Converted double garage into office - business rates?

TheCyclingProgrammer

Mallotum_X wrote: »

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.

Realistically, I am very likely to have a dart board up in there and my guitars too, so music/games room.

Seriously though, if planning permission is required, to what level of detail do you need to describe your use of the room? (I realise this is a separate issue to business rates).

Annie1960

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

Seriously though, if planning permission is required, to what level of detail do you need to describe your use of the room? (I realise this is a separate issue to business rates).

I don't think you need to give the council a blow-by-blow account of exactly what you plan to do in the room. After all, you could sell the property and the next owner could use it in a different way.

The main issue it to do with the building regs to make it a 'habitable room'. I'm not sure whether or not it would need a higher level of compliance to be a bedroom.

In your position, I would call it a 'family room/study'.

I would avoid at all costs calling it a 'music room'. Around here the council adds extra conditions to the consent if you call it a music room, such as prohibiting you from having the windows open if you are playing music.

My vote is 'family room/study.'

jjlandlord

lincroft1710 wrote: »

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.

Exactly.

You do not want to use a room exclusively for business purposes. Not only will there be an impact on council tax v. business rate, but there will also be an impact on capital gain tax whenever you sell.

TheCyclingProgrammer

Annie1960 wrote: »

I don't think you need to give the council a blow-by-blow account of exactly what you plan to do in the room. After all, you could sell the property and the next owner could use it in a different way.

The main issue it to do with the building regs to make it a 'habitable room'. I'm not sure whether or not it would need a higher level of compliance to be a bedroom.

Fair enough; if and when the time comes I'll be engaging a professional to do the work and will make sure it meets building regs if that's what is needed. I've actually spoken to two garage conversion companies and one has said it will not need building regs although they would advise doing it to that standard anyway.

In your position, I would call it a 'family room/study'.

I would avoid at all costs calling it a 'music room'. Around here the council adds extra conditions to the consent if you call it a music room, such as prohibiting you from having the windows open if you are playing music.

My vote is 'family room/study.'

I was being slightly tongue-in-cheek but yes, good point re: music.

TheCyclingProgrammer

jjlandlord wrote: »

Exactly.

You do not want to use a room exclusively for business purposes. Not only will there be an impact on council tax v. business rate, but there will also be an impact on capital gain tax whenever you sell.

I've already spoken to my accountant about this and he has said pretty much the same thing. He did say however that its pretty much impossible to give a definitive answer to the subject of business rates.

It looks like the best answer I can hope for is: don't use the room exclusively for business, describe it as family room/study on any planning permission application and not worry about business rates and if for some reason the council do get in touch, hope for the best!

Annie1960

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

I've already spoken to my accountant about this and he has said pretty much the same thing. He did say however that its pretty much impossible to give a definitive answer to the subject of business rates.

It looks like the best answer I can hope for is: don't use the room exclusively for business, describe it as family room/study on any planning permission application and not worry about business rates and if for some reason the council do get in touch, hope for the best!

Sorted.

....................

lincroft1710

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

I've actually spoken to two garage conversion companies and one has said it will not need building regs although they would advise doing it to that standard anyway.

And that is the company you should avoid.

There are several threads on this board about problems encountered when selling a house with garage conversion which didn't have BR approval.