Garages can often be under-utilised. For people with ample driveway space, they might not even be where cars are stored. Far too common is the garage that’s simply used to store old, dust-collecting boxes of items that are bound for the tip anyway. If this is the case for your home, it might be time to commit to a garage conversion. Whether you’re looking to make the space liveable for guests/lodgers or simply want to make it more workout friendly as a home gym, there are plenty of different directions you can take.
This piece will explore the nature of garage conversions in 2026, offering conceptual insights on how to approach the project, along with focusing on more practical aspects. By the end, you should feel more confident in taking on a conversion project.
Pinning down garage conversion ideas
The first step should always be to determine what you want to do with the space. Is your New Year’s resolution to exercise more? Or are you going to commit to taking on that creative hobby you’ve always eyed up?
Some directions for the conversion of a garage include:
- Liveable spare room or rentable living space
- Second living room or mancave for relaxing/entertaining guests
- Gym or workout studio
- Art or craft studio (pottery, painting, sculpture)
- Home office space
- Laundry room
- Hybrids of different use cases
It’s also important to consider the extent of your conversion. Are you looking to make it a seamless extension of your home, or would some new furniture and an updated automatic garage door suffice for what you have in mind? Half conversions are a popular choice for people looking for ultimate function. Asking yourself these questions will help in the process of budgeting money and time for the project.
Setting yourself up for success
Once you’ve got a good idea of what you want to do, there are plenty of foundational steps that you need to take. Without the preparative measures, your conversion will end up stopped in its tracks
Cover your back legally
If you’re planning on making the garage liveable in the long term, you need to make sure it’s legally habitable. Similarly, if you’re going to make serious structural changes, you need to get Building Regulations approval. You also must take the time to establish clear evacuation routes, along with reaching the legal requirement for an escapable window that meets size requirements.
Budgeting & expectation setting
Determining how much you’re willing to spend and how long you’re happy for the project to take. If you’re looking for something lower-budget and completed quickly, you might want to consider DIY-style alterations. If you’re looking for a long-term, potentially profitable alteration, make sure to save plenty of money and excess for the project, along with allowing for a fairly long process.
Essential alterations
Your garage conversion needs to emphasise comfort in the space, which means covering a few essentials before the personality-driven installations even come into play.
- Moisture-proofing the space from the ground up by raising the floor, layering in rigid foam insulation or applying a membrane over existing concrete.
- Insulating the walls and replacing doors, either with in-fill walls or significantly insulated doors.
- Installing independent heating solutions, such as electric underfloor heating or high-efficiency pumps.
- Bringing in more lighting options, layering up ambient, task and accent solutions for the room overall.
Complete your garage conversion for real in 2026
These are just some of the things you need to keep in mind if approaching a garage conversion this year. But by following these guidelines, you should at least find it a fair amount easier to approach enhancing your home’s value and boost its square footage, right from the garage.