Could you do more with your garage?

If you have a garage at your property in Bournemouth, Poole or Christchurch, what do you currently use it for? Do you put your car in it each night? Is it used to store the likes of tools and surfboards? Or is it a general “dumping ground” home to all manner of clutter and boxes?

As House Beautiful pointed out, if you’re in the latter category you’re certainly not alone, with six million of the estimated 11 million garages in the UK no longer used for a car because they have too many other items stored in them.

However, there is a great deal of useful space in our garages, so if you are looking for ways to add value to your home in Christchurch, Bournemouth or Poole, or you simply want to have more living space available to you, your garage could be a great place to start.

At Bournemouth Constructions, we have experience of carrying out all manner of home renovation projects, including garage conversions.

So, if your garage is currently little more than an extra storage space, what could you do to make better use of it?

The House Beautiful article pointed out that in many cases you won’t need planning permission to convert your garage, as this kind of building work is allowed under permitted development rules (always make sure you check for your property before you get started though).

Our team have extensive knowledge of the different areas in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch and can help you make sense of local planning rules if you need assistance.

As Real Homes noted, garage conversions can vary significantly in price, with the new use of the space often one of the main factors that influences the budget you’ll need for your project.

So, what can you convert your garage into? With more and more people working from home, a dedicated home office could be the ideal solution and converting your garage into a work space will give you at least a degree of separation from your home life.

Another option is to convert your garage into an extra bedroom, or perhaps even an annexe for an older family member to live in, giving them independence as well as the reassurance that someone is always on hand if they need any support.

If you want to keep your garage as a storage space, you may simply benefit from optimising the storage you have. You could get bespoke units constructed to store your various possessions. Doing so is also a great opportunity to have a clear out and get rid of any unwanted or unneeded belongings too.

Or you could consider converting your garage into an entertaining space. This might mean knocking through from your home to give you a larger living room, or you could instead embrace outdoor living by converting the garage to a loggia – an outdoor room with a roof but open sides.

You could even add a garden kitchen while you’re at it!

There really are all manner of possibilities for a garage conversion and if you’re not sure how to make the best use of this space, get in touch with our experienced builders who can assess your property and offer advice about how best to use this often under-utilised space in your home.