i just converted my garage this fall. hung a ceiling but also cut a small hole to suspend a ceiling fan instead of going with a light panel. it helps keeps the room from feeling so much like a converted space while still allowing access.
I rocked mine around the beam running across my basement due to a few other low hanging obstructions I made it a little wider all the way across. Then I drop tiled the rest so all tiles are flat no funky tiles at angles etc. We also used the heavier acoustic tiles and installed several light fixtures.
+1 me too, six homes, multiple rentals, ended up breaking out and patching drywall in most of them. One of them I had to pull a water heater, and blow down a central air system so I could remove the furnace to replace the plumbing fixtures for the tub and shower. Simple job took two days and a lot of expense.
Did you ever notice that all the older homes have access panels so you do not have to bother the plaster/lath work? And those panels are large enough to actually work in for adds/moves/changes as well as simple repairs. Those old craftsmen planned ahead. If you were to sheet rock but leave removeable panels for future access to pipe chases, electrical routings and the such, you will probably thank yourself later.