[Xstyle]

Right guys,

Most of you have seen my AV install (see my sig for reminders!!)
...and I've been thinking for a long while what to do with my garage.

Well, I play a retro computer game called Kick Off 2, on the good ol' Commodore Amiga!! ...and I'm a part of the "Kick Off Association" where we play games & tournaments (all over Europe).... and occasionally I have friends come over for small tournament fun.

So I was thinking of converting the space so that my friends and I can play games in there without disturbing the wife, and therefore avoid setting up on the dining table, as I currently do!

2 x Amiga's and 2 x TV's, 4 x chairs, 1 x laptop to record the league and fixtures/results.

BASICALLY IT'S A COMPUTER GAMES ROOM!

Below I have provided pictures of what the garage is like... there is not too much room, but I would hope we could somehow get 4 players in there... with some clearing out and minor refurbishment of the space.

I have a garage door, but the inside is partitioned off, and the door is not able to open at all.

Right up against this partioning at the front of the garage inside are some kitchen type units, with a kitchen worktop overlayed. At the moment there is pace for one chair to go inbewteen the cabinets (the previous owner of the house used this as his office).

I would need to remove these units or modify it so that its just the table-top, allowing people to their feet under and close to the table.

At the rear of the garage, I need a bespoke shoe cabinet/slide out rack, which goes under the stairs, to the righthandside of the fridge & wardrobe you see in the pictures (where the Evian box is, there is a huge gap/tunnel/void).

Move the fridge over towards the back wall too. (I don't have a fridge in my kitchen, yet... need to get a new kitchen!)
The wardrobe is for coats...

These are photo's that I have on my pc (from when I took down the main wall to set up my AV system, last year).



Front of garage:

The righthandside of the garage, near the end, is narrower than the front as the AV unit protudes inside...

Ideally, I would like to change the front door, and get rid of the partitioning and make it a double fronted house, with proper windows etc... but I guess that is a big money mission, which I can't really afford.

Or should I just change the door (the previous owner drove into it!!! ...honest!)... cos I wouldn't really want some bespoke joinery done for the computer stations, then have to rip it all out when (and IF) I decide on changing the front of the house.

Ideal scenario would be to do it all cheeply for now!! Any ideas??
keep the worktop and strip everything else out??

(I know what I'd do for future, but before I can do the conversion properly, the wife gets a new kitchen... so not for a while! )


POWER:
The only power in there is:
2 sockets near the AV unit.
1 socket on the rear wall of the garage (righthandside).

I will need more power towards the front (lefthandside of pics), where the computers & TV's will go.


oh and in addition, I will need some proper AV cabinets or shelfs to put all my DVD collection!!!! (at least there is something AV related!)

[Xstyle]

I also need to get a the inside of the ceiling/garage roof bit insulated...
Extend the ceiling from the where the ceiling ends from the bedroom above, and then going toward the garage front it goes up, and that is the underside of the garage roof.

if u know what I mean! :?:


AND ideally, would love to get some 17" to 21" flat screens TFT or LCD... but I guess they would be too expensive for just this use???

[Xstyle]

Originally Posted by Xstyle

Ideally, I would like to change the front door, and get rid of the partitioning and make it a double fronted house, with proper windows etc... but I guess that is a big money mission, which I can't really afford.

Or should I just change the door (the previous owner drove into it!!! ...honest!)... cos I wouldn't really want some bespoke joinery done for the computer stations, then have to rip it all out when (and IF) I decide on changing the front of the house.

Ideal scenario would be to do it all cheeply for now!! Any ideas?? keep the worktop and strip everything else out??

Front of garage:

Ok... been doing some thinking of the various options at my disposal:


PROPER CONVERSION ...i.e. make it a double fronted house, with no garage door, and bricked up and window inserted instead:

Ads:
1 - Looks nice
2 - Warmer
3 - Nice windows let light in
4 - Will add value to the house (but how much?)

Disads:
1 - Apply for planning permision
2 - High costs involved
3 - Building regulations mean that the insulation on the inside wall adjacent to the neaighbours garage will probably have to be quite thick, thus taking more space out of the room
4 - Would turn into a more complex project

---------

KEEP EXISTING GARAGE DOOR

Ads:
1 - Already partitioned off behind the door
2 - Therefore saves money!

Disads:
1 - Doesn't look too nice from the front of the house with the slight dent in the existing garage door
2 - No natural light

---------

CHANGING GARAGE DOOR

Ads:
1 - Cheaper than proper conversion
2 - Still looks nice
3 - No "official" looking people poking their nose about
4 - A glazed garage door will still let some light in
5 - 2 - Insulation of internal wall does not have to be THAT thick ... size of a brick?

Disads:
1 - If get a glazed garage door, the insulation will have to stop, and then carry on again, minus over the window areas ... can get drafty??

Will the (frosted) windows make much of a difference?

Something like this:

costs around £450 supplied only.


Currently the house looks ABIT like this:

Dilemna...