Cheapest Way to Convert Garage to Living Space

A converted garage is one of the most popular ADU types. And it’s completely unsurprising. Turning an unused garage into a living space is a great idea that excites many homeowners. Most garages in California are completely suitable for this. Garage conversions can serve as living spaces, mini-offices, art studios, a storage area, and so on. Isn’t it amazing to convert a garage into a cozy family room with new windows? However, many people don’t know how to do it the cheapest way and avoid any unnecessary expenses.

As with any accessory dwelling unit, a garage conversion can significantly increase your property value. However, such units also require detailed planning, profound knowledge of local regulations, and financial management skills.

In our article, we’ll tell you about the most important stages of making a garage ADU conversion. Read further if you want to know the cheapest way to convert a garage to living space. We’ll give you a short but comprehensive guide on the main aspects of such conversion — for example, how to reduce the cost of a garage door, floor, walls, and the rest of the house.

Legal Standards

Before you start converting your garage into a habitable space, you’ll need to get a permit from the local government. It’s necessary to ensure that your project corresponds with all the regulations, including safety norms. If you don’t do it, you may get fined or have problems with selling your property in the future.

In case you intend your garage conversion to be a full-fledged ADU, its plan needs to include the following parts:

• Bathroom;
• Kitchen;
• Bedroom;
• Living area.

When considering financing aspects, you’ll also need to think about the legalities, especially if you’re planning to get a loan. If you understand all the local laws and regulations, you can make sure that your project doesn’t include anything illegal.

Building Codes and Zoning Regulations

Knowing the zoning requirements of your area is vital for planning any habitable space, including a garage conversion. Following them will guarantee safety and legality of your construction.

Before starting to convert a garage, talk to a specialist from the building or zoning department of your area. Find out which permits are compulsory there, especially for electrical work and installing a plumbing system. In different places, zoning regulations vary significantly, so things allowed in one area can be forbidden in another.

Getting a Permit

In California, it’s illegal to create an ADU without obtaining a building permit. Ignoring this step may cause additional expenses and trouble with the law. Getting a certificate of completion is also important — this document confirms that your project fits all the building requirements.

Consultation with Specialists

Talking to a general contractor expert is a highly recommended step for those who plan to convert a garage into an ADU. Professional architects, engineers, and other experts can give you useful recommendations about converting a garage into a living space. These recommendations can lead you to better, more cost-effective decisions.

Now, let’s talk about the financial side of a cost-effective garage conversion project in more detail.

Planning the Budget

The overall price of a garage conversion ADU depends on many different factors, such as its location, space, materials, floor plan, and so on. While making your plan, you should take into consideration all possible costs, including planning application payments, design fees, and consultation prices. Also think of workers’ wages, price of materials, and permit fees.

Try to minimize all possible unexpected costs. However, they may still arise. For those cases, you’ll need to make a reserve. The overall standard garage conversion cost is approximately $16,000. It’s cheaper than other ADU types, since a garage is an already-existing structure.

Cost-Effective Measures

To avoid unnecessary expenses, try to choose the most budget-friendly materials. Do everything you can to stay away from pricey adjustments — especially those caused by the lack of compliance. For specific kinds of work such as plumbing and electrical systems installations, talk to specialists.

Using DIY Methods

A do-it-yourself approach can be great if you’re skillful enough for it. If you do everything right, you can save a significant amount of money. However, various complicated tasks — for example, drainage system installation, will probably need a qualified specialist. Following safety norms and building codes should be your top priority.

If you apply those simple recommendations, you’ll be able to convert your garage into a living space without spending too much money.

Installing Ventilation and Insulation

In order to convert a garage into a comfortable living space, you’ll need to pay special attention to adequate ventilation and insulation systems. The former is vital for keeping the quality and humidity of the air on a proper level. Find out whether your current HVAC system is able to include extra space. In case it is, expand it to the conversion.

As for the insulation system, it’s essential for maintaining the right temperature and diminishing the cost of energy. Usually, garages have simple concrete floors with no insulation. Of course, such a floor wouldn’t be suitable for your new living space. So, making a proper insulation is a necessary step if you want your garage conversion to be truly comfortable.

Plumbing Work and Electricity

Other systems that play a crucial role in garage conversions are plumbing and electrical. Sadly, installing them is not cheap. Its price ranges from $2,000 to $8,000. You’ll definitely need to include these expenses in the financial plan of your project.

Local regulations of your area may require obtaining separate permits for installing both of those systems. So, it’s necessary to ask the specialists from your zoning department, to make sure your plan matches all the requirements.

Even if you feel you’re skillful enough to make plumbing and electrical systems on your own, it’s way better to hire a specialist for it. This will guarantee safety, quality, and durability of those systems for many years.

Cost-Effective Temperature Regulation

A comfortable temperature is essential for any living space. If it’s possible, extend your HVAC ductwork to the ADU. This will be significantly cheaper than installing a second one. But before this, ask a professional technician whether your HVAC can keep the optimal temperature (68°F, or 20°C) constantly. In case it can’t do this, consider alternative variants of temperature regulation. It may be an air conditioner, a compact heater, or a ceiling fan. Yes, they aren’t as effective as an HVAC system, but they’re much less expensive.

Now, let’s have a more detailed look at those variants.

Alternative Temperature Control Solutions

If an HVAC system isn’t a suitable option for your garage conversion, there are many other variants for you, such as portable heaters, ceiling fans, or standalone devices. They can help you regulate the temperature without any extensive installation. However, despite their low price, they can be less efficient in the long term and consume more electricity. It’s important to consider those things and choose reliable, high-quality, and energy-saving models.

But regardless of the type of your temperature control system, proper cooling and heating is a crucial aspect of comfortable living. So, it’s obligatory to include temperature regulation in your garage conversion project.

Garage Conversion: the Main Parts

Like any building, a garage conversion consists of several parts. Below, we’ll give you some useful recommendations about how to create every one of them and save money.

Garage Floor

Proper flooring is necessary for any living space, including an ADU. To transform your garage floor, you’ll firstly need to remove all stains, dirt, and rubbish from every square foot of it. When it’s completely clean, cover it with concrete sealer. It will protect the new flooring and give it a much better visual look.

Here are some budget-friendly solutions for flooring in garages:

1. Paint. Use a high-quality paint for a concrete floor that matches the color palette of your converted garage interior. To make your floor safer, add a special anti-slipping component to the paint;
2. Epoxy coating. It’s a durable and inexpensive solution for your garage floor. The surface covered with epoxy looks great, is reliable and is not hard to clean;
3. Interlocking tiles. It’s also a very budget-friendly, easy-to-install option. On the market, you can find such tiles made from different materials: polypropylene, PVC, and rubber. They don’t need any adhesive, and you can replace or remove them without much effort. Moreover, walking on them is super comfy!

Garage Walls

Walls are another vital part of a comfortable room.

Here, we’ll give you some tips on what you can do with them when converting a garage:

1. Paint. Covering the walls with simple paint is a very affordable method to improve their appearance. We’d recommend you pick a neutral, light tone such as white or beige — it will make the room space visually larger. Use wall paint from a premium segment. Of course, it’s more expensive, but it’s also durable and long-lasting, so it’s more cost-effective in the long run. Also, we’d advise you to apply a satin of half-gloss finish – it will make the cleaning process much easier;
2. Coverings. Wall coverings can consist of different inexpensive materials — for example, plywood, hardboard, or beadboard. They’re perfect for a mini-office ADU. To install them, you may use either adhesive or nails. Such wall coverings give a room a tidy and shiny look. Moreover, you can paint them in any color you want;
3. Fabric panels or wallpaper with a texture. Another budget-friendly option that can help you personalize your garage space. The best variant is easily removable fabric panels or peel-and-stick wallpaper. It’s especially suitable for a cozy bedroom;
4. DIY art. If you have the necessary skills, you can create wall art from various cheap materials — for example, poster board, canvas, or plywood. Decorate it with stencils, paint, decoupage, or whatever you wish, adding uniqueness to your living space and demonstrating your creativity and talent.

Garage Ceiling

Some people think that ceiling design is unimportant, but it’s not true. Ceiling is as essential for a living area as the rest of its parts -walls, flooring, windows, and so on.

Here are some cost-effective design ideas for a garage conversion ceiling:

1. Paint. The simplest variant is very popular in home renovation. Cover the ceiling with white or light-colored paint to make the room look more spacious. Use a roller on a long stick, and make sure that air circulates well when you’re applying the paint. Otherwise, you may get an intoxication from its vapors;
2. Special tiles. You can also cover the ceiling of your ADU with lightweight foam or PVC tiles. They’re rather inexpensive, durable, and easy to install, and clean. Moreover, they come in many design variants that give additional possibilities for interior personalization. For their installation, use a suspended grid or adhesive;
3. Panels or plywood sheets. These coverings can make your ceiling visually warmer and more textured. They’re rather easy to install – you can attach them to the joists via nails or screws. Such panels look very neat and offer great customization possibilities. For example, you can paint or stain them.

In addition to that, make more window space to let more natural light in. Windows should be large and easy to open.

Garage Door

A door in an ADU should be functional and aesthetically pleasing and should match your overall interior style.

Let’s look at several inexpensive ideas for designing a garage conversion door:

• Paint. When looking for a suitable paint for your garage door, select the one that maximally matches the color scheme of your interior. For the outer side of the door, the paint also should be durable and weather-resistant;
• Garage door mural. A mural or a decal on the garage door will help you add a unique touch to its design. It’s a fast and simple method to enhance your ADU appearance without spending too much money;
• Fabric panels or curtains. After you’ve converted your garage into an ADU, you won’t use its door for car access, so you can cover it with a large piece of fabric. Of course, it’s only a temporary solution that can’t be a substitute for a garage door.

An important material for a cost-effective garage conversion is drywall. It can be extremely helpful for finishing walls and ceilings. Simple drywall is like a clear canvas which you can decorate as you wish. Moreover, it’s one of the most budget-friendly materials.

Searching for Professional Help

To make sure your ADU fits all the regulations for a living space, consider getting expert advice. Have a consultation with a chartered surveyor who can properly estimate your project and its value. In addition to that, we’d recommend you to source quotes from qualified builders. It may help you get a legally binding agreement that will protect you from unforeseen cost increases.

Converting a garage into a living space is a great way to increase the value of your property. It can help you easily make a lovely house with a kitchen and a bedroom. If you approach this task wisely and carefully, choosing the most cost-effective options, you can do it without any large expenses.

If you thoroughly plan all the financing options and aspects, you’ll manage to do everything as smoothly as possible and avoid unnecessary expenses.

Frequently Asked Questions — FAQ

How can I turn my garage into a living space for cheap?

There are many tips that can help you save money when converting a garage into a new space for living. For example, selecting inexpensive materials, using the HVAC system of your main home, opting for DIY measures when possible – all of this can help you reduce the cost. In the main article, we’ve written in more detail about the cheapest way to convert a garage to living space.

How much would it cost to convert my garage into a living space?

Converting a garage into a living space is cheaper than creating an ADU from scratch, because there will be no construction expenses. The average cost of such a house is approximately $16,000. However, the exact number depends on many factors: square footage, materials, location, and others.

Do you need planning permission to turn a garage into a room?

Yes. To convert a garage into a room, a planning permission is necessary. However, the nuances of obtaining it may depend on the local regulation of your area. That’s why you’ll need to read them super attentively before planning the conversion.

Is it worth converting a garage into a living space?

Of course! An extra livable space will add value to your property and can serve many different purposes. You can rent it out, give it to your aging parents, turn it into a home office, art studio or a mini-gym, and so on. So, we’d definitely recommend you to convert a garage into a living space, if you don’t use it anymore.