Our Most Expensive Makeover Yet

One of the most asked questions whenever we reveal a makeover is “How much did it all cost?” and I totally understand why.  There is a real desire in many a heart to make spaces more functional and more beautiful but we ALL have limits.  And usually that limit has a dollar sign in front of it.  Our garage makeover that we revealed last year has proven to be our most expensive makeover yet and one that is worth every dang dime.  Today we are gonna do a budget breakdown of that space and all the stuff we put into it (tools and junk not included) so that you can have a better understanding of what a garage makeover would cost if you did it like us and went ALL OUT.

Of course, in full disclosure, some of these items were provided by companies in exchange for reviews of the items.  It’s a major perk of being a DIY blogger….and I can’t tell you how much we appreciate it.  Every day I say to Jer, I have the best job in the world!   I don’t take that for granted y’all.  So if you feel like it’s totally unfair….I get it.  It kinda is.  I know.  I suck.  But on the flip side, at least I realize how amazing it is and am honest and thankful about it.  (I know that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow, does it?!)  And I am really proud that I get to provide something like this makeover for our family….one that functions so well in our builds and projects and that we get to use this space to pay it forward.  I personally recommend all the items we put in this garage….they were things we wanted before we ever approached a brand for a product and  if that brand said no, we still would have purchased them.  I included the price of those items too so that if you were going big in your workshop/gym/storage area that you can see exactly the cost and plan accordingly.

As you may recall…the 3.5 car garage started off a little like this….

And we ended with it looking like this…

Before and after….

Now let’s just get right to it….here are the items (sans tools and toys and other junk)

The television was a splurge…it is not used as much as an indoor tv would be and we only spent $200 (which compared to other tv’s  is a steal) but still…its a garage tv….so that is one area that if you needed to, you could trim it out of the budget.

One of the major expenses is the flooring.  We did a Rust-Oleum epoxy coating which was really high impact and beautiful (it shines like a diamond!) and compared to having a pro do it, we saved a bundle….but it’s still a pretty penny.  I am very glad we did it though because it still looks great and it’s super easy to clean up.

Small items that helped finish the space added up in the long run but help this area function so much better.  Having blinds is absolutely necessary and having a nice safe step stool is worth it’s weight in gold.

• Clock – $29
• Weight tree – $112
• Weights – $325
• Bars – $82
• Folding crossfit rack – $399
• Gym storage cabinets – $379 (2)
• Weightlifting bench – $140
• Project table – $200
• Stools – $20 (2)
• Outdoor tool hanging rack – $40
• Garage door openers – $300 (2)
• Extra bins for towers – $18
• Window shades – $55
• Step stool & hanging brackets – $30
• Trash can – $40
• Rock-Solid garage floor coating – $1071
• Ball bins – $30
• Metal storage shelves – $169
• Large project bins – $24
• Ceiling paint – $60
• Wall paint – $123
• Husky 9 drawer storage – $289
• Small divided wall storage – $60
• Tv – $200
• Tall tool storage cabinets – $289 (3)
• Tool pegboard – $208
• Husky 5 drawer storage – $249 (2)
• Foot mat – $42
• Other misc items – $100

TOTAL – $6609

For further breakdown, the space comes out to this…

• Space improvements (paint, shades, floor coating, etc.) – $2009
• Gym Items – $1058
• Workshop Items – $807
• Storage Items – $2424
• Extras – $311

To be completely honest….I’m really proud of those numbers.  It’s definitely not the cheapest makeover on the inter webs…but it’s not completely out of reach for such a HUGE and brand new diverse space.  I don’t like comparing it to other workshops because obviously everyone has different needs and chooses high vs. low on things that are important to them.  But for us, a big amount went to storage…which in my mind is safety.  I needed cabinets that locked and that were tough enough to survive, well, me.  And four little boys.  And to hold my hoard.  The ones we chose are still holding up GREAT.  And the gym is all Jeremy so I can’t throw shade on his workout area….especially seeing as it is health related and that is always worth investing in!

So that my friends is our most expensive makeover to date….more than our kitchen or our bathrooms.  And it is also our most used space…well, maybe tied with our kitchen.  Because ya know…I’ve been pregnant and a girls gotta eat 🙂