A majority of garages begin as a car parking space and slowly end up as the entirety of the garage – bikes, tools, Christmas ornaments, that treadmill you promised to use. Soon, the motor vehicle is on the driveway and the garage a costly shed. And that must have been ringing in your ear. However, it is a good space to use better.

This does not necessarily mean that you lose the car storage in your garage by converting it. Most successful conversions retain vehicle access and add functionality, which is actually utilised. These are some practical ideas that can be applied in the real world.

The Part-Time Workshop

When you like to work on your automobile but you don’t actually use the entire garage area each and every day then a hybrid arrangement is the one that can provide you with the best of both worlds. You can park the car in a normal way but whenever you have to work on it you have got good facilities available to do it.

Work benches attached on the wall fold in and collapse flat against the wall when they are not in use. They provide you with a good working table that does not occupy the floor permanently. Slatwall panels above the bench will provide storage of tools and all the tools will be available without crowding up the area.

Storing racks contain some seasonal products – winter tyres, roof boxes, camping gear – so that they are not in the way until you really need them. The car is at the bottom and you still have your workshop facilities there, when you need to do a job.

This is especially effective in case you have a two garage. One of them remains as pure vehicle storage the other turns into your workshop place with permanent benches, tool chests and equipment. You need not move out the daily driver before working on projects.

Home Gym Conversion

Gyms are charged PS30-60 per month and that is excluding the time spent travelling and the overall inconvenience of the commute. Garage gym is used more due to the fact that it is present and ready. No commuting, no subscriptions, no line waiting to use equipment.

The key is flooring. Rubber gym tiles or heavy duty mats are used to cushion the concrete and also minimise noise. They are necessary when lifting or dropping weights. They also give it the appearance of the space not being a garage but one that you would actually want to be.

The temperature is not as insignificant as it appears to be. It is not enticing to work out in a freezing garage in January and cardio in summer is absolutely unbearable. An electric heater mounted on the wall divides winter and a fan deals with summer. In the case you are serious in using the garage all year round, insulated garage doors do make a real difference in the level of comfort.

Natural light helps too. When there are window panels in your garage door, leave them. Otherwise, think over providing a window or skylight. It depresses me to work out in a box without any window with unnatural daylight, although it may be working.

The equipment required to begin is not that much. Most of the strength training is covered by a power rack, barbell, weights and a bench. You can add a handful of kettlebells, resistance bands, and, should you have room, a rowing machine. That is actually less than two years of gym membership and is forever.

Workshop and Hobby Space

Certain hobbies require an adequate space and are bound to cause mess. Woodworking, metalwork, bike repair, restorations, etc. – you have a dedicated space where you can leave stuff with a setup and not even think about how to keep everything clean.

Dust extraction comes in when you are making a cut or sanding anything. A shop vac is used to do minor tasks, but when it comes to actual woodwork, it is worth spending the money on a good dust collector that allows you to keep working in the area and save your lungs. Wall mounted units conserve space over the floor.

Height on the bench is an issue, depending on what you are up to. The typical workbench height (approximately 90cm) is applicable to the majority of tasks, but in case of a task or assembly that requires fine details, it may be necessary to have sections that are of varying heights. Adjustable benches are available and are more expensive and not as stable.

Lighting is something that cannot be compromised. General illumination using overhead LED panels, however, is not sufficient, and when you need to see detail work properly, it could be task lighting at your bench. We have adjustable angle lamps or magnetic-mount LED strips to offer you the ability to vary on the projects.

Storage ensures the things are well organised and safer. Wall shelves containing chemicals and finishes, shelf units containing small parts, and open shelves containing most commonly used tools. All that you can see and touch is rummaging in boxes every time you require something.

The Home Office Extension

Turning a garage into a work station is no longer unusual as more individuals work at homes on a permanent basis. It provides you with enough distance between the home and the house – you are able to shut the door by the end of the day and leave work behind you.

Heating and insulation are pre-requisites unless you like to freeze in the winter. The garage may have some insulation attached to it, especially in the case of a garage being attached to a house. An independent garages should be maintained well – walls, ceiling and an insulated garage door ensures that the area is cosy throughout the year.

You will have to instal a more than one socket electrics. Several computer, monitor, charger, printer, and lighting outlets are minimum requirements. Ethernet cable is better than WiFi when you are on video calls throughout the day.

The use of natural light makes the space much better. Adding windows would not be very feasible, in which case skylights would be effective. They introduce light without occupying any wall space or privacy. Good artificial lighting coupled with natural light will ensure that you can work at any time.

Soundproofing is useful in case you have to receive calls when family life goes on at home. Noise transfer is mitigated by acoustic panels on the walls, a solid core door and carpet or heavy-duty flooring. It is not full-blown studio, but it is good enough not to have background noise destroying calls.

Entertainment and Social Space.

A garage game room or a bar area will provide you with a place to socialise without consuming the house. Tables, dart boards, sport TV sets, comfortable chairs – it is a real room not a storage area.

Most likely the floor should be covered. Interlocked tiles made of vinyl are convenient and water resistant which is significant when people are drinking. They also appear much improved than bare concrete or epoxy coating that is stained with oil.

The UK climate is more reliant on heating than cooling. A log burner helps to add ambience and expels real heat, but it should be installed and ventilated. Electric heaters are more inexpensive and easy to instal but they are not as appealing.

Sound matters. When you are playing music or watching sport with your friends, it is likely that you will not want to disrupt the house. Soundproofing of the basics – insulating the walls and ceiling, solid door – contain the noise without being exorbitant.

Bar areas do well in corner areas. You do not have to be very big – just a small counter, few shelves with glasses and bottles, mini-fridge below. It is the process of developing a point of focus and making the room purposeful other than merely fitting furniture in a garage.

Studio or Creative Space

When artists, musicians, photographers, or any other people engaged in creative activities, they find it difficult to gain dedicated space in a house. Garage allows you to spacious, to use noise, or to make the mess with no thought of the rest of the home.

The separation is of special benefit to musicians. There is noise problem and compromise in practise rooms or recording setups in bedrooms. A garage that is not well soundproofed will allow one to play in decent volumes without annoying neighbours and family.

Good lighting control is required in photography studios. The door and any windows are blackoutable allowing you to be in full control of your lighting. Decent backdrops would be white or neutral walls and you can position the stands, reflectors and equipment without overcrowding the space.

The long life flooring and ventilation are beneficial to art studios. Materials, solvents and paint always mess things up. Flooring made of concrete or vinyl is also easy to clean and opening the garage door gives an automatic ventilation as long as one is working with something that has a smell or emitting fumes.

It is also easier to store supplies, materials and finished work in a garage than in a house. The cumbersome canvases, equipment, or piled up supplies can be stored somewhere without needlessly filling up the living rooms.

Keeping Vehicle Access

Majority of these conversions are accompanied by retaining partial vehicle access. The easiest one is to divide the space – half and use half as parking, half as your conversion project.

Sectional garage doors can be opened in half and therefore you can have a workshop at the rear of the garage and still use it, and open the door when you want to have your car parked.

When it comes to permanent conversions in which you are no longer using the garage door as a vehicle use space, are you going to retain the garage door or are you going to instal a genuine wall and windows? Having a door open allows flexibility – when you change house, the person who buys it may be appreciative of the access to vehicles when you are not.

Most internal garage conversions do not need planning permission, however, in most cases, external appearance has a great bearing, and where plumbing is to be installed, then a quick cheque with your local authority is recommended.

Making It Work

The conversion process should begin with sincere evaluation of what you will actually utilise. Gyms are very nice until you discover that you do not enjoy working out individually. A workshop is a brilliant business when you have several projects in progress at the same time, a lesser idea when you are fooling yourself into thinking that you are going to become a woodworker.

Consider temperature control, lighting and the flooring. At least get those straight and all the other stuff. Scrimp on the basics and you will be able to have a technically converted space that will never be utilised due to its uncomfortable and unproductive nature.

Budget realistically. Simple conversions may range between PS2,000-5,000 in insulation, flooring, heating and lighting. Decorative installations including plumbing, large-scale electrical installations or structural modifications are significantly expensive. DIY can be cheaper when you are up to it, however, there are occupations that require professionals.

The garage does not need to be simply a storage of cars. Utilised well, it is versatile room which can be adjusted to anything that you actually require as opposed to what you initially expected to require when you purchased the residence.