Knocking down half of a semi detached garage

Red-Squirrel_2

This is all in theory at the moment, but just wondering if anybody has ever done this or would have any ideas/advice or a ballpark of what it would cost, its outside my experience and don't want to waste a builder's time asking for a quote when its probably a few years before I do the job, if ever!

I have a garage that I hate. I don't need it, the drive fits three cars, I only have one, I don't need a workshop or storage for bikes, its just taking up garden space that I would rather use for growing things!

Its a brick garage with a flat roof (that has just started leaking a bit, hence me thinking about this!) and its not attached to my house but it is attached to next door's garage. Its basically its own little block of two garages with the joining wall along the property boundary. Next door do use theirs regularly.

I really really want to knock it down and reclaim it as garden space. This would obviously mean making good where it joins with next doors, and I'd have to make sure there wouldn't be any damp issues as my new bit of liberated garden would now be right up against their fully detached garage.

Any thoughts on if its possible? I'm not bothered about devaluing the house, I expect to live here a long time and its in a pretty desirable area if I ever have to so shouldn't be too big a hit. If it was properly detached I'd have taken to it with a sledgehammer ages ago!


TIA

dunroving

There are far more knowledgeable experts about building here, but I've recently had cause to read up on building regs and permissions in England and Scotland. From hat, it's my understanding that you need permission/consent/building warrant to demolish a building (as in this case). Perhaps you could call your local authority building consents department initially to ask for advice?

[Apologies in advance to those who get miffed when I mix up English and Scottish terminology; I'm merely talking in terms of the principle of the thing here]

gardner1

If its got a concrete floor it might be a bigger job than you think as it could be up to a foot thick

Red-Squirrel_2

gardner1 wrote: »

If its got a concrete floor it might be a bigger job than you think as it could be up to a foot thick

It does have a concrete floor which will obviously need digging up. I admit I'm out of my comfort zone! Do you have any ideas about costs/problems for doing so?

gardner1

Extra work involved if its got electric plus whoever dismantles it will be charged a fair bit to dispose of rubble
No idea of cost but you might be in for a shock......if you post a picture you might get more replies

dunroving

I recently received a quote for demolishing a wooden structure that was built on a concrete base, had plumbing installed, and electrics running through it to other parts of the garden. I never got a final quote, but my guesstimate was it would have ended up close to £5,000 - the majority of which would have been breaking up and removing the tons of rubble involved in a 2m x 6m x 0.3m lump of concrete.

PasturesNew

So, in short:

You'll need his permission.
It'll be hard. It'll be expensive.
You'll have to make good the adjoining wall so it's safe and watertight.

.... and all to grow a few cabbages

Red-Squirrel_2

gardner1 wrote: »

Extra work involved if its got electric plus whoever dismantles it will be charged a fair bit to dispose of rubble
No idea of cost but you might be in for a shock......if you post a picture you might get more replies

It did have electricity but it was cut off when I had the house rewired!

I'm ready for a shock, I think!

Red-Squirrel_2

PasturesNew wrote: »

So, in short:

You'll need his permission.
It'll be hard. It'll be expensive.
You'll have to make good the adjoining wall so it's safe and watertight.

.... and all to grow a few cabbages

Permission won't be an issue, I get on with my neighbours and would be certain to make sure there was no negative impact on their garage.

Hard is fine, expensive I might be able to live with.

I don't think I'm conveying just how much I hate this big ugly brick garage sitting in my garden taking up space being ugly and useless and now starting to cost me money maintaining it! :rotfl:

Davesnave

Think out of the box. Whip the roof off, demolish one side + one garden end wall and turn it into a greenhouse. Less to remove from site. Use a deep bed system within.

Obviously, take care structurally and decide whether you want the long wall completely open, like a verandah. You'd need a builder rather than a conservatory company.

Red-Squirrel_2

Davesnave wrote: »

Think out of the box. Whip the roof off, demolish one side + one garden end wall and turn it into a greenhouse. Less to remove from site. Use a deep bed system within.

Obviously, take care structurally and decide whether you want the long wall completely open, like a verandah. You'd need a builder rather than a conservatory company.

Its a very creative solution, but just wouldn't do it for me! I don't really want a greenhouse.