Home Project Summary

Remodel Garage To Room

Ideas, costs, tips and plans - the information you need for a successful Garage Remodeling project

February 2011

Homeowners have many important questions about their Garage Remodeling Project. How much will it cost? How long will it take? What problem areas do I need to watch out for? Can I recover my Garage Remodeling investment when I sell? Can I do some of the work myself? What can I do to make sure that the work is done right?

Costs, materials and best practices for the example Garage Remodeling project will help you answer these questions. Use this information to develop a budget, bid requirements, hiring contracts and a project plan.

Use the following information to understand your options, make good decisions and get quality work at a fair price.

Garage Remodeling - Project Overview

The approximate costs and value of a typical Garage Remodeling project are summarized below. Use higher estimates for larger metropolitan areas and the lower estimates where home prices are below the national average. Adjust costs for substitutions or refinements in the last section. For size differences of up to 25%, scale total costs in direct proportion to the size of your project. Use the adjusted costs as a basis for setting a material budget and for comparing contractor bids (if you choose to have a professional perform the work).

Project description	Remodel existing garage into living space. Insulate, sheetrock and finish walls. Add ceiling. Add flooring, electric circuits and lighting. Use basic grade of materials and installation quality.
Project size	380 square feet
Material and labor cost	$3,474 - $4,053
Material cost	$1,935 - $2,258
Do-it-yourself assessment	The typical Garage Remodeling project can be completed by a moderately skilled do-it-yourselfer; as with any project, high quality Garage Remodeling requires attention to detail and careful planning.
First year Return on Investment - ROI	Returns will be impacted by the range of home prices in your neighborhood, the overall condition of your home and sensible design choices. A high quality Garage Remodeling project can return as much as 67% - 78% of its initial cost
Long term Return on Investment - ROI	Results vary widely and are affected by the range of home prices in your neighborhood, the overall condition of your home and prudent design choices. A typical Garage Remodeling project completed with good or better quality will return less than 60% of its initial cost.
Green rating	Garage Remodeling projects can incorporate renewable or sustainable resources and environmentally friendly materials.

Garage Remodeling - Proven Ideas and Project Tips

Review these tips, design suggestions, options and lessons learned before finalizing your Garage Remodeling project plan.

To maximize return on the Garage Remodeling project, limit cost to no more than 2.25% of home's total, post project value
For best home resale value, follow a consistent design and decorating theme throughout the home
To keep Garage Remodeling costs low, do not move walls or relocate plumbing fixtures or electrical boxes
Perform major Garage Remodeling work with permits to help protect value at resale time
For best resale value, select components, appliances, finishes and fixtures of comparable quality
Understand how your project will change property taxes (assessed value) and home insurance - before the project begins

Garage Remodeling - Project Plan and Details

The following list includes major work tasks commonly performed during Garage Remodeling. Use this list to understand the timing and sequence of different steps in the Garage Remodeling project. Click any Task name for a complete written specifications, FAQs and quality checklist for the task - this essential information will help you control Garage Remodeling project cost and quality.

Task

Service Provider

Duration

Do-it-yourself difficulty

Target cost

Specify Materials

Interior Designer

2 to 15 d

Level 2 - Challenging

$190 - $317

Specify Finishes

Interior Designer