• The garage can be an ideal place to add more usable living space.luxury house image by yong hong from Fotolia.com
  
  Garage decks and lofts offer two ways to get more use out of your garage. A deck that extends from the back or side of the garage can be a place for outdoor recreation, while second-story garage lofts can serve as living spaces or storage areas, adding value to the home and freeing up space inside for other uses.
  
  

Outdoor Cooking

• A garage deck can become a place for outdoor cooking with the addition of a fire pit or barbecue grill. Stone and brick barbecue grills are durable and don't require indoor storage. A fire pit, which can double as a place to gather on cooler nights, allows you to cook over an open fire any time of year. The deck can also include seating or built-in storage for grill accessories. Always observe local fire codes before installing a fire or barbecue pit on your garage deck.
  
  

Outdoor Recreation

• A garage deck can also serve as an outdoor recreation center. Add a hot tub to turn your deck into a backyard destination. Planters, shrubs and privacy screens can turn the deck into a secluded getaway even if your backyard space is limited. Use patio furniture and an awning to turn the garage deck into an outdoor dining room.
  
  

Apartments

• Garage lofts can serve as apartments for residents or rental tenants. While it may be costly to outfit a garage loft with a full living space, including electrical and plumbing fixtures, the additional income from the rent and added value to your home will make it worthwhile in the long term. Garage loft apartments are also useful for teenagers or older children who desire privacy.
  
  

Playrooms

• Turn a garage loft into a children's playroom to keep kids and their toys contained and reduce noise for other residents of the home. A garage loft playroom can include carpets or soft matted flooring, built-in storage for toys and other items and skylights for natural illumination.
  
  

Storage

• Adding a loft to an existing garage is a relatively simple way to add a large amount of easily-accessible storage space. Garage lofts can be a place for keeping seasonal items that aren't in use as wel as boxes, furniture and appliances that won't fit in the house. Compared to the cost of long-term storage facility rentals, a garage loft is an economical way to store possessions without using up valuable floor space.