Five Steps to Turn the Garage into a Comfortable Home

1. Five Steps to Turn the Garage into a Comfortable Home The COVID-19 pandemic has caused both a health and economic crisis. In these times of instability, many people analyze their situation in search of a formula that allows them to get some extra income. Taking into account that having a private garage in a residential area and not taking advantage of it is losing money, an excellent solution is to convert said garage into a home in order to make it profitable and obtain an economic benefit. How to Turn the Garage into a House Converting a garage into a home is not difficult, but it is a process that must be done step by step, meeting certain requirements. The project would be similar to transforming a commercial space into a comfortable house. In any case, the first thing to do is find out about the legal requirements and the necessary licenses to make the project a reality. And then to think about

2. what the space we want to achieve is going to be like, the necessary technical requirements, and what type of public it is going to be aimed at. Take into Account the Requirements and Licenses The first thing to do before starting the work is to consult the regulations. The guidelines will be marked by the General Town Planning Plan of the City Council to which the garage belongs and the Technical Building Code. This offers us information on the conditions of accessibility, habitability, and health that are required. Once we are clear that the Consistory allows a work of these characteristics and we obtain the license that authorizes the change of use of the property, we must request the corresponding work permits from the City Council. For this, it will be necessary to present a building project, drawn up by an architecture studio, where all the characteristics that the new home will have to appear. Once the works are finished, the Administration will verify that the house meets the requirements established by the regulations and the first occupation license will be requested. Finally, it will be necessary to register the house and notarize it before a notary, in order to register it in the Land Registry. Get Space, Ventilation & Light Typically, a garage does not have a large area. Therefore, every square meter counts to achieve a comfortable space. The architect will be responsible for achieving a project that achieves the best technical solutions in terms of the distribution of spaces. He will also be in charge of deciding which are the most suitable materials to make the space habitable. In this sense, two of the main challenges that the project must tackle are lighting and ventilation. The architect will see the possibility of taking advantage of the entrance gate as a source of light or opening windows and thus ensuring good indoor air quality, something important, especially in

3. these times of pandemics. “In a small space, the fewer walls and doors, the better. That is why the idea of the loft is the one that best fits in a work like this”, says the architect Mónica Lombana. Therefore, it is advisable that everything is integrated into the same space, except for the bathroom. “In any case, a plasterboard is a good option for building partitions, as it is cheap and easy to handle ”, says Lombana. Through the interior design (colors, materials...) and the furniture, other areas could be distinguished, such as the bedroom, without resorting to enclosures. Don't Forget Conditioning and Insulation The new home must have all the necessary elements to lead a comfortable and healthy life. From the water pipes to the electrical installation, passing through the air conditioning. It is about making a new construction from a basic structure. This also facilitates the work since, for example, all

4. installations carried out on the floor and walls can be covered and out of sight of the user without the slightest difficulty. Finally, it must be taken into account that insulation is essential, both for air conditioning and soundproofing, since garages are normally located next to traffic routes. "In addition, being attached to the ground, they are more exposed to humidity," says Mónica Lombana. In this way, in addition to insulating elements such as air chambers or glass wool, materials with high energy efficiency, such as wood, can be used. Project the Distribution of Space The ideal is to use the maximum number of square meters available. To do this, we will leave a minimum distance between rooms and place the tallest furniture against the wall. It is also important not to overload the space with unnecessary furniture and to resort to functional and modular furniture. The corners of the new house can be used to obtain more storage space, and to divide rooms without losing light we can use glass panels. The mirrors

5. and the white color on the walls will allow the available space to appear larger. Decoration Based on the user's Profile When converting the garage into a home, we can take into account the profile of the tenant or buyer we want to address. It is not the same that the garage is an annex to our single-family home and we turn it into a guest house, to that, we are going to use it as student housing. However, most people who convert a garage into a home do so with the idea of renting it out to an individual or young couple. At this time there are many people who are looking to reduce their monthly expenses by moving to more affordable space for their pocket. Perhaps somewhat smaller than a conventional home, but in which there is no need to give up any comfort.