Creating Annexe and Garage conversion

KathrynPenguin

Mum and I are thinking of combining our resources and buying a large property between us. Lots of personal benefits to both of us but we are agreed that if we live together we will have to be totally seperate - otherwise their may just be a murder!

Between us we can spend a sizable amount on a property (and living in the South East thats lucky!) and we both want lots of room. Mum is happy with 1 good sized bedroom but would also want a kitchen, shower room, large lounge and dining room. I need at least 3 bedrooms plus good sized kitchen, bathroom lounge etc. At the moment we both have lounge areas of around 25ft and additional dining rooms so we would not want to be giving up too much space.

We are looking at 5 bed detached properties which have the potential to be remodelled to add a second (small) kitchen and either have a suitable second bathroom or a small room to fit one (mum is happy with a shower as finds it difficult to get in and out of the bath - would happily use mine for the once in a blue moon she wants a good soak!). Most of them have integral garages which would be ripe for conversion into a good sized lounge for Mum.

Does anyone have any advice? Is there anything special you have to do when annexing part of a house - our idea is to have seperate entrance doors, stairways etc and walled off downstairs with a connecting door upstairs (means I can go out at night knowing Mum and DS are sleeping within easy crying distance of each other). Also is there anything I need to be aware of if planning a garage conversion?

Mrs_Optimist

I am bumping this thread up since I am also interested in this subject! A friend of ours has an annex on the side of their house and she splits all bills 50/50 with her parents, electric, water etc. They do not have separate connections and meter. Also, because they share a front door they do not have to pay separate council tax - something you may want to consider as this would be a sizeable bill every month.

RHemmings

Given your second sentence, are you really going to be able to get the property divided and organised, and keep it running, before some sort of -cide takes place?

KathrynPenguin

LOL yes - we both like our space and time on our own. Fortunately we are in a position where I have to sell my house before the move but Mum has capital she can use until after she sells her house which means she can stay put until the conversion is done!

Financially we have agreed a 50/50 split on bills etc even though I would have the larger property as Mum would still be paying less than she does now and I would be paying a bit more. There are so many things you can save on too by just having 1, 1 telephone contract (well we have mobiles too for extra privacy), 1 broadband, 1 Sky with multiroom etc, 1 x service contract for the heating and boiler and so much more.

Sharing a front door is interesting, would you be able to have seperate back doors I wonder? Then with side access one of you could just use their back door for extra privacy.

Mrs_Optimist

Provided the front door (and effectively the address, house number etc) is shared then it is classed as on residence - thats what my friend was told by her father (who worked for the council!) She uses the front foor and her parents use the door into their porch so they have their own entrances but only one lot of bills. She also has an interconnecting foor between their kitchens, but you did mention having something similar upstairs?

KathrynPenguin

Thanks Mrs Optomist we would indeed be looking to have a connecting door upstairs. The more I look into this the more Money Saving it gets! Oh and the bonus is I get a bigger living space in a nicer area!