Does converting a garage add value to your home?

jamesroberthill

I have a recently acquired a 4 bed detached home which needs a little tlc. One option we are considering is to convert the integrated garage into additional living space, to create a large open plan living area. I am confident both the exterior and interior would look very good after work but I wonder whether "people" still like the idea of having a garage, even if it's never used to house a car. At the front of the house there is room for three cars but unfortunatly there is not sufficiecent space on the plot to build a new garage. It will cost £8-£10k to do the conversion, do you guys think this would be money well spent?

Mallotum_X

Depends on local conditions. Will you still have parking? Have simialr houses converted and if so whats the value?

I would expect that you would see a return in most locations, but you need to do some local homework and work out what your local market thinks.

pinkteapot

How big is the garden?

I ask because the answer to whether people will want a garage depends largely on how much room there is for sheds and other storage in the garden.

We have a 4-bed detached with integral garage. We only put the car in the garage occasionally (it's awkward to drive into the garage as you approach it at an angle!) but do store things in there like tools, DIY bits (tins of paint etc), golf clubs, recycling caddies. Also bags of rubbish/recycling in between collections.

We have one small garden shed which is full of gardening stuff. If we didn't have the garage, we'd need another shed or a bigger shed to put all the stuff from the garage in...

shop-to-drop

How much storage will there still be available both in the house and garden? We are looking for a new house and a garage or storage is a high priority for us. If your home is a family home this is even more important.

DannyboyMidlands

These people seem to think so:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-36699716.html

Stick a kitchen and bathroom in and attempt to flog it for £140k.

Barneysmom

My friends have converted converted their garage into a bigger kitchen/dining room and it looks wonderful, I'd say go for it.

They do have space on the front for parking and have put a shed in the back garden for stuff.

SailorSam

So long as it's done properly i think in the majority of cases it will always be worth it. Only problem is when you want to get the likes of the lawnmower or wheelie bin out into the front, would you haveto come through the house.

pmlindyloo

Re: the storage question.

We have recently converted our garage (link detached) but left the front of the garage for storage (about 6 feet length)

This means it looks as if there is still a garage from the front and therefore 'matches up' with the rest of the close.

One big advantage of this is that we didn't require planning permission but only had to meet building regulations.

An extra plus point was that it didn't cost as much as converting the whole garage.

Of course this wouldn't be suitable for everyone but we are extremely pleased.

lincroft1710

If you intend living in the house then if you want/need the extra living space, convert the garage. If not leave it as it is.

If you're intending to sell house on, leave the garage as is as you will deter any potential buyers who may want a garage.

flora48

I think it all depends on how you want/need to use the space. We converted our garage space 25 years ago to create a family room which was a godsend during the kid's teenage years. When we sold it created interest as a potential extra bedroom and also a granny annexe.
Do what is neccessary for your life and enjoy the benefit.

mikey_D

Hi we brought a new build 2 years ago and coverted the Garage when we moved in to create a playroom and utility room as well as removing some walls to open up the kitchen and living rooms. The house has a massive garden so we put a large 20ft insulated shed at the end of the garden to store items of importance. we didn't convert to add money purely to improve the enjoyment we would recieve however we have just remortgaged and the 9K we spent has added 30k to the valuation we recievd from the surveryor and the estate agent we had round. I think you need view it as if it will make the house more functional or improve your enjoyment then it will make it more desirable and therefore potenially add value, if it is a case of I can squeeze and extra room here but the house then becomes unbalanaced it may not do anything. Just my opinion.