Converting a Garage to Living Space

Tom wrote: "I have a small lot and with six kids we need more room. Moving would be ideal, but since we're staying (for the time being) we need more storage. We were thinking on converting the garage into another usable living area and move the garage stuff into a shed. We presently have a 8x10 pre-fab storage shed, but would like something a little nicer and better looking. Do you have any plans to suggest that would not make the shed stick out like a sore thumb?"

My hat's off to you, Tom! Every one's a blessing.

We ran out of space (and patience) with just two kids.

Converting garage space to living space is one of the most cost-effective ways to make a house more liveable. The frame, roof and foundation are there, you just need to gut and refinish the interior and add insulation and utilities. Well, nobody said it would be cheap, but it's certainly less expensive than starting from scratch.

The gem in the deal is that you get to recreate your storage space in a new structure. Depending on the size and layout of your lot, you can end up with a lot of options. I would plan to build the biggest, tallest outbuilding as practical. A storage loft in the new structure will buy you a lot more storage space in the same footprint as a one-story design.

The style of your house and street will dictate the design of the new building. Do we call it a shed, a barn, a garage, or a carriage house? No doubt you'll come up with some favorites after spending a bit of time perusing my shed and barn plan page. The plans from A Better Plan and Barnplans.com are some of my favorites.