. If I didn't want the windows, I'm sure we could add insulation to the existing garage door, but since I do, I might as well get a whole new garage door. I want the windows to be opaque so they add for some privacy as well. Cost = $775.

2 - I need to add an entry door. The previous owner built the garage and didn't add an entry door, so I need to add one now. I definitely want a door with some sort of light in it to add more natural lighting to the space. Cost = $375-400

3 - upgrade existing windows. My current windows in the garage are junk. I'm going to need to replace those again for heating and cooling benefits as well as asthetics. Cost = $400-500

4 - Design additions - I want to add a specially designed closet in one corner for storage and other uses. I need to make it large enough to be useful yet small enough to not interfere with use as a garage by a future owner. Rather than use a window unit to cool the 10 1/2 by 18 space, I would like to build a space into the existing wall to fix the air conditioner unit permanently. This way the a/c won't take up valuable space and I won't have to move it with the change of seasons. I need to decide if I want to take advantage of some overhead space and add overhead storage as well and, for that matter, I may want to consider some built in shelving. Cost = ???

5 - Heating considerations - I should be able to heat the place with a couple space heaters given the added insulation and the insulated garage door. My contractor/designer suggested hard wiring in a baseboard heater to heat the garage. Cost = $0-100

6 - Adding insulation and drywall and painting/finishing - I have no idea on the cost of this but they are all necessary components to finishing the garage space. Currently the plan is not to install a drop ceiling but to simply insulate and drywall the underside of the roof.

7 - Lighting - We've thrown around using canned lighting or hanging flourescent lighting. I really like using the canned lighting and may go that route. I can also add my own lamps as well. Cost = ???

8 - Flooring - The plan is to seal the current garage floor with dry lok and then use a commercial grade carpet on top of that. Cost = another unknown as of now.

9 - Roof condition - I need to check the condition of the roofing as well as add a gutter and downspout to the south side of the garage.

10 - Electrical upgrade - Hopefully, I won't need to upgrade my circuit box to finish my garage. I will definitely need to add several outlets and run wiring for lighting. Cost = another unknown.

11 - Shed repairs - I need to make some repairs to my shed behind the garage in order to effectively use it for storage space.

12 - Dumpster Rental - I almost forgot. I'm going to need to rent a dumpster to get rid of all the junk the previous owner left me. Cost=$175

Well there you have most of it laid out. I should look around and see what other ideas I can come up with while we are still in the planning stages. My big question is what value will it add to my house. Probably not a lot but I plan on getting my money back in rent and insurance savings. I think I can definitely emphasize a finished garage as a selling point which distinguishes my house from similar ones. And every man/husband will drool at the thought of having a year round workspace.

Beginning the garage conversion - demolition

Garage renovation - demolition The start of any renovation/remodeling project begins with clean out and demolition. Luckily, I didn't have a lot of things stored in my garage besides the car and various odds and ends. Everything besides the car went into the storage shed behind the garage. To the left, you'll see a before shot of the east wall of the garage.

Garage renovation - demolition To the right, you'll see an after photo of the same wall. Removing the cabinet, tack board, and other boards created a lot of extra space in the garage. A couple things I learned about demolition: (1) it's fun to tear stuff apart and break stuff down but keep your safety in mind - always wear protective goggles, a breathing mask if necessary, work gloves and work boots; (2) it's better to use a jerking, sporadic movement than a sustained, increasing effort when trying to pry off nails and boards - in other words, don't keep cranking on something with an ever increasing, continuous effort or you are more likely to get hurt when the board/nail finally gives and you go busting into the wall.

Garage renovation - demolition Here are before and after pictures of the south wall

Garage renovation - demolition Here are before and after pictures of the area under the roof.

Garage renovation - demolition Here are before and after pictures of the north wall.