Are Garage Conversions Worth the Investment?

They absolutely can be worth it, especially if you’re looking to maximize the space in your home. At Colorado Home Remodeling, we know how converting a garage into an updated living space can significantly increase the value and functionality of your home.

Here are some reasons why garage conversions are worth the investment:

1. Increased living space: Need an extra room? Converting your garage is a great way to add space for a variety of purposes: home office, guest bedroom, gym, entertainment area.
2. Enhanced property value: Adding square footage to your home through a garage conversion can boost its overall value. It’s a smart investment if you plan to sell in the future.
3. Cost-effective: Garage conversions often are more cost-effective than building an addition to your home since the basic structure is already in place. Plus, you won’t need to sacrifice yard space.
4. Versatility: You can design this converted space to meet your needs and lifestyle: create a cozy retreat or functional workspace.
5. Avoids zoning restrictions: There may be zoning restrictions or limits to adding new structures to your property that can be avoided with a garage conversion. Converting an existing space can be a way to work within those constraints while still expanding your living space.

Make sure to consider other factors like local building codes, potential resale implications, and the impact on parking and storage before going through with a conversion. In a permitted environment, garage conversions can have a lot of impactful costs that customers should be aware of.

In most conversions, a bathroom is typically added, and trenching and cutting through foundation and concrete slab is often the only path to draining a bathroom. These conversions can also involve extensive crawl space plumbing work, and heating and cooling can be very difficult to connect to your existing system, which often pushes HVAC into a situation where people choose either an expensive mini-split system, or a dedicated furnace and AC system for the garage.

In addition, slabs themselves under modern code need to be insulated from non-heated space, so the platform is built above the slab to allow room for insulation and you subsequently lose headroom which can have undesirable downstream problems. If this is the case we would need to cut the entire perimeter of the slab that does not abut existing heated space, we would need to dig a trench down, and add insulation board in the trench, and then fill it back in with dirt and a layer of concrete to repair the slab.

In many cases you will also need to add an electrical sub-panel as well. Per square foot, a garage conversion can be one of the most expensive remodeling options among the Big 5 remodeling projects. The Big 5 include: Pop-Tops, Basement Digouts, Additions, Garage Conversions, and Finishing Basements. 

At Colorado Home Remodeling, we can help you navigate this all and create a customized plan that safely and effectively maximizes your garage space. Give us a call today.