Preparedness for when

ALIBOBSY

Wyre wrote: »

Is it complicated getting change of use to living space for a garage? My Mum has a garage attached to the front of the kitchen which is really only used as a hoarding area. For years she and Dad were contemplating changing it to a bedroom or other living area but were put off due to paperwork. If it's easy I may talk to her about it again as she would love more downstairs space.

Don't need change of use or planning if it is an integral garage-ours is. You DO have to follow building regulations regarding insulation and fire safety and you might want to get a building cert from the council for if you ever need to sell the property.

Ali x

GreyQueen

Wyre wrote: »

Is it complicated getting change of use to living space for a garage? My Mum has a garage attached to the front of the kitchen which is really only used as a hoarding area. For years she and Dad were contemplating changing it to a bedroom or other living area but were put off due to paperwork. If it's easy I may talk to her about it again as she would love more downstairs space.

You could use this website to check, it's what we advise our callers at work; www.planningportal.gov.uk

A council will probably not give you a yes/ no answer to a planning question over the phone but as a rule-of-thumb for residential planning permission, ask yourself if the proposed change will affect the outline of the property (and that includes all elevations and the roof)?

Eg Velux roof lights prolly OK, dormer windows set into roofline probably need planning permission.

Building regs apply, of course, but that's separate from the PP.

Converting attached garages to living quarters is pretty commonplace and seems a very good idea to me.

ALIBOBSY

Yep GQ is right, direct link I have saved is here

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/garageconversion/

We will probably go for the liquid flooring-you can get a company to come out an do it for around £250 ish. The front elevation will be buildt by BIL-time served bricklayer and long time builder. He thinks the foundation will already be deep enough as its only more modern houses where they seem to scrimp on it, plus as a semi he reckons they used to just dig out the whole of the foundation for houses and garages together and pour the concrete for the lot.
If not OH will labour for him and dig out/pour the new foundation.

OH will order the window from a local supplier and fit himself and we will board out/decorate ourselves-there are options that don't involve plasterboard and or plasterers, but we will see what budget is left.

Oh can do the electrics with my Dad, now both of them know what they are doing-OH used to wire up and build servers and systems for multinational companies etc and Dad was an electrician then an electrical engineer (there are still some parts he designed floating around in satellities out in space and he was also on the team that designed the system to put the centres in crème eggs, plus production lines/systems for making many famous TV parts and screens-although more modern systems may have replaced what he did). So they can do the work, but as neither is certified certain stuff might have to be looked at by the building inspectors. But given that there are already plug socket and light switches/sockets in there it may not even need checking. We are just boxing in (with an access panel) on the main circuit board and there is no boiler. The water main cutoff valve is in there but we had that checked last year as it started to leak a bit. Plumber sorted it and says no problem to box in with access as well.

As the garage partly extends out from the house it has a flat roof. This started to leak a bit last year so we had that done for around £150-been trying to do bits as we go lol.

So I guess it depends what skills you have or skilled people you know. BIL reckons full price all done by full time tradesmen you would be looking at 5-6k. Still cheaper than an extension though.

Ali x

DawnW

seriously impressed by the creme egg connection Alibobsy

[Deleted User]

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

and he was also on the team that designed the system to put the centres in crème eggs

You are yolking?

bluebag

VJsmum wrote: »

I Know I have asked this before, but because [STRIKE]I can't be arrissed to look back[/STRIKE] for the benefit of those new to the thread could someone tell me how do you make the holes in the tuna can?

Watcha needin' holes in the tuna can fer?

ragz_2

Wyre wrote: »

Is it complicated getting change of use to living space for a garage? My Mum has a garage attached to the front of the kitchen which is really only used as a hoarding area. For years she and Dad were contemplating changing it to a bedroom or other living area but were put off due to paperwork. If it's easy I may talk to her about it again as she would love more downstairs space.

My inlaws made the back of their garage into a room and kept the front 5ft as garage, just enough for the garage door to still go up. As the oustide still looks the same they didn't need to do any paperwork at all, they just did it. All legit, I think you can move walls about inside as long as the outside doesn't change.
My cousin made all of hers into a bedroom and put a window in, that needed some paperwork but really wasn;t a lot. It's pretty easy and doesn't need to cost a lot either.

jk0

I think there's a lot to be said for having a hoarding area, isn't there?

katep23

Quick question, I'm thinking of asking Santa for a ghillie kettle for Christmas; I like the look of the hard anodised one but is it worth the extra?

Going for the 1.5L one as it is for use at home and really want the cook kit with it so we can heat soup etc in a power cut.

What are your thoughts?

bluebag

katep23 wrote: »

Quick question, I'm thinking of asking Santa for a ghillie kettle for Christmas; I like the look of the hard anodised one but is it worth the extra?

Going for the 1.5L one as it is for use at home and really want the cook kit with it so we can heat soup etc in a power cut.

What are your thoughts?

It's no use asking me, it's a stove IT'S A STOVE, it's a stove, I love stoves, all stoves, any stoves, new stoves, vintage stoves, gas stoves, petrol st...... I think I need help???!!