Garage conversion - am I deluded??

MFdreamer

murphydog999 said:

I had 1/2 my double garage converted into a studio for work a few months ago. £8500K to second fix, window I sourced at £250, I didn't want it linked to central heating so but a convector heater in with a timer. You cant tell from the outside that it has been done it blends in so well. It works for me and I've still got a garage.

Thanks thats really helpful. 

MFdreamer

Was wondering why people thought I was trying to avoid building regs and planning permission as I thought I was pretty clear in my OP that I wanted to do it “properly”.

I can see that saying I wanted to keep the garage doors so people didn’t know I had done it was taken totally the wrong way. I meant Joe Public not the authorities.

For clarification, I live on a very busy main road with a bus stop directly outside. The long term plan is for it to be a gaming room for my daughter so I don’t want people knowing that for security reasons and looking in when at the bus stop. I do have a lot of antisocial trouble from drunks at the bus stop including my neighbour and I having our fences broken numerous times. I therefore don’t want a garage conversion to be a target (particularly given the cost of an Xbox these days lol). On a more superficial level - I love how my garage looks from the street. I get a lot of compliments on it and it’s quite imposing as it’s large compared to the house and the doors are very visible as on a right angle to my front door and face the road.

MFdreamer

Section62 said:

Jeepers_Creepers said:

So, provided you keep this sensible, I don't see any breach of PP or BRegs.

The usual thing people don't think of is whether there is a planning condition requiring the garage to be kept as a place to park cars.

Thanks that is very helpful. I will check that. Although as I’ve separately said -absolutely no paperwork or permission corners will be cut here. I will be speaking to my local authority as soon as I have a quote (as no point doing it if the quote is not what I am willing to pay). If full permission is not given then I won’t go ahead. 

I very much doubt it will be a problem though as the garage was built by the previous owners (no one else in the street has one) with full planning permissions (checked by my solicitors when I bought) and my drive has enough space for 4 cars to park on it.

Jeepers_Creepers

If this is really just going to be a gaming room, albeit one that's nice and cosy and dry and fit for a sleepover too, then I personally think you'd be nuts to do this 'properly'. Why? Because you just don't have to. Any other reason? Yes, it'll take four times as long and cost 4 times as much. At least. And you won't notice the functioning difference between the two options, except in your pocket.

What will a future buyer of your house think of the 'non-conforming' garage conversion?? I'll happily bet a £iver it's "Wow! A man-cave! Er, sorry, love - a girl-cave..." And when they realise that they do want to park their car in there, it'll become a luxury garage - all they need to do is remove the studwork behind the main door. (The house next to my in-law's was the showhouse for the estate. The office was set up in the garage. Now, that is a garage to die for...)

Oh, and silly me - er, do check your deeds to make sure there are no covenants or restrictions preventing you from doing this - ie losing a 'garage'.

Section62

MFdreamer said:

Ah ok! Now I understand 🤦🏻‍♀️ The only reason I want to leave the garage doors on is because I like how the garage looks so I want to leave it looking the same from the outside. The garage is quite imposing as my house is on a corner plot so to remove the garage doors would aesthetically look pretty !!!!!! to me. Plus I don’t want people knowing I’ve got a TV and stuff in there for security reasons. So leaving the doors on is nothing to do with anything other than how it visibly looks. 

I absolutely will be getting building regs and planning consents. That’s super important to me. I’m an accountant - we like to follow rules and do things properly 😂

In which case, you might want to start with some advice from an architect.  Leaving the garage doors in place will look (to future buyers) as if the job hasn't been done properly, even though you have.

Garage doors are also a major weak point when it comes to security and thermal insulation.

If the look is important an architect can give you ideas how to alter the doors to something more substantial and appropriate to the job, whilst retaining the right 'look'.

But I'd suggest the very first thing to do is to check the situation with planning.  There's no point fretting over the details of the internal construction materials if you are going to have to involve the planners and if they are likely to say 'no' to the whole thing.

MFdreamer

Jeepers_Creepers said:

If this is really just going to be a gaming room, albeit one that's nice and cosy and dry and fit for a sleepover too, then I personally think you'd be nuts to do this 'properly'. Why? Because you just don't have to. Any other reason? Yes, it'll take four times as long and cost 4 times as much. At least. And you won't notice the functioning difference between the two options, except in your pocket.

What will a future buyer of your house think of the 'non-conforming' garage conversion?? I'll happily bet a £iver it's "Wow! A man-cave! Er, sorry, love - a girl-cave..." And when they realise that they do want to park their car in there, it'll become a luxury garage - all they need to do is remove the studwork behind the main door. (The house next to my in-law's was the showhouse for the estate. The office was set up in the garage. Now, that is a garage to die for...)

Oh, and silly me - er, do check your deeds to make sure there are no covenants or restrictions preventing you from doing this - ie losing a 'garage'.

Thanks. I wouldn’t want the stress of not doing it properly to be honest. I’m such a rule follower it’s ridiculous 😂 Its a running joke amongst my friends and siblings 🙈

Might have to rethink my timescales and save up a few more pennies…..

MFdreamer

Section62 said:

MFdreamer said:

Ah ok! Now I understand 🤦🏻‍♀️ The only reason I want to leave the garage doors on is because I like how the garage looks so I want to leave it looking the same from the outside. The garage is quite imposing as my house is on a corner plot so to remove the garage doors would aesthetically look pretty !!!!!! to me. Plus I don’t want people knowing I’ve got a TV and stuff in there for security reasons. So leaving the doors on is nothing to do with anything other than how it visibly looks. 

I absolutely will be getting building regs and planning consents. That’s super important to me. I’m an accountant - we like to follow rules and do things properly 😂

In which case, you might want to start with some advice from an architect.  Leaving the garage doors in place will look (to future buyers) as if the job hasn't been done properly, even though you have.

Garage doors are also a major weak point when it comes to security and thermal insulation.

If the look is important an architect can give you ideas how to alter the doors to something more substantial and appropriate to the job, whilst retaining the right 'look'.

But I'd suggest the very first thing to do is to check the situation with planning.  There's no point fretting over the details of the internal construction materials if you are going to have to involve the planners and if they are likely to say 'no' to the whole thing.

Thank you that’s very helpful advice. 

Section62

MFdreamer said:

I very much doubt it will be a problem though as the garage was built by the previous owners (no one else in the street has one) with full planning permissions (checked by my solicitors when I bought) and my drive has enough space for 4 cars to park on it.

Consents for new garages often come with a condition that they are to be used for parking, and possibly have permitted development rights removed.

If they don't, then it is a shortcut people can exploit to get an extension which wouldn't be approved if an application was made for an extension instead.  (Most planners are wise to that 'trick')

How long ago was the garage built?

Section62

Jeepers_Creepers said:

If this is really just going to be a gaming room, albeit one that's nice and cosy and dry and fit for a sleepover too, then I personally think you'd be nuts to do this 'properly'. Why? Because you just don't have to. Any other reason? Yes, it'll take four times as long and cost 4 times as much. At least. And you won't notice the functioning difference between the two options, except in your pocket.

One of the main reasons to do it 'properly' - particularly if the space could be used to sleep in - is that the rules you think would be 'nuts' to follow are actually there to protect the people using (and sleeping) in that space.  For example, to stop them dying horribly in a fire.

Would you say that noticing the difference in your pocket is more important than your child's safety?  No, of course you wouldn't.

MFdreamer

Section62 said:

MFdreamer said:

I very much doubt it will be a problem though as the garage was built by the previous owners (no one else in the street has one) with full planning permissions (checked by my solicitors when I bought) and my drive has enough space for 4 cars to park on it.

Consents for new garages often come with a condition that they are to be used for parking, and possibly have permitted development rights removed.

If they don't, then it is a shortcut people can exploit to get an extension which wouldn't be approved if an application was made for an extension instead.  (Most planners are wise to that 'trick')

How long ago was the garage built?

Oh that’s interesting but I guess kind of makes sense now you mention it. The garage was built in 2010 and was on a combined planning application for a side extension. Both the extension and the garage were done at the same time and all building regs and sign offs were done. 

To be honest it would be super difficult to actually use the garage for a car because of the location of the garage and the dropped kerb. That was definitely a cut corner that they didn’t relocate the dropped kerb! Surprised they weren’t made to as the garage is kind of useless with the layout they have used for the house extension, garage, drive and dropped kerb location. Because of the building work that had been done by the previous owners, I had a full independent survey before buying (on top of normal lenders survey) and they did flag this so I knew before I bought but didn’t care as knew I’d never park in the garage anyway…..