Garage Conversion - Can I have one done?

IMF

Hi all,

I have an end of Terrace House which was originally Concrete built in the 1940's and was then rebricked in the early 80's as part of some Council scheme.

The house was extended before it was rebricked to include an integral garage and a bedroom above the garage. There is a door at the front next to the garage door which gives direct access to the garage otherwise you can access the garage via the kitchen in the main house.

The garage is split into a garage and a utility room at the rear (with a window to the back garden) complete with running water and a sink. The utility room and garage already has electricity and power points throughout.

The walls for the garage are already about a foot thick and I have just had the cavity walls filled. The ceiling has also been insulated as the master bedroom is above the garage.

What I want to do is convert the garage into a living space.

Ideally want to make it into a downstairs studio apartment for use by an au pair.

The questions and issues I have are:

1) When I walk from the kitchen to the garage, the floor is exactly the same height. But then there is a step UP onto solid concrete for where the car can be kept and also a step up into the utility room.
Usually I've heard that you need to fill the floor to match the rest of the house; but this floor is higher than the rest of the house! Would I need to take a pneumatic drill to this floor and level it out or even make it lower so the correct insulation can be used?

2) Is it possible to change the garage door for French windows to negate having to use too many bricks?

3) Does anyone know how much roughly would a conversion set me back if you take into consideration that the walls are already thick enough and filled and I already have electricity in the garage? I already know how much Building Regs will cost me.

Thanks for any help!

If anyone is in the South-East area (Hainault in Essex) and can conduct a Garage conversion at a reasonable cost - feel free to PM me.

phill99

I did a garage conversion some time ago for a customer. This was a standard single brick garage so the walls had to be battened out, insulated, plasterboarded over and skimmed. The ceiling also had to be lowered and insulated. Additionally, we partially bricked up the up and over door, and put in a DG window. We also did the same with the rear access door. the garage had power to it but we added aniother 6 double sockets as as well as putting in a double door knock through to the lounge with steel supporting over. We did all first5 and second fix timber and raised the floor and insulated it so it was the same height as the rest of the house. This came to about £8500. Yours would be cheaper as the scope of work would be less.

In terms of the floor height, you wont need to take a jack hammer to the flor. Its probably at that height for a reason. The au pair will just have to step up into her room!! You don't always need planning permission, but you need to check with your local authority.

IMF

Thanks Phil - have replied to your PM.