Ideas to Renovate a Small Garage That Can Help You
Increase the Return on Investment for Your Property.
In the high-tech epicenter in which we live, so many industries live and breathe conversion rates. In this case, the focus is on conversion of a very different kind, but one that can also generate really high returns: the conversion (or renovation) of a garage that is under-utilized. Regardless of the size of your garage, even a small garage can be turned into an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) that adds significant value to your property and contributes to the affordable housing supply in the Bay Area.
Converting an existing garage is one of the fastest, most popular and economical ways to add an ADU, because you’re starting with some of the basic structural elements already in place. When you don’t have to start from scratch with any building endeavor, you save money. And headaches. What’s more, wouldn’t you much rather your garage be used as additional living space as opposed to an additional storage place? Of course you would!
Regardless of whether you turn your garage into an ADU or simply an extra room, gym or man cave, putting the time and effort into economically renovating a garage into usable space that’s actually used will increase your home’s resale value. Let’s focus on ideas to renovate a small garage, since most of us in the Bay Area unfortunately just do not have the luxury of having garages like they have in much of the country.
Renovate Your Garage to a Living Space, Even if It’s a 1-Car Garage.
This is our #1 idea to renovate a small garage. Is renovating a garage worth it? It certainly is! According to HomeAdvisor, if done well, a garage that’s converted to a living space can deliver up to an 80% ROI. What other type of investment can do that these days? Let’s face it: renters in the Bay Area are accustomed to small spaces, but by adding skylights, designing open floor plans, and turning the garage door into a fabulously large window, your ADU can seem like it has more space than it actually does.
Turn Your Garage Into a Junior ADU (JADU).
If your garage is attached to a single-family home, you have the option to turn your garage into a Junior ADU (JADU). You can still add another newly built ADU elsewhere on the property. That effectively allows you to turn a single-family home into a triplex. The caveat is that either the JADU or the primary dwelling will need to be occupied by the owner of the property.
Make Your Garage Your Creative “Work” Haven.
Whether used as living space or a space to foster your creative juices as an artist, adding skylights in garage conversions provide natural light that just makes a person feel better in general. Detached garages work well for musicians that need additional noise reduction, and some detached garages might even have enough room for creative types to live in their creative havens (providing rental income for the homeowner).
What About a Home Gym? Play Room? Guesthouse? Home Theatre? Escape Zone?
While we lean toward optimizing the value of your property through the rental income and higher resale value that adding an ADU can generate, we’d rather see you put your garage to better use than serving as a storage room for items you probably have long forgotten.
Look to Adapt Dwellings, the Bay Area’s Garage Conversion and ADU Experts, for Ideas to Renovate a Small Garage Space the Right Way.
Converting your garage into an ADU is an admirable and potentially lucrative goal, but it must be done correctly. When you work with Adapt Dwellings, your project begins with a thorough feasibility study that will clarify the viability of a garage conversion on your property, as well as the challenges, projected costs, and anticipated increase in property value and/or rental income your new ADU should generate, whatever form it takes. Using our experienced team to determine the feasibility of converting your garage to an ADU will help you identify any potential hurdles and big-ticket alterations upfront.When you partner with us, you don’t just get ADU specialists; you also benefit from our expertise in Bay Area real estate and property management. We have a unique ability to help our clients navigate a full range of options when it comes to ADUs. Our team is here to help you determine what’s best fit for your particular property.
