Expand Your Space: Build Out Over the Garage

Might as well accept it – the increased amount of time we are stuck at home can make it feel like the house is shrinking. How would you like to go to the gym without leaving home? Do your teens need a retreat of their own, somewhere to get away without actually leaving the house? Or perhaps an escape from the mundane, a room or suite to have a "staycation," complete with music and games and maybe even a hot tub? Extra room in our home is something most all of us think about.

Relocating is a costly venture. Your kids and spouse don't really want to leave the people they know and love, but you have run out of space, your house is bulging at the seams, it seems like everywhere you turn, there's a body or pet or just plain stuff. So, what can you do? It seems hopeless.

A traditional home gets a second floor over its garage. Great results!

Can You Build Atop the Garage?

Building an additional room over your garage is the solution to your problem. Plus, this works whether or not your garage is attached to the house.

  • The cost to add on is much less than purchasing: Taking out a new mortgage is more costly than adding to your current mortgage.
  • You increase the value of your home, an investment you will get back if you sell it in the future.
  • An additional room can be converted to an income source if needed. A studio apartment can supplement income during times of financial difficulty.

Need more persuading to add space over the garage? Here are 6 reasons adding a studio apartment is a good idea.

Are you anxious to get started now? Great! But, you need to know what to do to ensure your garage addition is successful. These 5 steps will help do just that.

Is It Permitted in Your Area?

Call your local permitting office or building department before you even voice your ideas out loud and start making financial moves to set your plans in motion. You have to know the local statutes are for building and renovating are before you can begin.

The rules and regulations regarding height, setbacks, exterior appearance, and occupancy use for home building and remodeling vary from one municipality to another. Permits may be needed for each aspect involved in the project. The cost of your project will also be different, depending on where you live and how much has to be permitted. You may also have to consult your local neighborhood association for specific rules.

Do you despise the administrative forms and documents and think there's an easier way? Check out this visual explanation of the consequences of not following paperwork protocol, published in Michael McDermott's article on CRD Design Build:

Infographic - 6 Reasons why you should'nt  do home improvements without permits

Ready, Set, Plan

Do you know the average cost of homes where you live? Do you understand your mortgage and all the details? Do you understand that you can easily overspend and turn an investment project into one that costs more than you will ever get back?

Being home more than ever has us daydreaming of remodeling our house, adding those extra rooms, or renovating existing ones. But, in our excitement, we often neglect to consider the value – or lack of value – the project has in the appraisal of our home. We don't normally have the banking or real estate knowledge needed to look at the project from all angles.

The unprecedented time we are living in makes it more important than ever to proceed with caution when considering an alteration to your most valuable asset. Sit down with a third party who has the knowledge to answer questions and be objective about your dreams and who will help you see the numbers in real-time.

What you need to ask your bank's loan specialist:

  • Will the bank increase your home loan, and if so, how much will they increase it?
  • How much will your monthly obligation be increased?
  • Will the mortgage life be extended, and if so, by how many years?
  • Can you expect to recoup the investment after a period of time? How long does the bank think it will take?

Questions to ask yourself:

  • Will you have to give up your typical lifestyle for this investment? Will you be able to take family vacations, eat out, go to the movies? Will you have funds for these? How long will you be in this financial arrangement?
  • Are your neighborhood and city growing enough to make your investment worth it? Do you foresee your home going up in value?
  • How are your family life and personal relationship? No matter how well planned and organized a home renovation project is, it can be a major stressor. If you feel the project is good for you and your family and that you all can handle the stress, by all means, go ahead. If you foresee any issues, STOP, wait a little while, and think it over.

Fixr.com says that building an addition over your garage can cost between $300 and $500 per square foot.

Split-level house where the carport is transformed into a closed garage. The sidings are changed too.

 

Planimage photo – The project: This split-level house had a 2-room addition installed over the garage. The owners wanted a bedroom and music room over the carport. During the remodel, they also changed the exterior finish of the house.

Go Big with Your Project

Hanging on still? Haven't gotten disheartened? Move on to the fun.

Time to put your dreams into words. Choose a quiet time, maybe after the kids are down for the night. Put the kids to bed. You and your spouse get together over a hot cup of coffee or a nice bottle of wine and unwind.

Let all of your ideas out, even if they are extravagant. Nothing is off-limits during this brainstorming session. Lay it all out on the table and write it down. This is not the time for weeding out the bad idea or criticizing each other; just put it all out there for consideration.

5 Thoughts to Chew On

1. What will be the entryway to the new garage addition?

Attached garage

Traditional 2-storey grey brick house with master bedroom above the garage

Planimage photo – The Project: The garage was outfitted with a loft when the entire house was remodeled with a 2nd-floor addition. The front of the house gained a balcony.

What is the best way to get in the garage, based on its intended use?

Does the new room need to be accessible from the main house? For example, if you make this the kids' playroom, you want them to keep the noise out of the main house. But, you want to be able to check on them.

Stone and wood traditional1-story home with a North Hatley LP, color Sand, and windows

You like the look of this garage door? This North Hatley LP design is a 9' x 7' Desert Sand style with Richmond inserts in the windows.

Does the new room need more privacy for personal time? If you are making a home office, workout area, or room for your teenager to have privacy, an exterior entryway is the best route.

If the cost of the entry is more important, adding an existing stairway to the main house is the most cost-effective.

Detached garage

A charming traditional detached garage door with a second floor above the garage, a dormer.

Like this look? It's Plan 69701 from Planimage

Stairs inside or outside the new room? If you install the staircase inside the garage, you give up storage space for your cars and other things; however, inside stairways never have to worry about being covered in ice or snow. Which is more important to you?

Pinterest has hundreds of ideas for plans of every style and taste. Look them over and take the time to find one you like.

A traditional detached garage in wood and stones  with a second floor, dormers

Like this look? It's Plan No G-28A from Planimage

2. Power, Water, and Sewer

If you plan on adding plumbing, you need to have a consultation with a plumber and someone who handles ventilation if the plumber doesn't. If you are going to use the room as a studio apartment, you need a full bath and plumbing for a kitchenette. If it's going to be a music room or escape for your teenager, a half-bath will suffice. The plumber will be able to check your existing water and sewer access for the main house and determine what is needed for the addition.

Determine what you think you may need in terms of electricity. Do you need enough outlets for a small apartment or music room? Do you need to have a router to share your main home's Internet access, or should you have it installed separately?

Add these ideas to the list of features you, the designer, or the architect to incorporate into their drawings. Adding them now will save money. If you forget and add them later, it can be more costly.

Most importantly, don't try to draw the design yourself. This is a costly mistake; the measurements are never accurate.

3. Ease of Change?

Plan ahead. The music room you want today may not be so appealing in five years. Your income may not always need a boost, and that studio apartment will sit empty! Talk to the designer and get advice on making the room easy to upfit. A little bit of pre-planning saves a lot of future headaches.

4. What about the exterior appearance?

Make sure you consider how the new addition over the garage looks in comparison to the present exterior of the current garage and main house. Colors fade over time, and your new room may have a striking color variance. If it is in the budget, have the exterior examined for possible upgrades in color or finish. It may be that changing the exterior now rather than later will save money on the project.

Keeping the exterior appearance will add to the value of the home if you decide to sell in the future.

This is also a good time to discuss your roofline, windows, and dormers with the experts.

The interior living aspect of the new room over the garage will be based on the shape of the roof. Simply looking at it from an aesthetic point is not enough; you need to look at it from the continuity of the roof on the main house and how it will flow. Does it need to slope to follow the main house, or will it be a full-size roof over a detached garage?

High-end 2-storey house in stone

Planimage Photo – The Project: This garage was enlarged for 4 cars prior to the 2nd-floor installation. This room over the garage became a suite with a full master bath, complete with a shower, bath, and two walk-in closets.

Dormers and sloped roofs do not have to take away from space. Use the interior of roofs for built-ins that are used for storage. Bookcases, drawers, and shelving utilize the space where rooflines slope without taking away from room space.

Sloped roofs and dormers make the new garage room unique. The exterior has more character, and the interior is comfortable and inviting.

Use the Right Tools to Bring It All Together

Your architect can only design the space; you have to provide a decorative touch. Once you have provided the size, shape, and use of the room to the architect, you need to create a mood or style board. Use Pinterest boards, a notebook, or corkboard and pin style ideas to it when you find ones you like. This will be especially helpful when your interior decorator wants to know what you like.

When you say you want "Scandinavian" or "cottage style decors" or "rustic but modern" or maybe just plain "blue", you may know exactly what you mean, but does your stylist know what you mean?

You can get style ideas on the internet on Pinterest or decorator websites. You can also check out fancy restaurants and hotels for decorator ideas.

Better Homes & Gardens has these 25 solutions for unusual spaces. This is another way to find ideas for your space. You don't have to follow any rules when decorating and designing your new space.

Do you like country décor? Galvanized buckets used for feed can be cute and country storage options for the bathroom. Let your imagination go. Think outside the box and decorate how you want, not how others think you should.

Creative ideas abound that can easily flow from one room to another.

Country style house with 2 single garage doors in Classic CC design, Ice White color, and 4 lite Orion windows

Like the look of these doors? They're 9' x 7', Standard+ Classic CC, in Ice White, 4 lite Orion windows

Plan for the Fourth Wall – How Your Garage Door Figures In

Don't forget to include the 4th wall when you put your ideas on paper.

Prestigious house with a double garage door in Eastman E-11 design, Black door and overlays, and panoramic windowsIs this look for you? It's a 16'x8', Eastman E-11, garage door, overlays, and door in Black, 4 lite Panoramic windows.

 

Underneath your new room, you have to remember there is a garage door that is under the 4th wall. Your garage door may or may not be energy efficient. The R-value is not the only thing you have to understand when insulating. Consider the garage door and how it affects the room and your energy bill.

Natural light is a consideration that is often overlooked. If your garage door doesn't have windows, this will help you add windows to an existing garage door and let the light shine in.

The 2nd-floor room addition over your garage should be a place of comfort; make sure you include everything needed to make the room cozy and convenient for whatever you decide to use it for.

Modern house with a two car garage door in the Shaker-Modern XL design and Iron Ore Walnut color

Love new products and colors that are "in"? Here are 2 of them! The Shaker-Modern XL design and the Iron Ore Walnut color.

Are you ready to replace that old garage door before your project?

If so, contact professionals who install garage doors in your area. Our expert team will help you find a garage door that fits your style and also provides the necessary insulation.

Have you already found your favorite style and model?

We here at Gagnon Overhead Door Ltd. can send you a quotation quickly.

Want to get advice from a real person? Call 1-877-342-4666.

It would be our pleasure to answer your questions and help you make decisions.

Want to try out a fun app?

Visit the Design Centre and create your new garage door quickly! Browse our gallery for inspirational ideas.

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