When we purchased our current home, ONE of the factors that made us decide to move here was the HUUUUUUUGE detached garage my grandpa had built several years ago. There is an attached two car garage, but to have the detached garage space was just an added bonus. My grandpa had it set up as workshop, but the garage seriously has SO. MUCH. POTENTIAL. In it’s current state, it’s turned into Steve’s wood workshop, and storage facility for all of his outdoor equipment (I have my own Bear Grylls, Mr. Cabelas, outdoorsman…you get the idea).
Since we’ve been here two years, we’ve had several ideas of what to turn it into. Since we’ve decided to move, all those dreams kind of went away but I’m so excited for the new owners and see what they turn it into. Our ideas were everything from an outdoor entertaining space, with a bar, cool garage door that opened for summer evenings. We also thought about a dedicated workout area for the space, too. Our garage is probably about 800 SF which is HUGE for a detached garage space. This space could easily be turned into a second living area, with a bathroom, bedroom, kitchenette and living space. It has it’s own entrance, too. What a fun way to make a cool space, but also earn some income as well through a short-term rental property. OR, if you’re a small business owner, how fun would it be to have your own office space or workshop? SO. MUCH. POSSIBILITY. Some inspiration pictures for some ideas we had:
Denver’s hot right now to have an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) on your property. With all the changes and rules being brought down on homeowners with short-term rentals, more and more people are turning their detached garages/sheds/ADU’s into additional living space and I think this trend is cool!
Even if you decide not to rent out your space, just having an additional space for a “hang out” spot will not only add value to your home, but definitely add a whole new layer of “coolness” (go ahead, tell your friends that).
About 7 years ago, I helped some high school friends purchase their first home in Denver’s Englewood neighborhood. They bought an old bungalow, that had been updated. Over the years they went back and forth with selling, or staying, and finally decided to stay, but make their house their own. They had a 1 car, detached garage, in their backyard. It really was used as a storage shed, but did have a garage door (but, of course, it wasn’t tall enough to actually allow a car to drive in!). They tossed around a few ideas, then finally decided it would be so fun to turn this detached garage into ANOTHER living space. They had a living room in their home already, but really wanted more space to hang out when they entertained. After meeting with several contractors, and getting a budget in mind, they decided to move forward with the project and the space turned out SO well! They spent about $10,000 on renovations, but probably at least doubled the value of what they spent AND they get a cool spot to hang out in. These homeowners were able to squeeze in table, TV, couch, and bar area. AND a cool accent blue concrete floor.
So, if you had a space like this, what would you turn it into? What’s YOUR dream space? I’m on a new kick for space to entertain. I’d love to be able to turn our detached garage into a whole entertaining space!
Some fun articles I found showcasing different “shed” ideas:
- Seattle Shed Packed with Creativity and Budget-Friendly Ideas
- More Living Space: Converting a Garage
- Behind a Garage Door, a Family Fun Room
- 18 Adorable “She Sheds”
Comment below for some fun ideas that you would do if you had a shed/detached garage area.
XO,
Lindsay