Everyone wants more square-footage and more space, but sometimes that kind of want turns into a pricey problem. Adding on to your home is probably a wise idea in most real estate markets, but it’s not always the best idea if you’re addition comes at the price of losing a valuable piece of your home. For example, if you’re adding a room above the garage, you gain more square footage and your house value increases. If you enclose your garage and turn it into an additional bedroom or living space, you’re potentially decreasing the value of your home. Here’s what you need to know about enclosing a space in your home prior to taking this expensive leap.
Enclosing a Garage is a Terrible Idea
The most important thing you should know before you enclose a room in your home is that enclosing your garage is never a good idea. If you want another bedroom or need a home office, do not take that space from your garage. There are several reasons for this. The first is that many people want to keep their vehicles in the garage. A garage-kept vehicle is often more valuable than one that sits in the driveway.
If someone has a classic car or a sports car they don’t always drive, they might want to store it in the garage. They might overlook your home when it’s on the market when they see the garage is now a new bedroom. Other people like to park their everyday driver in the car for the simple fact that they have kids and ushering them into and out of the car in the rain, the snow, the sleet, and the hot and humid weather doesn’t sound like fun.
Finally, many homeowners use their garage space as storage space. They keep their boats, their golf carts, their kids’ riding toys, bikes, and holiday décor in that space. If you remodel in and turn it into a room in your home, they have nowhere to put things that cannot spend time in the weather and can easily be stolen if they’re left out in the open. While there might be a family or two here and there who don’t care if your garage is a garage or not, most potential buyers will bypass your home entirely when they realize your home is not equipped with a useable garage space.
Enclosing a Porch Could Work
If you plan on taking a lanai and turning it into a room, it might work. However, you do need to know a few things about this. Let’s say you have a home with a 200-square foot lanai with walls on three sides and a screen on one. You could turn it into a room because it is sitting on your foundation and it is under roof. However, many people love the idea of an outdoor space like this, and it might be a very expensive remodel you don’t get money back for. The walls of a lanai are exterior walls. They’re not included in your heated and cooled square feet. They’re not insulated. They don’t have air or heat. They do have windows and doors, and it might require a major remodel to turn it into usable living space. It all depends on your space.
It’s Not Always Worth the Money
Not all rooms are worth the money if you’re taking away from something people really want to make something you need. If the cost of enclosing a space is too much, you could end up spending more than you need and not getting that money back. If it’s not an expensive remodel, it might work for you. The best thing you can do prior to tackling a project like this one is speaking to your realtor to find out whether it’s a wise investment or a project you’ll lose money on.
Enclosing a pre-existing room in your home might not be the best idea you’ve ever had, but it might be a great idea. You don’t know until you look at the market where you live and speak to someone with some knowledge of what makes a good real estate investment and what doesn’t. Know that not all renovations are a good idea, but know that you should do the research to find out.
