Floor Plans: Double Garage Conversion To Granny Flat

Granny flats can provide additional living space and increase your property’s value when done correctly. One of the popular ways to create a granny flat within your property is two-car garage conversion. Unlike a single-car garage, a two-car garage usually can accommodate a separate habitable area when you don’t use its part for parking cars. If large enough, you can efficiently transform this room into a self-sufficient apartment with a sleeping area, small kitchen, and bathroom.

In this article, we will delve into the essentials of converting a garage into a granny flat and discuss the most suitable floor plans for such a project!

Existing Garage Assessment

Before you commence the construction, it’s essential to determine if the base and garage you have are suitable for the upcoming construction project. In fact, it’s possible to convert any detached garage of the appropriate size, whether it’s a big double one or a single garage with two stories. If it’s a single garage with two stories, you can keep the ground floor for your cars and change the top into a granny flat. Similarly, with a double garage, you can transform one side into a living area and keep the rest for parking your vehicles.

We suggest a minimum of 200-300 sq. ft. for a granny flat, which is big enough to fit all amenities: a bedroom, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a living area. If the available area is smaller, the garage may be inconvenient for permanent residents.

Besides, it makes sense to thoroughly check the state of the garage. The stability and condition of the garage walls, roof, and foundation are crucial factors to consider. It means if there are cracks or structural defects, you’ll need to either fix them or to choose another granny flat option.

In addition, we recommend evaluating the garage’s convenience of access as well as utility placement. Not only should the garage be accessible for daily use, but good access is also crucial for construction works and emergency cases like fire or other threats to residents. The placement of utilities such as water supply, electricity, and ventilation is also important. 

The reason behind it is that if strategically located, they have good potential to work best for how you want to use the converted space. Alternatively, if the location is inconvenient, some adjustments might be required, such as upgrading the utilities.

Garage Conversion Floor Plans

A granny flat is a space you’re going to use on a regular basis. That is why the particular floor plan plays a huge role in determining the living space’s efficiency. Whether you buy a conversion kit or order professional services from small house builders, you’ll need a clear concept of what exactly you want to see instead of your former garage.

Below, you will find a few floor plan ideas of what you can create when converting a garage to a granny flat.

Two Bedrooms and a Shared Bathroom

A floor plan must cater to the individual needs of the residents. If two independent people are going to live in the converted garage apartment, the most suitable layout is two spacious bedrooms sharing a bathroom and a small common area. For instance, the kitchen and living area. This will create a dorm-like vibe, fostering a sense of companionship, but it will still provide privacy and personal space for each resident.

Open-plan living Room Plus Dining Area

A combined living space and dining room will suit a family with children or a couple. A compact, separate bedroom area will provide inhabitants with the necessary privacy, while a vast communal space for family dinners or watching Netflix together can promote closeness and a sense of connection.

Master Bedroom and a Private Bathroom

Some people prefer to have their own bathroom connected exclusively to the bedroom. This layout creates a sense of luxurious seclusion, akin to a hotel stay, where each person or couple is able to relish their private retreat in a granny apartment.

Studio Apartment Style

One of the common floor plans for a garage conversion is a studio apartment layout, where you can have a large united area consisting of a sleeping zone, combined dining and living areas, a small kitchen, and a separate bathroom. Typically, this floor plan is the choice of individuals or couples who want to maximize their small garage area by eliminating visual barriers between rooms.

Integrated Outdoors Cottage Style

One of the benefits of the converted garages is that you can implement new ideas and add features that your main house may lack. For instance, if you didn’t think about integrating an outdoor area into the house when you first built it, now you can easily incorporate a cozy outdoor space with your converted garage. Large glass doors, floor-to-ceiling windows, a spacious deck, landscaping features, plants, garden furniture, or even an outdoor dining area—all of which can greatly improve your daily life.

Garage Conversion Solutions

When it comes to small apartments, smart design is crucial for making the most of the area.

When converting a single-car garage, you may want to consider space-saving solutions designed for the limited square footage, such as:

• Open areas

Opting for an open floor plan allows residents to create a more spacious feel in the small space. The uncluttered view contributes greatly to this. For instance, you may combine a kitchen and a dining area or a kitchen and a living room, creating a cohesive environment.

• Multifunctional and foldable furniture

A multifunctional sofa bed or a coffee table with storage can serve dual purposes, reducing the need for extra pieces. On the other hand, foldable furniture, such as a Murphy bed or a foldable dining table, can save space during the times you don’t use them.

• Wall-mounted units

If you mount shelves on the walls, it enables you to efficiently exploit vertical spaces instead of cluttering horizontal ones.

• Built-in storage

Floor-to-ceiling shelving units, built-in window seats with cabinets, or built-in closets and drawers—all these solutions serve to maximize the room for moving in the granny flat.

• Using underutilized areas

Hanging closets, creative pegboard walls, slide-out shelves, and plenty of other solutions can help you organize your apartment space effectively.

• Strategic lighting

Using light paint for walls and adding mirrors and windows to enhance lighting contribute to visually enhancing the amount of space, even if it’s not a large apartment.

Garage Conversion Process

After you estimated the condition of your garage, chose or created a detailed floor plan, and ensured compliance of the blueprints with the local building codes and regulations, it’s time to proceed to building.

Once you are ready, start to prepare the garage for re-construction. First, clear out the belongings, debris, and existing fixtures. Next, demolit structures that prevent construction. These can be anything from a garage door to specific walls, flooring, or poor insulation.

The next stage is to apply structural changes. This involves framing new walls, building new windows, reinforcing the ceiling, or installing a new door. In addition, during this stage, you’ll have to insulate your space properly, as garages usually don’t come with proper insulation. After the framework is ready, proceed to electrical work, plumbing, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems. Implement fire safety measures like fire-rated materials and install smoke detectors, checking that the converted space meets safety standards.

When you have finished modifications, you can switch to a granny flat interior. Install the flooring, apply paint, and trim. Also, at this stage, you’ll need to install lighting fixtures and place furniture in dedicated rooms.

All in all, creating a living space in the place of a former garage requires quite a lot of time and effort. The people performing the job need to be well-versed in different aspects of construction, from installing windows to sometimes reinforcing ceilings or walls. Thus, to avoid the hassle, you can contact A+ Construction & Remodeling to receive a consultation and potentially a quote for remodeling.

Garage Conversion Benefits

There are many reasons why people want to convert a garage to a granny flat. Converting an existing structure is a way to utilize your property to its maximum capacity. Besides, using an existing garage, you avoid several stages of construction as well as the costs associated with them.

After converting your existing garage into a granny flat, you will be able to enjoy such perks as:

1. Extra living area

Whether it’s your elderly parents, younger family members, or merely guests who would use separate bedrooms when staying at the weekend. The existing garage conversion is a cost-effective way to create more square feet within your lot.

1. Rental income

If you have money to invest, adding a rental to your sources of passive income sounds like a wise idea. The thing is, even a small living space, if property-equipped, can potentially bring you a good income from rent. This especially applies to densely populated areas with high prices for accommodations.

1. Opportunity to sell the property for a higher price

For those who plan to eventually sell their property with the main house, a garage conversion may become a means to increase property value. Many potential buyers see a conversion as a property upgrade. Upgraded properties typically have higher prices in the real estate market.

1. Place for work

Even though the original goal of granny flats is to house those in need of living space, it doesn’t mean that it’s their only possible use. Nowadays, many homeowners build granny flats as multifunctional spaces. When neither tenants nor your parents live there, you can arrange a secluded home office inside the unit.

1. Storage and fun activities

Another possible use of a granny flat is a place for storage or for leisure. It may be a child art studio where your children paint pictures or sculpt something from clay. It can be a family library where you can rest with a book in the evening, or an outdoor cottage near the pool where you and your family members may sit around the table and talk.

To sum up, a granny apartment is a fully functional living area with a bunch of exciting possibilities. It can expand your housing options, give you additional room for work and rest, and even bring in extra cash. If you want to get your garage converted into a granny flat, consider hiring a professional team to expedite the process and ensure high-quality building!