For most homeowners, the garage is a place to store the car from harsh winter weather and unforgiving summer sun. For others, it’s a place to keep the holiday decorations and lamps that no longer have a place in your new décor scheme.
The fact is that your garage can be a whole lot more than a place for your car or a large storage area. Keep reading to learn more about all of the things you can turn your garage into once you repair the garage door, tidy up the floor, and slap a fresh coat of paint on the walls.
- Home Gym
Gym memberships can be expensive, and if you’re like most people, finding the motivation to actually get in the car and go can be tough. When the gym is just out in your garage, though, you can’t blame a long trip for keeping you from your workout.
Chances are you probably only use a few machines or weight varieties in the gym anyway. Getting these at home, at least in some form, can be cost-effective over time, and most importantly, make it easy for you to get a healthy workout.
- Office Space
Home office space isn’t something everybody needs, but if you find yourself working from home, or even working on weekends or evenings, it could be beneficial. If you have kids or a busy home, it may be essential to actually get some work done too.
Best of all, you probably don’t need to upgrade your garage too much to create a simple home office space.
- Extra Bedroom
Whether you’ve got an older teen that needs some privacy, or you just want an extra bedroom for guests, not all homes can accommodate this in the main structure. However, if you’ve got a garage, it could be the ideal solution.
You’ll likely need to add insulation, heating, and cooling, but the rest could pretty simple depending on how finished your current garage is. For most homeowners, it’s a much cheaper option than adding onto the existing home structure.
- Art Studio
As much as you’d like to paint in the living room, you probably don’t want to get your floors and furniture messy. In the garage, you don’t have to worry about that quite as much.
The garage makes a perfect art studio, whether you paint, throw pottery, or work on bronze sculptures. Just make sure you have adequate ventilation through a roll-up door or windows.
- Auto Shop
Car lovers need a place to maintain their vehicles and the garage is an ideal space for it. Even if you do a little work for friends and family, though, your garage is still a suitable place for a small-scale auto shop.
Just make sure you find a place for those holiday ornaments so they don’t get in the way.
- Wood Shop
Like car maintenance, a lot of people love working with wood, and the garage is the perfect place to make that happen. Keep the center of the floor clear for machinery and add heavy wall-mounted racks to hold your lumber and tools.
- Man Cave
Man caves are all the rage, and the garage is a perfect place for one. Whether you like sports or foreign films is up to you, but adding a bar, a pool table or games, and some man-friendly furniture can turn your garage into a guys only zone in no time.
- She Shed
Like a man cave, she shed can be a haven from the world for women. What you do isn’t so important as the fact that it’s your space to hang out with the ladies, work on projects, and just relax without worrying about the décor of the rest of your home or the interests of other family members.
It’s your space, so do what you want with it!
- Bar
Love serving drinks to friends and family members? You may not be able to sell legally, but you can give away spirits and libations, or implement a BYOB policy, and have a grand time by turning your unused garage into a swinging bar.
- Boutique Shop
Running a business out of your garage is tricky, but selling a few things here and there isn’t so hard. With classifieds sites, you’ll also be able to pick up traffic if you develop a niche following.
Your garage might be the perfect rent-free zone to show your wares, from handmade items to vintage finds and more.
Your garage is more than a place for your car or storage for things you don’t use every day. Use these ten ideas to turn your garage into a meaningful space that will benefit you and your home.
