How about decluttering so the stuff you have fits the home you have? Living space only accessible from the exterior most likely wouldn't pass the sniff test for permits. Storage space might not either, depending on the home's layout.

Sophie, thanks for the comment. It's highly unlikely that I would be able to get this space permitted as a living space. Storage space permit is iffy. One sticky issue is the height - I just figured out a way to measure the ceiling height more accurately - it's about 14'7" - 15' high, which may be a problem. The garage door opening is at 8' high.

Garage code is as follows: "The vertical clearance for any entrance to a garage or for any overhead obstruction within any type of garage shall be not less than eighty-eight (88) inches. Over-the-hood storage cabinets may encroach into a required parking space when located a minimum of four (4) feet above the floor, and projecting not more than four (4) feet into the required nineteen (19) foot parking space depth."

Code for storage space requires the following:

"...if a walkin type, shall have a minimum clear access opening of thirty (30) inches by six (6) feet eight (8) inches."

I'm not sure if I have enough height in this space to make it all work.

I agree with Sophie - sounds like you could benefit from getting rid
of some stuff. I know it's hard - I've been working at it for years! But
once you get started, it gets easier.

We're a family of 4 in a
3-bedroom house without a basement. My garage isn't as tall as yours,
but I've added a lot of shelving out there for things like camping gear,
kids' toys that I want to save for grandchildren, seasonal things like
holiday decorations and lake toys.

Here's one I put over the garage door:

thanks. I've been seriously de-cluttering for the past year, but I am required by city code to have a designated storage area.

There is a storage unit on my upper deck, which meets the minimum dimensions for this requirement. It is attached to my master bedroom, but accessible only by going through the bedroom and outside to the deck. I wanted to convert this storage room into a walk-in closet or small home office, accessible from my master bedroom, but the city would not approve this change because of the requirement for an enclosed storage area.

So, that's why I started thinking about creating a "storage loft" in my garage. Also, the 2nd floor storage room is not convenient for most of the stuff in my garage - such as gardening tools, tennis rackets, bicycles, beach chairs, and leftover building materials from my ongoing bathroom renovations.

I'd build some 2' deep shelving up the walls to utilize the height.

And get rid of your stuff. Sell it on CL, and if you need it in the future, go find one on CL to buy. Free storage!

Based on the responses, I've decided to forgo the expense of adding a storage loft in the garage. It sounds like it would not improve the resale value of my home.

This means I cannot repurpose the storage room on the upper deck into a walk-in-closet. I sacrificed the walk-in-closet in the master bedroom to move the laundry room upstairs. I still have a closet in the bedroom, although the architect proposed that I take out the closet to create a sitting area with a TV.

Instead, I will have some over-the-hood cabinets built in the garage. Not sure what I will put into the cabinets - most items won't fit, such as bicycles, hockey sticks, and ladders.

It makes no sense to stack cabinets up to the 14'7" ceiling in the garage. At my age, I shouldn't be climbing up on a 10' ladder to take down a can of white paint or a box of tennis balls. Besides, this is "earthquake" country - where anything placed up high is at risk of falling down.

Most of what is in the garage is either too useful to sell or not worth selling (Halloween decorations) or both (broom and dust pan). I will try to sell some of the leftover building materials that were stored into the garage this week, as the renovation is coming to a close. I have already donated to Habits for Humanity my 3-year old kitchen cabinets (remodeled kitchen 3 years ago, and remodeled it again this year).