# Converting Garage



## shan2themax (Feb 12, 2008)

Hey guys!! Long time no post.... I am in the beginning stages of planning 2 projects.... one is the kitchen, one is the garage.... what I was wondering... what would you think that it would cost to convert a garage (10-11 X 17-18) into a room.... for now... it would be used as a bedroom, once the kids are gone.... probably an office and laundry area... currently... it isnt used as a garage (it has a weird room built into it) it has a bunch of junk a refrigerator and a hotwater tank along with the bladder (cant remember the name) for a well and the pump (this is not in use)..... 45669 is the zipcode... and I am thinking in terms of my doing it myself... it has a concrete floor that is not level and while the walls look for be pretty straight... it needs insulation so I would just frame out the walls in order to put insulation in......

and again... estimates are what I am looking for so that I can see if this will be feasible for me to work at my other job to pay for it... or If i need to pay off other things first and continue to sleep on the couch//./////


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## guyod (Feb 12, 2008)

Its hard to even give you a rough estimate because we dont know what your starting with. what kind of walls and ceiling do you have? 

This can be done as cheap or expensive as you want all depends on what you want.

You have to break down everything you want done and give it a price ..

Taking out the garage door and framing it in then siding it will be the biggest project.

If you are looking for a temp fix. You could leave the garage door and frame a wall in the inside. Take down the tracks or put a drop ceiling in. Paint what ever walls your have, Lay down do some pre padded carpet. and you will have a bedroom.  it wont be pretty but it will cost under $1500 and a couple of weekends.  Plus it can easily be converted back into a garage for resale reasons.


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## glennjanie (Feb 13, 2008)

Hello Shan:
Girl you have some real projects facing you there. However, you can take them one at a time and eventually have a real cute house there.
I don't know if you have heard of Dave Ramsey, a financial guru on TV. He says "live like no one else does while you pay off debt (except home mortgage) and build an emergency fund. Then you can *live like no one else does, paying cash for improvements and such".* 
I admire your spunk, I can't even get a picture posted on the forum. We will try to give you plenty of free advice as you go and help you any way we can.
Glenn


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## iRemod (Feb 13, 2008)

Based on the description you gave you are looking at remodeling an area about 200sf. As guy already said it's next to impossible to give an accurate estimate without seeing the affected area (just like I tell folks that ask me for an estimate via email without giving any contact info other than an email address). That being said here ya go:


Materials-

carpet&pad: $200-$400 (22+yds)
wall/ceiling board: $288 (24 sheets 1/2" [email protected]$12/sheet)
tape/mud: $25
subfloor (you said concrete was uneven):$281 (2x4 sleepers w/3/4"plywood)
misc. framing: $150
insulation: $300 (r12 walls/r30 ceiling)
trim: $100-$150 (speedbase baseboard, 2.5" colonial door/window)
paint: $100
misc.: $200


Labor-

I would probably charge around: $3,000 - $4,000 (2 guys @ about a week)


Your Total: $4,644 - $5,894



Take it with a grain of salt and be sure and get a local quote.
I call this a seat of the pants estimate. I'm sure I missed a few things...but it should give you a rough idea of the cost if you hire a pro.

Cheers.


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## shan2themax (Feb 13, 2008)

Glenn:

You are ALWAYS optimistic... I really like that about you.... sometimes I think that I am too dumb to get scared of doing things..... I am in planning stages... trying to decide what to do.. kitchen or garage....(these things of course have to wait for a few other little things)

Iremod:
Thanks for the information..... I will have to frame everything in the garage.... there is no insulation, there is plumbing for the hotwater tank, there is some electricity, and I had already decided that I wanted to build up the floor some to insulate the room... I am not going to have central heat and air out there.... I have a window air conditioner and a baseboard heater to use out there..... ultimately, I would like to make part of it (by the water heater) a laundry room. but, I have to decide about my breaker box in another post before I do any of it... no sense in doing the garage and then after the fact, adding the laundry............


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## shan2themax (Feb 13, 2008)

glennjanie said:


> Hello Shan:
> Girl you have some real projects facing you there. However, you can take them one at a time and eventually have a real cute house there.
> I don't know if you have heard of Dave Ramsey, a financial guru on TV. He says "live like no one else does while you pay off debt (except home mortgage) and build an emergency fund. Then you can *live like no one else does, paying cash for improvements and such".*
> I admire your spunk, I can't even get a picture posted on the forum. We will try to give you plenty of free advice as you go and help you any way we can.
> Glenn




I have heard of him... and that is another post of mine.... forget these two projects and pay off debt... or pick one of them and do it.....

I feel like the responsible thing to do would be to pay off debt.... but I am torn.....


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## AU_Prospector (Feb 13, 2008)

Have an expert/pro help you with the garage door.  On top of the door incorporated into the hardware is a rather large tightly wound steel spring.  This spring has suffucient energy in it to seriously harm or even worse kill someone who doesnt know about it.  The spring supports the entire weight of the door and makes it easy to open and close.

Good luck


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## shan2themax (Feb 13, 2008)

AU_Prospector said:


> Have an expert/pro help you with the garage door.  On top of the door incorporated into the hardware is a rather large tightly wound steel spring.  This spring has suffucient energy in it to seriously harm or even worse kill someone who doesnt know about it.  The spring supports the entire weight of the door and makes it easy to open and close.
> 
> Good luck



I have already encountered that.... when i first bought the house..... only one side of the garage door was put together... the other parts were here and there and everywhere..... and you are right..... there is a huge amount of energy!!!!!!!!!!


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## shan2themax (Feb 13, 2008)

Here is a layout of the house... maybe that will help


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## shan2themax (Mar 31, 2008)

In my quest for knowledge... I called the county offices the morning... figured out taxes, sewage and permits,,,,,   You dont have to have a permit to convert a garage... as a matter of fact... you dont have to have a permit to do anything at all    ... just a phone call at the end in order for them to come out reasses and hike up your taxes......

so.. I am reading about how to frame now.... hopefully it wont take forever.... I have to buy a building in order to put all my garage junk in it....

I also have a question... do you think this scenario will work....

when I remove the garage door and try to make the front of the house look uniform... could I... instead of using cinderblocks... build a frame the same height with intermittent strips in the frame to make the concrete part look the same all the way across the front of the house.... I am going to put vinyl siding up at some point and want the front of the house to look uniform..... so this was an idea I had.... Please let me know if this will work and any pros and cons to it!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## glennjanie (Mar 31, 2008)

The very best professional job will always look like a closed up garage door. So, give it your best shot and let 'er ride. Sometimes a contrasting cover looks better than an attempt to match it up. New materaials that are the same as the existing will still look 'new'. 
A built up flower bed in front of it will help to break it up.
Let us know how you come out.
Glenn


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