Convert garage into annexe to let out

Pocahontas1981

I have recently bought a house with a detached double garage in the garden. I want to convert it into a studio flat to rent out to get some income while being a stay at home mum. I know planning permission and building regulations are easier to get when converting into a granny annexe for elderly relative or older kids to stay in BUT I want a seperate self contained dwelling to provide me extra income as don't need the floor space at the moment. Am I dreaming? Has anyone successfully obtained permission for this and gone through with it?

davidmcn

Difficult to get planning permission to create what is effectively a new detached house in your garden. Best to check your local council's policies.

Guest101

As well as your lender.

The_Book-keeper

A relative in Yorkshire has just looked into converting her garage into an "granny flat" for her Mum to live in and was informed by the planning department that she definitely wouldn't get planning permission unless there was a proviso that it would never be sold off seperately.

TrickyDicky101

...and potentially you'd be creating an ongoing Council Tax liability for the new residence which would be payable when/if the property was empty.

RAS

And major problems when it comes to re-mortgaging.

AlexMac

Agree the above; my mates, the neighbours opposite, got permission to convert a detached garage to a granny annexe, but subject to the conditions that this was only for " purposes ancillary to the residential use of the (existing) dwelling house"... and that " the rear garden ...shall not be partitioned and access to the granny annexe should be maintained from the main dwelling" (rather than from the street, even though the garage has a street frontage).

But looked at positively - subject to your council Planning authority;s attitude (and some have helpful duty planners available for an initial chat) you can convert a garage...

On our side of our street there is also a lot of precedent for garden gobbling developments in the large gardens of the adjacent street. My own house was built in this way, on the site of four old garages, which used to occupy the end of a garden; our road is in effect the former mews. Similar applications are still being made so it might be worth checking what a minimum plot size is for a comlplete new property; in which case it might be cheaper to demolish rather than tinker with the existing building.

macman

Might have been wise to research this before you purchased the property?
Each application is unique so no one can tell you if yours would be successful, but you can expect a host of objections for neighbours, for the precedent it might create. Access is another issue that may create problems-would the conversion have to share yours?