The European Championships kick off this summer, with excitement ramping up over England's chances of winning their first tournament since 1966. As far as garage conversion ideas go, creating a space to watch sport with your mates is one of the simplest and most fun projects you could undertake.
With a bit of creativity and planning you can transform your garage into a space that allows you to watch the big match - either in peace away from the family, or with pals when hosting a game day party.
Here's the Garolla guide to creating a sports-themed man (or woman!) cave garage conversion...
Planning your garage conversion
Every garage conversion idea needs a bit of planning. This will include giving some thought around what you want to include in your garage man cave, the amount of space available to you and therefore a layout, a budget for your project and a timeline.
In all likelihood, most garage conversion ideas start with a good clean out and a trip or two to the tip. This will allow you to get rid of items which have been chucked in the garage, never to see the light of day again. It might be worth advertising unused items on internet marketplaces - this could free up additional budget for your garage project.
You'll need to give some consideration to items which you want to keep. It might mean shifting the layout around so that dust-creating machinery is moved away from where you want your watching area to be. You could even go one step further and create a partitioned area for watching sports.
How to convert a garage into a sports man cave
It goes without saying that the most important item for watching the Euros is going to be a big screen. You could mount a TV on the wall - large flat screens are much more affordable than they used to be and come with smart TV apps that allow you to stream from your favourite channels.
Another option is to purchase a projector - these can be free standing, or mounted from the garage ceiling - and to project the big game onto the wall or a screen. Your projector will need to be plugged into laptop or similar to stream the match. Using a projector also removes the potential hazard of damaging a wall-mounted TV when it's not in use.
You'll want to ensure you have a high-quality sound system that delivers crisp, clear sound to bring that big match atmosphere.
England will no doubt keep people on the edge of their seat this summer, so your garage conversion could include bringing in chairs, stools or a sofa for ultimate comfort. Just make sure that everyone has a good view of the screen (or that they can hide behind the sofa when the match goes all the way to penalties!)
A beer fridge is going to be a must to help calm the nerves and make sure that you don't miss a minute of the action with trips to the kitchen. You could go a step further and create your own bar, installing your own keg beer pump and optics.
Finally, you might need some entertainment pre- and post-match. Some of our favourite garage conversion additions include table football, a pool table and a games console. You could also go old-school and dust off (and iron!) the old Subbuteo pitch.
Decorating your sports man cave
If you're creating a permanent place to watch sporting events, then it's worth putting the effort in to decorating your garage properly. This could include painting the walls and either sealing or putting down some flooring to give a more homely feel to things.
If your garage has a concrete floor then the latter is an important step so that your cosy set up doesn't become dusty.
Do you have an old collection of football shirts, memorabilia or equipment taking up space in the loft? There are plenty of online tutorials showing you how to frame and hang old shirts, cricket bats and the like; these will really add to the theme of your sports man cave.
Safe, sound and secure with a Garolla garage door
There's little point undertaking a garage conversion and spending money on installing a TV, sofa and other entertainment if your garage door isn't up to scratch.
Give the red card to your old, rickety up and over garage door, with its gaps around the side and bulky internal framework. It'll let in drafts, water and debris - a true own goal after putting all that work into creating your new space.
Garolla's electric roller garage doors are the match winners. Robustly engineered to withstand everyday life, our doors are constructed from strong, light aluminium and high-density polyurethane. With secure guide rails, interlinked slats, a weatherpoof seal and auto locks, our roller doors are like placing the Italian defence of the 90s in front of your garage.
Give our team of experts a call now, or fill in this form, to discuss your requirements and to book in a free, no obligation survey.