Converted double garage into office - business rates?

Bantex_2

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

I agree and whilst I wouldn't personally classify the intended end result as a "commercial office", the valuation office/council might disagree. From what I can tell, different councils have different attitudes.

I would suggest you will be OK unless you draw a lot of attention to it.

Worked out of an office in a converted garage for years when we started up.

TheCyclingProgrammer

Bantex wrote: »

I would suggest you will be OK unless you draw a lot of attention to it.

Worked out of an office in a converted garage for years when we started up.

I suspect you're right, I'm just being cautious.

It was example 2 on the valuation office website that had me particularly worried:

http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/Publications/workingFromHome.html

CraggyRockFace

It feels like examples 3 and 5 are closer to what you are doing. All you need to do is put one thing in the room that is used in a domestic setting, and they can't say the sole purpose of the room is business.

TheCyclingProgrammer

CraggyRockFace wrote: »

It feels like examples 3 and 5 are closer to what you are doing. All you need to do is put one thing in the room that is used in a domestic setting, and they can't say the sole purpose of the room is business.

I understand this, but if you read the examples carefully, the implication is that any structural work or physical adaptations to make the room suitable for office use would make it rateable regardless. Surely that would include converting a garage?

Annie1960

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

I understand this, but if you read the examples carefully, the implication is that any structural work or physical adaptations to make the room suitable for office use would make it rateable regardless. Surely that would include converting a garage?

Converting a garage is not the issue.

The relevant factor is what use is made of the garage after it has been converted. If the new room (whatever you want to call it) is used exclusively or mainly for business use, then business rates apply.

If it is used regularly for domestic use (such as a TV room in the evenings and weekends, ironing room etc, as per the examples on the VOA site), then business rates are unlikely.

TheCyclingProgrammer

Annie1960 wrote: »

Converting a garage is not the issue.

The relevant factor is what use is made of the garage after it has been converted. If the new room (whatever you want to call it) is used exclusively or mainly for business use, then business rates apply.

If it is used regularly for domestic use (such as a TV room in the evenings and weekends, ironing room etc, as per the examples on the VOA site), then business rates are unlikely.

Except example 2 on the VO website would seem to indicate otherwise; that the adaptation makes it rateable regardless of domestic use.

The room is used by the family in the evenings and occasionally at weekends. During the day the occupier designs computer software. He is employed by a major company to work at home, because of a physical disability. All of the equipment has been provided by his company and is specially adapted for his needs. He visits his employer's office on an occasional basis for meetings with colleagues and customers. Our assessment: The former garage is no longer domestic property. It has been adapted for office use and should be assessed for business rates. The remainder is domestic.

bouicca21

I looked at a house where I would have considered converting the integral garage to a study. My enquiries established that the first thing necessary was to enquire whether the local council have a policy that affects that sort of conversion. Some insist that there can be no conversion unless there are a specified number of off street parking places (usually 2). If you pass that test then it is simply a matter of building regs.

Sounds like you are talking about a detached garage in the garden? If so, I don't see what the purpose of the conversion is, actually matters, unless you are planning to increase neighbourhood traffic by having business visitors. What you use it for and what any future purchaser uses it for are likely to be different. If a future purchaser has to persuade the council of yet another change of use, it sounds like it would put them off buying. The dual purpose office/study [mse have censored a perfectly valid latin word here] summer house seems unlikely to attract attention.

Annie1960

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

Except example 2 on the VO website would seem to indicate otherwise; that the adaptation makes it rateable regardless of domestic use.

The room in this case is adapted specifically for the person's needs as he is disabled, and he needed certain adaptations to enable him to do his job. It is used almost exclusively for his work. That is what makes the difference.

Just converting a garage to a room does not make it liable for business rates.

lincroft1710

I'm ex VOA and the "office in a house" scenario was one you didn't really want to deal with. The tendency was to just to say it was "dual usage" and describe the room as a study. Saved a lot of time and effort and everybody was happy.

Mallotum_X

Convert the garage to a games room. then subsequently use it as a study. Put the tumble dryer or exercise bike in there and its a study. Not going to be rateable. No one is ever going to check its an office over a games room.