Home Improvement on a Budget!

When it comes to unused spaces in many homes, garages are usually at the top of the list. After all, who really parks their cars in them anyway?

Seriously, if garage space could be better utilized for something else, then why not convert your garage into living quarters? Homeowners looking to add a spare bedroom, living room, or an office are the chief reasons to convert a garage and, compared to the cost of extending your home in a bid to add living space, a garage conversion makes perfect sense.

Of course, before you convert your garage for residential use, you’ll have to find a place to stash all of the stuff now stored in it. Do the following and you’ll get garage clutter under control in no time:

Hold a garage sale – Yes, sell off whatever you don’t need by holding a sale in the very room to be converted. If too cluttered for that, your driveway or lawn will do, but make this a top priority. Likely, you have boxes of old dishes, books, and knick knacks that aren’t ever going to be used again, so why not devote part of a Saturday to selling unwanted stuff off?

Rearrange the shed – Snow tires, tools, outdoor furniture and the like can be stored in your shed. If you don’t have an “out building” head over to the local big box retailer and invest in one big enough to store your seasonal items in and then some.

Recycle, reuse – Some stuff in your garage you may not find reusable, but throwing everything in the dump isn’t particularly environmentally responsible either. Give away what you don’t need as, even if something is broken, a handy person could see that piece of trash as a potential treasure find.

With all that stuff in your garage moved to the shed, up to the attic, or off of your property, you’re ready to begin the job. Of course, if you can do-it-yourself you’ll save thousands of dollars on a home renovation, but if you want to contract the project out you’ll need to hire someone to do the job for you.

When contracting out, consider:

Hire a general contractor to handle everything – Having one person in charge of the project is usually the best way to go. The contractor can determine exactly what needs to be done and get the right people to complete the walls, ceiling, floor, carpeting, electrical, heating, cooling, plumbing, etc.

Do some of the work yourself – Maybe you have a talent for drywalling or you prefer to hang your own lighting fixtures. Give those projects you don’t want to do to your contractor and handle the rest yourself.

Assemble a team of weekend professionals – If your garage conversion isn’t all that complicated, that is, only the garage doors need to be removed and replaced, one wall added, and flooring put in, assembling a team of handy friends could help you knock out the project in just one weekend. Naturally, if plumbing or electrical work needs to be done, then you’ll have to have one or two professionals among your team or hire these people to step in as needed.

What Will Your Town Say?

In some areas converting a garage to a home isn’t a simple process especially where local governments are concerned. Familiarize yourself with local building codes and check your association’s compact as any type of conversion could be a “no go”. Some municipalities will allow you to convert your garage as long as the exterior of that space still looks like a garage. In that case you can place a wall behind the garage doors or leave everything “as is” and convert the rest of the room.

Special Touches That Make A Difference

Natural lighting can be a problem in some former garage areas, necessitating the addition of a skylight or the conversion of a pair of regular windows into a bay window. Most certainly you can add recessed lighting throughout the room, but if you want to cut down on energy usage, considering maximizing natural lighting.

If extending the current heating and cooling system to the garage is too expensive, consider utilizing portable air conditioning and heating units to do the job instead. Modern, updated, and safe heating and cooling appliances can be a wise way to control your new room’s climate, regulating temperatures to meet the specific needs of that room. Besides, if you have plenty of computer equipment in the room, you may find having dedicated cooling equipment the best way for you to protect your investment.

Built in shelving can help you maximize floor space while keeping everything in order. A built in ceiling to floor wood cabinet unit can hold your television, stereo equipment, books, files, and much more.

Lastly, when deciding to choose a garage conversion, realistically assess how that new room could impact the value of your home. You may not have plans to sell, but if you do, would buyers want to change the room back into a garage to protect their Porsche 911 and Lexus LS? The more permanent your renovation, the less likely it could be easily changed. Then again, the addition of a new living area could add value to your home.

Resources

Finance Your Home Renovation

Look Over House Plans

Renovation Tips — Working With A Contractor

Take Out A Home Equity Loan

Tags: attic, garage, Home Improvement, home renovation, living room, renovation, shed

Not every homeowner has the deep pockets to carry out an extensive home improvement project, but there are several smaller jobs you can do which will add value to your home and bring you satisfaction. Especially if you are preparing your home for sale, you’ll want to make it look its best in order to attract buyers who are willing to pay your asking price.

Basic Projects Which Maximize Value

The front of the house is the first thing buyers see, so if your home’s street presence isn’t what it should be take an honest look at what needs to be done to spiff up your home.

Trim back overgrown brushes, plant flowers, and tidy up the lawn. Remove lawn clutter — i.e, lawn statues, bird baths and furniture — that could be overwhelming your yard. You may not have to paint the house, but touching up the garage and around the windows and doors can take you far. If window panes are rotted or the front door is broken, repairing the problem may not do. Consider replacing windows and doors in one project to save money.

If you aren’t selling your home, the newer windows will reduce your home’s energy costs, giving you back some of the money you spent on the work. Inside the home, there are several projects you can handle yourself:

• Paint whatever walls need painting and repair carpeting that is ripped or worn.

• You may not have the skills to re-tile your bath, but grouting the tile can brighten the bath’s appearance while preserving the tile.

• Your kitchen flooring can be ripped up or you can place a fresh layer of new tile over the existing tile.

• Instead of refacing the kitchen cabinets, add a fresh coat to them. Visit your local hardware store to obtain the latest tips and color choices.

• If you have wood floors in the home, apply polish. If the floors are heavily stained or showing a lot of wear, consider renting a sander to strip it free of imperfections, applying a durable and long lasting stain finish when done.

When done, your home can look like a million bucks without you having busted your budget in the process. Whether choosing to sell it or enjoy it, your basic projects can add value and enjoyment to your home.

Resources

Doors and Windows

Garden Maintenance

Home Projects

Upstairs/Master Bathroom

Tags: bathrooms, carpeting, dining room, doors, home projects, home renovation, Home Tips, kitchen, living room, windows

This article represents the final article in our home construction specification plan series.

Assembling a Home Construction Specification Plan — Spec Plan T: Interior Decor

Who is the best judge of how a new home should look? Is it the builder? An interior decorator? Or would that be some other type of professional?

Although there isn’t anything wrong with employing the services of a professional, the people who live in a home are often the best judges as to how it will look. After all, a house isn’t a home until you have personally decorated it.

We’ve Come To An End In Our Series

In our ongoing home construction specification plan series, which comes to an end with this article, we’ve taken you through all of the steps needed to acquire property, lay a foundation, build your house, and turn that house into a home. The final step, your home’s interior, isn’t a requirement of your home specification sheet, but it does play an important role as to where a wall will be built, how a room is laid out, and more.

Fortunately For You, My Advice Is Limited

Although I have been comfortable detailing the entire home spec plan up to this point, I must tell you that I am not someone who is particularly adept at interior decorating. For that, I leave this task in the capable hands of my wife.

If I were tasked with decorating a home, it would probably have a distinct bohemian bachelor look — a mix and clash of furniture, colors, and assorted knick knacks. It would be tidy, but not something that would appear in Architectural Digest or House Beautiful.

Get Informed!

Fortunately, there are some great resources out there for the person who wants to decorate their home. I mentioned two of the more popular interior decorating magazines, but there are some other places you can go for help:

Interior Decorating Stores: If you have a good store in your area, paying them a visit could be worth your while. Many of the larger stores offer seminars and classes to help you design your home’s interior. Sure, they want your business, but the ideas offered can be used anywhere.

Take A Class: Many adult schools and some community colleges offer classes on decorating your home. You don’t have to get a degree, but if that Window Treatment class costs you $50, you’ll likely get that money back when you go out to shop for what you want.

Turn On The TV: If you have access to cable channels, then a channel like HGTV can help you lay out your kitchen, choose the right colors for your den, find the best bedding for your child’s room, and much more.

Of course, a knowledge friend can also offer tips and advice, just the information you need to personalize your home.

On a final note, thank you for following our series which began in October 2007. If you are interested in a recap, most of our articles were posted on Tuesdays, so please go back to our Home Style For Every Homeowner article and start from there.

Enjoy your new home!

Tags: bathroom, bedroom, den, dining room, family room, foyer, hallway, home décor, interior decorating, kitchen, living room