If your garage is beginning to seem cramped, you may feel the urge to expand it to allow for extra space. The good news is that the benefits of a garage expansion are exponential! Once you work out the details of zoning and structural limitations, you can expand your garage to create the space you want and need. If you still do not know what you want to do with your garage expansion, we’ve laid gathered a list of garage expansion ideas to help guide your space.
Benefits of Expanding Your Garage
With more space in your garage, the possibilities are endless. Here are just a few of the advantages of garage expansions:
- Provides Room for Bigger Vehicles — When it comes to your garage, additional space can be helpful if you plan on expanding your family. Larger families usually need bigger cars or more cars. A garage expansion will offer plenty of room for larger vehicles and more storage for better garage organization.
- Ensures Easy Garage Conversions — When you’re expanding your garage, you may consider implementing elements such as additional outlets and structural features that would make it easy to transform the space into a gym, office, playroom, art studio, or man/woman cave.
- Makes for a Great Property-Selling Feature — While a garage isn’t calculated into the overall square footage of a home, having a larger garage can be a great selling point if you plan on putting your home on the market at any point in the future. A larger garage allows more room for a workshop or recreational vehicles like boats and motorcycles.
Garage Expansion Ideas
You may be wondering what you’ll use all the extra space for. We’ve provided some garage expansion ideas of how you could utilize your expanded garage, no matter if you extend the height, width, or length!
Extending a Garage Height
Car Lifts
If you are limited on space for new construction but have empty space above your garage, it may be reasonable to build up and extend your garage’s height to install a car lift! This would allow you to store additional cars off the floor without having to knock down and extend any of the walls. It would be an ideal solution for garages that don’t offer enough surrounding space for expansion. Plus, it’s perfect for storing prized sports cars and antique automobiles.
RVs
Forget about renting out a storage unit! If you own an RV, raising the garage roof would mean that you can keep it inside your garage to protect it from the harsh outdoor elements and eliminate RV storage fees. Not only would it extend the life of your RV, it would also provide added convenience when preparing for road trips.
Extending a Garage Width
Additional Vehicles
If you expand the width of your garage enough, you can accommodate additional cars. Another option would be to expand it enough to fit recreational items such as four-wheelers and golf carts. Both of these ideas are especially relevant if you have a large family, need to store riding mowers and snow blowers, or are interested in outdoor motorsports.
More Space Between Cars
You may just want more wiggle room when it comes to the space in between your parked cars. Expanding your garage width would prevent any dings or scratches when squeezing in between cars and opening doors. It’s great for families with smaller children and grandchildren that love to swing open car doors to the fullest extent or ride bikes in and out of the garage.
Extending a Garage Length
Workspace
By adding onto your garage’s length (or depth, depending on how you look at it), you can create more space for a workbench and tools. By extending it enough, you may even be able to convert the new part of the garage into a usable space such as a personal fitness studio. Either way, you’ll be glad you have the extra space!
Storage
With a more spacious garage, you can create a new storage area for large items such as extra refrigerators and freezers. This is a great idea for families that like to buy food and drinks in bulk. It’s also ideal for hunters and fishermen that keep what they catch.
Garage Expansion Tips
Take our advice to ensure your garage expansion project runs smoothly! With these points in mind, you’ll be well on your way to the spacious garage you’ve imagined.
Review Local Zoning Codes and Requirements
Before you get started with creating garage expansion plans, it’s important that you check your local zoning codes and requirements. By reading and understanding any limitations there are on expanding a garage footprint, you can ensure you have the right permits and approvals.
Consider New Entry Points
If your garage expansion plan winds up completely transforming your garage, it would be wise to add new entry points. Consider a new exit door that will allow you to drive through the garage (if your site has the space)!
Get a New Garage Door
A new garage door may be necessary depending on the level of garage expansion you choose. If you do need a new garage door, it should match the existing structure’s look. You may also consider a style that will boost your home’s curb appeal and increase its value even further! Artisan’s doors can be customized to match your home’s existing color and style for an attractive, cohesive look. Simply measure the new opening on your garage and decide which type of door works best for you.
Replace the Old Opener
Since you’re working on renovating the garage anyway, why not replace your old garage door opener while you’re at it? New smartphone garage door openers can be connected to your automated home system and WiFi so you can open and close the door from virtually anywhere using your phone. The door can also be programmed to close after a certain amount of time. This helps to provide peace of mind for individuals who often forget to close the garage door when leaving in a rush.
