Rising home prices and the rapidly escalating rental crisis are seeing many homeowner-parents considering the option of renovating an existing area in their home to accommodate their adult children in an independent space.

For homeowners looking to improve the value of their homes – and cope with the needs of multiple generations living under one roof – garage renovations make sense. These enhance home value and add much-needed living space for less than one might spend on building an addition.

There are endless possibilities for renovating your garage, but you'll have to closely consider costs and obtain the proper materials. Before you dive into this ultimately rewarding renovation project, you should consider the often-overlooked logistics of working in a garage – the concrete floor beneath the structure.

Frequently, converting a garage or basement into usable living space involves adding plumbing for a bathroom, kitchenette and possibly even a laundry space. Usually, that means cutting into the concrete floor to install pipes, drains and storage tanks. The expense of cutting concrete may quickly deter you from converting your garage into a living space, not to mention the extraordinary amount of noise and dust breaking through concrete generates.

If you do opt for a bathroom and small kitchenette, you'll have to identify materials that will be easy to install and help save cost.

Here are two ways to convert your garage or basement into an additional living space for your adult kids or other family members – affordably and easily, with Saniflo plumbing systems.

Saniflo plumbing systems

1. Above-floor plumbing is a more cost-effective, time-friendly way to add a bathroom

On top of having a liveable space for your adult children, a full bathroom will be a convenient addition to your renovated studio, offering them additional privacy.

Macerating – or above-floor – plumbing systems do not require installers to dig or cut through concrete, making them much easier to install with the system sitting right on top of the existing floor. Wastewater from a toilet, bathtub, shower or sink is pumped up or horizontally through small-diameter piping, rather than flowing down conventional plumbing. The up-flush system doesn’t store waste like a sewage ejector system; wastewater immediately moves to the septic tank or sewer system with every flush.

Saniflo’s Saniaccess 3 is one example of a macerating pump unit used for full bathroom (shower, toilet, basin) applications. It has a 400w pump system and an IP44 rating. The macerator has stainless steel blades that rotate at 3,600 RPM to reduce incoming water and organic waste matter into a fine slurry to pass easily through slim 22/28/32mm pipework. Saniaccess 3 can pump up to 100m horizontally or 5m vertically.

2. Use a drain pump to affordably add a small kitchen and laundry to your garage or basement

The Saniaccess 3 is a great way to install a complete bathroom, but consider other above-floor plumbing solutions, such as Sanicubic 1 or Sanicubic 2 to install complete wet area fixtures including a bathroom, kitchen and laundry.

The Sanicubic 1 WP is ideal for use in a granny flat addition as it can remove wastewater from multiple fixtures including bathroom, kitchenette and laundry. You can connect a toilet, hand basin, bath, shower, washing machine, dishwasher and even the kitchen sink! It features a powerful 1500W motor, high flow rate performance, and an IP68 waterproof rating. The Sanicubic 1 can pump 11m vertically or 110m horizontally.

Architecture & Design Team

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