16 great garage goals

The idea that a garage serves the sole purpose of sheltering your car from the elements is literally parked. Getting comfortably in and out of SUVs or family saloon cars in a garage is often too much of a squeeze, which means the traditional garage is a spatial opportunity waiting to be converted. Virgin Money estimates that converting a garage can increase the value of your home by as much as 15% and if done properly, you’re onto a real winner by making use of its existing footprint and not compromising on garden space. That’s why so many are tempted to convert their garage and we have some suggestions for how you could benefit too:

Refresh layouts

If you’re lucky enough to have an integral garage, you could totally transform a living space such as your kitchen. By incorporating the space of your garage and knocking down a wall or two, you could create fantastic potential and turn a small kitchen into a fabulously spacious kitchen/diner and living room. Think walk-in pantry, central island unit or a lovely over-sized table as a centre piece.

Va-Va-Bedroom

This is a real opportunity to create that much-needed additional bedroom without the financial and logistical hassle of having to move house. “It’s a particularly popular choice with older customers who don’t want to give up their family home and would like to avoid stairs”, says Cube’s Marketing Manager Jane Henden. She continues with a top tip: “Get some clerestory windows installed as they’ll add a wonderful ethereal glow to the interior by letting in natural light from above.”

Escape to the studio

The pandemic has highlighted just how important it is to have a little space to retreat to. Whether it’s space to be creative, exercise or play an instrument – a studio room takes pressure off the main house. We recommend working with plenty of natural light and roof lights are a bright solution that is more secure than standard windows. Again, working with clerestory windows will give you both light and privacy.

Work from home

Many of us had to adjust to new ways of working in the last two years and have experienced first-hand that it’s essential to maintain the boundaries between work and home life. Our ‘News’ article provides a good starting point and gives you plenty of inspiration on how you can achieve a home office that works for you.

Convert it into a Granny Annexe

A small, self-contained home could be your answer to accommodate elderly parents or the in-laws whilst adding substantial value to your property at the same time. This sort of project calls for a stand-out design with emphasis on functionality. Getting Cube involved is definitely advisable to ensure the space is maximised to its full potential in terms of personal and spatial requirements. Any building materials used should complement the main property.

Treat your pooch to a woof room

Do you have a pooch in your family or are you planning to get one? Well, as lovely and loving as they are, we mustn’t forget that they do make a lot of mess (they don’t mean to). Well, you could be very generous and convert a part of your garage into a little dog home – deep sink and spray tap included, any other luxuries added on loving dog owner’s discretion.

Give way to useful utility space

As soon as you free up your garage, it’s likely to have a domino effect on all the other rooms in your house. Maybe that ugly washing machine and the heated clothes airer have always stood in the way of your streamlined dream kitchen. Your garage could accommodate everything to do with laundry or double as a storage room, freeing up space within your house.

Get all boots under one roof

You may think of the boot room as the preserve of grand country houses but again the pandemic has proven otherwise. Having a dedicated boot room is an increasingly popular choice to store everything from shoes, kids’ buggies and school bags to newly acquired outdoor gear. No longer purely functional, “many of our customers like to install underfloor heating and bespoke joinery to make it feel more of a feature”, says Jane Henden.

Steer your super storage

Free up your cellar, loft and cupboards and store everything neatly in one place: your garage. The process won’t just declutter your house but also your mind, and kick-start a reassessment of all the internal space you have and how you choose to live within it. Before you get onto ordering shelves and racks, we’d recommend that you check walls and floors to ensure they are capable of bearing heavy loads.

Power to your new potting space

If you’re into gardening but feel you’ve outgrown your garden shed or have little outdoor space, converting your garage could be a fruitful move. Undercover gardening eliminates the challenges of our typical British weather and could allow you to grow more varieties, and even all year round. It’s worth checking with your local council if you require a Lawful Development Certificate first.

Live the lofty loggia life

Warm balmy summer evenings? Yes, please! Recreate that holiday feeling and convert your garage into a loggia. Imagine an outdoor room with open sides and a roof that protects you from those unpleasant, unpredictable showers. Dreamy!

Take to your own bar for sundowners & nightcaps

Lockdown has also inspired a trend of home bars. Oh, wouldn’t it be fun to serve up some Martinis or bubbles in the comfort of your beautifully converted garage? There are a couple of ways to go about it. If you’d like your bar to be separate from the rest of the house, you may need to rework paths and patios. To make it usable 365 days a year, it’s advisable to remove the back wall and replace it with bi-fold doors which open fully onto the garden. Another option could be to extend the entire ground floor by removing the dividing wall and then reconfiguring the space.

Get into gym gear

The doors to your very own garage gym are never locked! In fact, this idea has so much going for it, that we wrote a whole article on it in January. Read it here.

Exhaust space with a school or play room

No more stumbling over Lego bricks spilt across the house as the kids could have a dedicated room in which to study and play. Colour choices play a vital role in this space as they greatly contribute to creating a calming yet stimulating environment. Green for example can increase your child’s understanding of text and therefore their speed of reading, whereas yellow is hugely beneficial when it comes to improved concentration and memory.

Rejuvenate and refurb for the teens

Turn a blind eye to those typical teenage moods and convert your garage into a teenage hangout. Plywood is a cheap but funky way to line walls and hanging bikes, skateboards or surfboards from the rafters will, no doubt, impress. WiFi and adequate electrical sockets are crucial to stay connected with their peers.

Fuel your income by letting

If in doubt, rent it out. Well, it’s a great way to create some additional income but you really need to do your homework beforehand, research and seek planning advice.

Good to know…

• Costs for a standard garage conversion are in the region of £2,000 per square metre for a shell finish (inclusive of VAT);
• Professional fees such as architectural design and building regulations are usually between £3,000 and £4,000 (inclusive of VAT);       
• A garage conversion project can usually be completed in six to eight weeks if no remedial works are required;
• It’s essential to run any building plans by your local planning authority to establish whether you’ll need to apply for planning permission or a Lawful Development Certificate.

As with any home improvement project, there’s a lot to think about and consider but the great thing is that Cube is only an email or a phone call away to start turning your plans into reality.