DIY Garage Conversion

mindyourlanguage

My house was built in 2001 and has an integral single garage, I will have the window and brickwork done.

I plan on doing the inside.

Walls are cavity (block and brick)
Ceiling is fireproof as there is a room above the garage.
Access door from utility room is a fireproof door.
Garage already has lights and power sockets.
Garage floor is lower than the rest of the house (80mm from utility room DPM)

1. Can I use insulated plasterboard for the walls using dot and dab?

2. I have no issues moving the sockets from their current position to a new one. Would I need a electrical certificate?

3. Garage floor, now this I'm not to sure on how much insulation it needs. My plan was a floating floor, DPM followed by 50mm Cellotex then tongue and grove.

I know I will have to inform building regs, does anyone know the costs involved for building regs?

Thanks

FreeBear

Building reg approval fees vary from area to area. Budget around 1% to 2% of the cost of the project with a minimum of £300.

Floor insulation - If you go for 60mm of Celotex/Kingspan type boards topped with 19mm T&G flooring and get close to BR requirements, you will end up level with the floor in the utility room. The concrete in the garage may well slope down towards the door, so some self leveling screed may be required before you start. Dot & dab fixing of insulated plasterboard would be OK, but do have a look at a foam adhesive such as the Dow Insta Stik. Which ever method you use, you'll also want mechanical fixings to make sure the boards are secure.

mindyourlanguage

**Update**

I applied for permitted development and the council have asked for a full planning permission due to condition 04. The condition states that all parking provision shall be kept available for the parking of cars.

I have explained to them that the change of use does not affect the parking as the both of my cars are on my drive. Not mention should I use the garage it would be really squeeze and once parked I wouldn't even be able to get out.

They still want a full application. I did not budget for the cost of a full application on top of architect cost. Is there anything I can do?

Thanks

Undervalued

mindyourlanguage wrote: »

**Update**

I applied for permitted development and the council have asked for a full planning permission due to condition 04. The condition states that all parking provision shall be kept available for the parking of cars.

I have explained to them that the change of use does not affect the parking as the both of my cars are on my drive. Not mention should I use the garage it would be really squeeze and once parked I wouldn't even be able to get out.

They still want a full application. I did not budget for the cost of a full application on top of architect cost. Is there anything I can do?

Thanks

Ah, but that was your choice to buy a car that was too big for your garage!

It is one of those anomalies. They can't make you park in the garage or on your driveway but they can stop you using it for anything else!

ashe

The reason they do that is because thats all well and good for you but in 5 years time you may, as many do, decide you want a bigger house and sell it on, and then someone else buys it with 2 cars, and their kid become old enough to drive so they buy him a car and he is then parking on the street, magnify that by a few houses and you get roads full of cars. Around here they generally ask for parking provision for as many adults that can live in a house individually, so a 4 bed is 4 cars (usually double garage and space for 2 cars on the drive). Our neighbours did their garage and didn't get regs for it and they are currently trying to sell, been on market 3 months and I believe this situation is scaring off viewers as there is hardly any parking for them.

Undervalued

ashe wrote: »

The reason they do that is because thats all well and good for you but in 5 years time you may, as many do, decide you want a bigger house and sell it on, and then someone else buys it with 2 cars, and their kid become old enough to drive so they buy him a car and he is then parking on the street, magnify that by a few houses and you get roads full of cars. Around here they generally ask for parking provision for as many adults that can live in a house individually, so a 4 bed is 4 cars (usually double garage and space for 2 cars on the drive). Our neighbours did their garage and didn't get regs for it and they are currently trying to sell, been on market 3 months and I believe this situation is scaring off viewers as there is hardly any parking for them.

Indeed.

Plus, I live in an area that has a council run residents parking scheme. I don't need to use it myself as my driveway will take several cars. However any new development in the area, such as a new build or even a change of use to an existing property, ceases to be eligible for resident parking permits.