Turn Your Garage Into an Extension of Your Home

Summer has arrived in Vermont, and it’s the perfect time to tackle upgrades and projects you’ve been wanting to make around your home. Throughout the year, your garage can become a storage space for the miscellaneous items you can’t find a place for. Now, it’s time to turn it into a convenient, usable space that brings you joy. Here’s how to transform your garage this summer:

Decluttering: What to Keep and What to Toss

This could be your first step or only step, but it’s an important one. If your garage is seeming less like a good place to put your car due to the stacks and racks of mystery “stuff,” this might be the perfect project for you. Sort all those things that keep getting in the way into four bulk piles: Toss, Recycle, Keep, and Donate. For many homeowners, it’s worth renting a dumpster for the “toss” items to give them plenty of space to declutter. You’ll be amazed how you can transform your space with a deep clean. 

Upgrades: Enhancing Your Garage’s Functionality

Once you complete your piles, it’s time to organize the items you’re keeping; you don’t want to leave them in their original miscellaneous boxes. Make your garage more useful and versatile with even more upgrades:

Flooring

Reduce the risk of slips and stains by updating your garage floors. Add rubber flooring rolls or pick up an epoxy kit from your local home improvement store. Improving your floors will give your garage a better look and increase durability for years to come.

Lighting

A few dull bulbs in your garage are not ideal. Switch your lightbulbs for LEDs to enhance visibility and energy efficiency. If you want even better lighting, especially for your garage’s workshop, hang utility shop lights from your ceiling.

Insulation

Upgrading your garage’s insulation will make the space more comfortable year-round, keeping your vehicles and other items warm during the winter and cool during the summer. Regulating temperature year-round protects items like your car’s battery, recreational equipment, and temperature-sensitive items like paint and chemicals.

Transformations: Making Your Garage a Brand-New Space

Want more from your garage than storage? Here are three ways to change your garage to make it a brand new space:

The Home Gym

Your garage is a fantastic option to create your own home gym. Add a treadmill, weight bench, elliptical, or whatever equipment your heart desires. To boost convenience, we recommend adding a water cooler, nonslip mats for comfort, and storage bins for gym-related items. 

The Year-Round Workshop

Love making furniture, jewelry, or fixing items around the house DIY-style? Your garage is the perfect home for your workshop. Choose a section of your garage as your workshop space and add a desk, a toolbox, a cabinet for storage, and any other materials you may need. This is a great spot through every season in Vermont, from tuning skis and bikes to trying out new projects.

Your workshop space is also a great place to add decor. Channel your personality through your wall decor; many homeowners love showcasing old license plates, metal signs, posters, calendars, and more. We recommend adding a good stereo to listen to your favorite music while you work. 

The New Gathering Space

Sometimes you want to enjoy those warm summer temps and also stay sheltered from the weather. This is when your garage transforms overnight from a car storage unit to a gathering spot.

To make the floor a little less hard underfoot, consider rubber roll-out garage flooring, which is just as it sounds: a piece of rubber made of durable polyvinyl that comes in a roll, which can be installed in a matter of minutes, no adhesives required. They are easy to clean, add traction for safety, and come in a variety of patterns and colors, giving your garage a clean, finished look. If you have a two-car bay, you can seam together multiple rolls to fit the space.

Many homeowners add screens to their garage doors, allowing them to enjoy a fresh breeze while maintaining privacy. Choose between the manual or motorized screen options—some even come with doors for easy movement between indoors and outdoors. Load up your cooler with cool drinks, grab some snacks, set your bluetooth speaker to outdoor mode, and invite your friends to relax.

Whether you're simply organizing your existing storage or completely reimagining your garage as a workshop, recreation room, or gathering space, these summer improvements will be beneficial throughout the year. As Vermont's seasons change from summer's warmth to winter's chill, you'll appreciate having created a space that serves your needs year-round, protecting your belongings while giving you room to pursue hobbies, entertain guests, or simply enjoy a well-organized, functional extension of your home. Plus, when it comes time to sell your home, your garage will be a focal point for potential buyers.

Learn about more simple remodeling projects and other creative retrofits. Read our recent blogs!