Shelving and hooks are an excellent start toward getting your garage organized.

What would your dream garage look like? For some, it's just to actually fit their car inside their garge. For others, it's space for a workshop, gym or laundry room. For still others, a new, finished room expanding their living space and improving their lifestyle is the ideal.

Now, a Reality Check
How much do you have to work with? Whether rebuilding or reorganizing, you have a finite area to work with, as well as a finite budget.

Fortunately, even a small garage, effectively used, is a large amount of useable space. Whether you're going to use the space as a garage, garage plus work area or solely as a living space, the first step is to carefully evaluate your needs. It's also a good time to look into building code and permit requirements.

Codes and permits are designed to ensure the quality and safety of your home—you ignore them at your own risk. Check with your building department before beginning any home improvement project.

Bob Saunders, owner of Vista Builders in Los Angeles, concurs. "I had a homeowner who ignored code, ignored permits and converted his garage into a recreation room. It turned out local code required a garage or at least a carport and as there was no place to put either one, he was stuck. He had to hire me to turn it back into a garage."

The decision to do a project yourself or to hire a contractor depends on the project's magnitude and your skill-level.

With basic skills, you can produce a great reorganization project. You can buy shelving, cabinets, pegs and hooks to turn your garage into useable space by yourself on a weekend. More ambitious projects could require a plumber, electrician or even a contractor.

Assess your skill level, time constraints and knowledge of codes and permits to decide if your project requires a professional. If you're planning to convert an attached garage into a living area yourself, you better be able to do a professional job or you risk decreasing the value of your home—not to mention alienating your family.

If you opt for a contractor, get one whose work you've seen and preferably has been recommended.

Construction times and costs vary greatly with the scope of project. Contractor Saunders says, "If there are no structural issues, enclosing and finishing an attached garage and converting it into a useable room would probably take less than two weeks."

Whatever your goal, by thoroughly planning your project, finishing it competently and making it a comfortable place, your garage can be a place you spend many happy hours for a long time to come.