Extension Advice Wanted

adamleucine

I live in a semi-detached house with a detached garage that is set back c1m from my house at the rear of my driveway. The garage building it's self is attached to next doors garage (who I'm not attached to). A double widt driveway separates our houses and they are not attached to their garage.

I am thinking of building a lean-to extension (orangery kind of, bricked walls and skylights) off the rear of my house, to gain access into my garage and convert the garage into a second living room/play room. My brother-in-law is a builder and could build this no problem.

My question is, is this possible? And what kind of permissions/regulations would I need? - Could I just have the extension built, have it inspected and signed off, then just continue with the garage conversion and document all the particulars to add them to my deeds at a later date? I was thinking of keeping the garage door for continuity with my neighbours garage but bricking it up on the inside.

Thanks in advance for any reply.

Davesnave

The rear extension would probably fall within permitted development, but by the time you add in a conversion of the garage too, it might exceed the area allowed without planning permission.Since you haven't given measurements, no one can advise yet.

But to be clear, any garage conversion to a proper living room will require periodic inspection by building control to ensure it meets regs. The minute someone says they would just brick up behind the garage door and use a relative to do the work, I become suspicious that what's really intended is a surreptitious job, skirting the regs, rather than meeting them.

That might not be what you intend, but that's how it looks, as you cannot "document all the particulars to add them to my deeds at a later date."

Work has to be inspected as it progresses, or when you sell, you'll have to admit that the new living room has not been built to regs or signed-off. The attitude of potential buyers is impossible to predict. I'm sure they'd see it as an asset, but whether they'd pay more is a different matter. I wouldn't.

Debbie_Savard

>The garage building it's self is attached to next doors garage<

Party Wall Act will likely apply then, separately from needing PP

adamleucine

Thanks for the info,

The garage would be converted to correct building regs definitely, brother-in-law was sure of that. The total distance from my house will be 3.5m by approx 4m wide so I don't think this will fall under permitted development.

I suppose the main question was how difficult, if so, would it be to be have plans approved to do this extension as intended? - What is involved with the Party Wall Act?

Thanks

Debbie_Savard

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/party-wall-etc-act-1996-guidance

Davesnave

adamleucine wrote: »

The total distance from my house will be 3.5m by approx 4m wide so I don't think this will fall under permitted development.

The size you quote isn't a problem under current legislation, valid till 30th May 2019.

This page should have been your first port of call:

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/17/extensions

There are various caveats, including using neighbour consultation, but you shouldn't start by assuming permssion won't be granted.