Turning a garage into a room: what to solve before you demolish

The cheapest extra room is the one that's already standing. A garage has foundations, a roof and walls — it's only missing the things that make a space liveable. Most people avoid the project anyway, because they start at the wrong end.

Damp first, everything else second

Garage floors usually have no damp-proof membrane and the walls no vapour barrier. Lay vinyl straight down, screw plasterboard to the walls, and you'll have mould within two winters.

The order never changes: damp-proof the floor, insulate walls and ceiling, vapour barrier on the warm side, surfaces last. And sort out ventilation — ideally a heat recovery unit, or at minimum an extract fan.

Light is the real problem

The garage door is usually the only large opening. Replacing it with glazing or French doors is the biggest line in the budget, and it's also what decides whether the room reads as a room or as a basement.

If a big window isn't affordable, go for roof lights instead. They cost less and light from above spreads more evenly.

Plan it visually, not in your head

Garage conversions are where people misjudge proportions most often. It looks huge — until you put a sofa in it.

Photograph the empty garage and let RoomFlip generate a few layout options: home office, guest room, playroom. You'll see how much space is actually left before you call a builder.

Bottom line

The sequence is simple: damp, insulation, light, then furniture. Take the photos this weekend and run two or three layouts. The decision gets easier fast.