Can i pick a few brains about converting a coach house/ garage?

blushingbride_3

Hi there,

My parents have recently moved & we're planning on converting a single brick single storey coach house into a small dewlling for myself & hubby.

Its quite large with nice windows which can be kept as they're in fab condition.

just wanted to know can single brick walls be insulated enough for current regulations of will a inner skin be needed?

Also what else other than below might need to be considered:

Roof condition
Heating - oil & stoves
Bathroom
Possibly underfloor heating from ground source heat pump or the ones that heat the air
Window refubishment
Fitted kitchen
Flooring - all solid wood/tiles, probably no carpet


Its exciting & we're gonna get quotes from builders but wanted to have an idea first

keith969

You'll need to get plans drawn up by an architect, get building regs approval and perhaps planning permission. The architect should be able to advise.

Doozergirl

Single skin wall would have to be dry lined and insulated or another skin built inside and insulated - you will lose internal space either way with the insulation, though drylining you will lose less.

Everything you are listing is the stuff you can see but the main body of work goes into that you can't. Any new walls (ie. bricking up a garage opening) will need adequate foundations that need checking.

You will have to insulate the floors as well - which means digging up all of the floors, insulating and laying a damp proof membrane. The windows you may not be able to keep as they must meet a certain U value for insulation purposes so I wouldn't count on keeping them. The roof again needs insulating and it will need to be properly waterproofed, felted etc - ie. probably replaced assuming that this is an old building.

Any new drainage in a house needs to meet building regs as well if it can't be connected to the existing pipes without holes being dug outside. If you need to install new guttering and drainpipes then the water will probably need to go to some kind of soakaway in the garden.

You want to meet or exceed building regs in any way that you can if you are going to live in it. The regs for a completely new dwelling will likely be more strict than a simple conversion as part of the existing dwelling but I'd aim for those standards anyway if it is going to be a home.

Planning portal here for more info:
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/public/buildingwork/projects/workcommongarageconversion/workmorebregsgarageconv/

leveller2911

Quote:Single skin wall would have to be dry lined and insulated or another skin built inside and insulated - you will lose internal space either way with the insulation, though drylining you will lose less.

Not quite right Doozergirl, its possible to insulate the outside of the single skin brickwork and clad in weatherboard or a modern cladding.

macman

I would start with the planning permission before you get too excited about builders. If you are creating a new dwelling/change of use then there are loads of factors that you will have to satisfy the planners on first, not least the access. I'm assuming that this is adjacent to another property of yours.

Doozergirl

macman wrote: »

I would start with the planning permission before you get too excited about builders. If you are creating a new dwelling/change of use then there are loads of factors that you will have to satisfy the planners on first, not least the access. I'm assuming that this is adjacent to another property of yours.

If it literally the conversion of a garage to an annex of the existing property without the request of it being totally new dwelling complete with a separate council tax bill etc; then unless it's Listed or in a conservation area or similar then it will not need PP.

Doozergirl

leveller2911 wrote: »

Not quite right Doozergirl, its possible to insulate the outside of the single skin brickwork and clad in weatherboard or a modern cladding.

It would need to be damp-proofed as well as insulated. As long as you can damp proof the walls in conjunction with the membrane in the floor and the external insulation then I guess that would be possible.

Errata

Before you spend any money on anything you might want to check the foundations. An old coach house may have quite shallow ones.

Doozergirl

Errata wrote: »

Before you spend any money on anything you might want to check the foundations. An old coach house may have quite shallow ones.

Why? They aren't building onto it. My house here probably has no foundations to speak of. It's not relevant for conversions, only if you were building upwards from the existing

blushingbride_3

HI
thanks for all the advice.

I had my garage converted at my current house so know a little.

I think it may need the roof relaying, surely we can insulate & lay the floor a little higher? we'll hopefully have underfloor heating as well.

I wouldnt be keen on cladding the outside & doubt planning will allow that.

Currently they have planning permission for conversion to offices for the household use and a carpark area. so i am hoping that residential use with max two cars will be fine.

We will get quotes & then draw plans for planning, thats as far as we'll go until we know whether we'll get permission.

It will be classed as an annex but we'd probably want a seperate oil tank & electric meter, will that then class it as a seperate dwelling?
we could still have post addressed to the main house etc and we wouldnt ever want to seperate them, i.e. if mum & dad sold up we would also move out.

I'm gonna see it properly in the light tomorrow to measure up etc but mum recons there's space for 3 beds, bathroom & kitchen/lounge/dinner

macman

The oil tank and meter will have no impact on the classification. It has it's own entrance, washing and cooking facilities, clearly it will be a separate dwelling and as such separately assessable for council tax etc.