Those of you in colder climates, are you looking for a way to make your home more comfortable in these cold winter months? Those of you down south, are you wishing for a way to expand the amount of home space that is available for using in the winter?

Instead of adding onto your home, and spending a hefty amount of money, create a heated and/or air-conditioned garage!

Lots of options are available on how you could implement this renovation, but first let’s discuss the perks of having a climate-controlled garage:

• It will add living space to your home, space that everyone can enjoy no matter what time of year it is.
• You could finish it and expand the total square feet of finished space in the home, which would be a vital selling advantage.
• If you park your cars in the garage, it will keep the cars in a controlled environment and running smoothly. Up north in winter, you’ll be glad to know this means no more warming up the car for 20 extra minutes!
• You could customize this extra space to use as a hobby room, a room for keeping pets, an extra entertainment room, a party room or anything you prefer.

In order to make your renovation as efficient as possible, do some research before choosing what to purchase. Measure the size of your garage, and with those measurements, determine the required amount of wattage, ventilation and other safety issues. Before getting started, make sure your garage walls are insulated. If not, complete that job first, or the heat will just evaporate through the cold walls. After that is complete, lots of options are available for heating, which include:

• Mini Split A/Cs: A simple and affordable option for controlling the climate of your garage is through mini split A/Cs, which provide heating and cooling for less than $2000! For more information on this option, click here.
• A powerful heating unit that is specifically made to heat a garage up to 500 square feet. These units are available in gas, electric and propane.
• Natural gas heaters, either a forced air vent that blows air from the home’s furnace, or an infrared tube that radiates heat. These are the most economical options and come in different sizes to suit the size of your garage.

Decide which option suits your needs most and enjoy extra heated and cooled space all year long!