garage remodels and conversions in Tampa FL

Conversion of a garage to a room in Brandon FL

Want to see a detailed example of the steps of converting a garage in to interior living space (like a family room)? (To see all the renovation photos, scroll down in this box. To see another set of detailed before & after photos of a living room converted from a garage, click that prior link. Even more "after" pictures of conversions are here).

garage before conversion3 converted garage to family room
These first two photos are "before and after" this 1-car garage was converted to a cozy family room (from the same angle: facing north from the back of the space). As you can see, basically, the garage door was removed and replaced with a wall that now features a flatscreen TV over an electric "fireplace" (as in a decorative heater built in to the wall... which of course makes no smoke and no fire). More details are below.

First, why did they want to convert this garage to a room?

garage before converting it to a family room Next, let's consider the background on why these homeowners chose to convert the garage. The main issue was the most common factor in garage conversion: not enough living space. Before these renovations, this small two-story home had only 1200 square feet of interior living space. That is not much for a growing family, right?

Their garage wasn't even getting used for storing a car most of the time! The garage was increasingly getting to be just an "overflow" storage area.

It was a little bit of a pantry, a little of bit of rehearsal space for a teenage rock band, and (according to one of the spouses- we'll let you guess which one) a little bit of a garbage dump (for a "barely used" treadmill and an old refrigerator that would have worked great if a few parts were ever replaced, but the husband "never quite got to that").

Basically, the wife explained that she "wore down" her husband over several years until he agreed to the conversion of the garage to a room. (Does that sound familiar?) Then they started to create a plan, a budget, and finally a construction schedule.

Next, what are the steps for legally converting a garage to a room?

First, note that depending on your property's zoning and the regulations on the "setback" from your property lines, you may also be interested in building a new covered parking area: anything from a shaded carport to a detached addition of an enclosed garage. When you contact us, let us know all of your interests, from minor garage remodeling to a combined project of converting an old attached garage plus building a brand new big one.

garage during conversion- raised subfloor exposed new flooring in family room converted from garage For the actual conversion, the entire space needs to be "brought up to code" for an interior room. That can include a lot of steps.

Speaking of steps, one of the first common steps involves what you actually step on when walking: the floor. Here are two photos showing the raised subfloor on the left (which reduces the risk of flooding) and second the installation of new flooring (a "laminate wood" floor made by Hampton Bay). Also, in the photo on the right, note the new recessed lighting in the ceiling.

bump out in family room converted from garage On the left is an "in progress" photo of the "bump out" that now encloses the new electric fireplace. As you can see in other photos, white paint was added to all of the wood paneling. (The interior design for the room is inspired by beach houses in the Jersey Shore genre, where the homeowners grew up, met each other, fell in love, and got married before moving here.)

bump out in family room converted from garage The new room actually has several other "uneven" surfaces. On the right in the center of the photo vertically, you can see that the side wall also has a very slight "bump out" (of only a couple of inches).

What is the purpose of that? The original garage had an electrical fuse box on one side plus another access panel on the other side. To hide all of that without blocking access, the solution was these walls with "flush doors" (doors which are even with or "flush with" the wall and can pop open with a little pressure).

big window added to back of family room converted from garage This next photo shows the back of the new family room. Besides featuring a small "breakfast" table, note these two other "essentials:" the big double window in the center of the photo was installed in to the old wall and the ceiling vent at the top center. As you would expect, that vent is connected to the central climate control system, which now extends in to what used to be a rather uncomfortable garage. By the way, there was also a fair amount of new insulation added to the walls behind the sheetrock (so that the room would pass inspection as interior space).

Thanks for browsing through this "gallery" of before, during, and after" photos of this garage converted to a family room! For more photo galleries of garage conversions, click here. Also, here is the source page for these photos: before & after photos from converting a garage into a family room. To visit our main FAQs page (of "Frequently-Asked Questions" about garage conversions), click the next link below.

Are you just starting to plan a garage conversion in Brandon? Read our planning FAQs by clicking here: costs, codes, permits, etc. Finally, contact us today to schedule your consultation.








This page is for home owners in Brandon who now have an attached garage and would like to convert it in to a single extra room connected to the rest of the residential living space. That kind of a "full" conversion to interior living space involves permits, inspections, a major increase to the property value, plus full insurance coverage for the increased value of the home in Brandon. If that fits your interest, then explore the box above. Also, here are two other pages for related interests:
CONVERTING TO A STUDIO APARTMENT & REMODELING THE GARAGE FOR "TEMPORARY" USE AS A LIVING SPACE

Photo galleries of garage conversions (Click any of the images below for more.)

the garage on the left was converted to a bedroom:
 plus a new 2-car garage was built on the right.
this garage with an unfinished interior became a home addition:
 with a sliding glass door & a much more attractive ceiling
These next 4 photos show a 2-car garage that was remodeled
 in to a guest bedroom with walk-in closet and full bath
This 2-car garage was remodeled in to an ADU
 (a studio apartment / accessory dwelling unit)
this 1-car garage was converted to a cozy living room:
 with a brand new fireplace & laminate wood flooring.
This eyesore of an old garage was converted in to
 exactly what the client requested: a funky 2-story apartment
this garage went from a recreation room to...
 a stunning entertainment lounge (click for photos)
In addition to building new garages, we can also convert your existing garage to an entertainment lounge (or remodel it in to any other kind of room you would like).
a home office converted from a garage:
 a detached garage converted to a bright guest bedroom:
garage conversion in California - san francisco - los angeles - san diego
the interior of a garage converted to a bedroom:
 a detached garage converted to an office:
garage conversion to home office
a conversion to a living room
garage-to-room conversions 		a remodeled garage with a loft
Still legally a garage, the addition of a loft in the back (over the laundry room) makes an extra sleeping area. To see this converted garage from another angle, click this link AND scroll down to the very bottom of the page.
a conversion to a studio apartment / guest suite:
garage conversion to guest house or studio apartment		 another conversion to a bedroom:
We can also convert your garage to another room, like enclosing it in to a bedroom.


To contact us, click here .