Dream Lands Design
  • Home Improvement
    • DIY
    • Remodeling
    • Woodworking
    • Accessories
    • Home Design
      • Furniture
      • Organize
      • Tips
      • Decor
        • Interior
        • Exterior
  • Design Ideas
    • Bathroom
    • Bedroom
    • Dining Room
    • Living Room
    • Kitchen
  • Gardening
    • Backyard
    • Front Yard
    • Landscaping
  • Home Improvement
    • DIY
    • Remodeling
    • Woodworking
    • Accessories
    • Home Design
      • Furniture
      • Organize
      • Tips
      • Decor
        • Interior
        • Exterior
  • Design Ideas
    • Bathroom
    • Bedroom
    • Dining Room
    • Living Room
    • Kitchen
  • Gardening
    • Backyard
    • Front Yard
    • Landscaping

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Backyard
  • Bathroom
  • Beauty
  • Bedroom
  • Cars
  • Decor
  • Design Ideas
  • Dining Room
  • DIY
  • Entertaining
  • Exterior
  • Finance
  • Front Yard
  • Furniture
  • Gardening
  • Green Living
  • Home Design
  • Home Improvement
  • Interior
  • Kitchen
  • Landscaping
  • Lifestyle
  • Living
  • Living Room
  • Organize
  • Photography
  • Real Estate
  • Remodeling
  • Tips
  • Uncategorized
  • Wall Improvement
  • Woodworking

Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us
29K
98K
0
Dream Lands Design
  • Home Improvement
    • DIY
    • Remodeling
    • Woodworking
    • Accessories
    • Home Design
      • Furniture
      • Organize
      • Tips
      • Decor
        • Interior
        • Exterior
  • Design Ideas
    • Bathroom
    • Bedroom
    • Dining Room
    • Living Room
    • Kitchen
  • Gardening
    • Backyard
    • Front Yard
    • Landscaping
Featured image - Garage Conversion for Beginners - How to Plan One and Where to Start
You're here: Home Home Improvement Garage Conversion for Beginners: How to Plan One and Where to Start

Garage Conversion for Beginners: How to Plan One and Where to Start

  • Perla Irish
  • May 5, 2020
Total
3
Shares
2
0
1
0
0
Table of Contents Hide
  1. How Much Will a Garage Conversion Cost You?
  2. Planning Permissions and Building Regulations
  3. Hiring the Right Professionals
  4. What Type of Insurance Will You Need During a Garage Conversion
  5. Are There Any Restrictions Regarding the Type of Room In Which You Will Convert the Garage Into?
  6. Final Thought

With per square meter prices at a premium across the UK, many homeowners are looking at the possibility of maximizing their living area without switching houses.

Lots of people are searching to find those extra inches of space within their homes. From loft conversions to rear extensions, all kinds of home conversions are a terrific way of enlarging your living space.

Garage conversions are another great way to secure the much-needed extra room. As with any other home conversion project, a garage conversion requires careful planning and even better execution to make sure you will make the most of the existing place.

image - Garage Conversion for Beginners - How to Plan One and Where to Start
Garage Conversion for Beginners – How to Plan One and Where to Start

Almost half of the people use their garage units to store junk rather than cars. According to research by RAC Home Insurance, four in ten people can’t fit their car anymore in the garage space due to the amount of clutter.

If you have a garage that you barely use for parking a vehicle – it’s well worth considering a garage conversion.

Converting your garage into a useful room will improve the way you use the house and will add significant value to the property as well.

With the majority of garages in the UK left empty or barely used, estimates suggest that such a conversion can add up to 20% to the value of your property depending on what you do with the garage.

Truly functional in so many ways, a garage conversion is a really nice upgrade to any household. Just like any other home conversion project, it’s of the highest importance to plan it properly and know where to start.

In this article, we’ve covered the most important things you should know before you start with your garage conversion project.


Read Also:

  • Applying Concrete Sealer to Shield as well as Preserve your Home Garage
  • How to Brighten Up a Garage and Turn It into Another Bedroom
  • The Benefits of A Garage Conversion

How Much Will a Garage Conversion Cost You?

Heavily depending on the complexity of the job, the size of the garage, and the type of room you will be converting into, the price of garage conversion projects are nothing compared to the value you will add to the house once the job is finished.

With average prices between £400-£650 per square meter, every garage conversion is different.

One of the most important factors that have a large implication on the cost is the garage size, whether it’s a single car garage of 18m2 or a double-car garage with an average size of 36m2.

Another very important aspect of the process is knowing what type of garage you are willing to transform. In general, there are three types of garages and each one of them brings a different money calculation on the table.

The cheapest variant goes with a garage that is directly built into your home and already is equipped with all the necessary foundations.

A bit more expensive option is the attached garage, the one that is attached to your house either at the side or rear and one that shares at least one wall with the main building structure.

The most expensive garage conversion is the detached garage because such will need additional work such as plumbing, electricity, and heating.

Planning Permissions and Building Regulations

Built-in garage conversions typically fall under permitted development which means that planning permission won’t be required.

Check for any planning conditions attached to the garage when it was constructed, because an application will need to be submitted in order to remove the conditions.

If you are trying to convert a detached garage, you may have to apply for a change of use.

Regarding the building regulations, your constructor will need to stick to them when converting an attached garage into a different type of room.

The building regulations apply to numerous aspects of the construction including thermal performance, ventilation, fire safety, and acoustics.

As soon as an application is submitted, your local building control department will register the garage conversion and carry out inspections during the renovation.

Hiring the Right Professionals

Technically speaking, you could choose to design your garage conversion yourself. However, without having full expertise to carry out a conversion on your own, you will eventually need help along the way.

It’s way more comfortable to go with a registered architect, as one is not an expert in design and aesthetics, but part of an architect’s job is to organize the paperwork and deal with potential implications.

The architect will deal for you with the local building control and adhere to building regulations when they are applicable – a very important part of the journey that could easily be overlooked.

Another thing to have in mind is hiring the services of an experienced structural engineer to inspect the conversed space and to provide professional advice on any additional foundation work required.

What Type of Insurance Will You Need During a Garage Conversion

If you’ve hired a builder, know that they should have their own insurance policy to cover the garage conversion project. Still, do your homework and make sure they have professional indemnity insurance before they start working.

Inform your home insurance provider of the project before you start the conversion. Some major building works may invalidate the home insurance policy, so it pays to check with the provider.

If your home insurer won’t cover you during the project, you may need to take out special additional home insurance during the work.

Once the garage conversion is complete, notify your home insurer. The work will probably increase the value of your property and your premiums may rise.

Are There Any Restrictions Regarding the Type of Room In Which You Will Convert the Garage Into?

Nope, there are none. You can convert to any type of room while you comply with the added regulations regime regarding the ventilation, fire safety, energy-efficiency of the building, and more.

There are a lot of modifications that can take place without any formal paperwork or inspections, just make sure to check with your local authorities in any case.

Final Thought

Make up your mind about the type of room you really need in your household, whether it’s an extra bathroom, a brand new kitchen, or even a new bedroom for the kids.

Plan it well, execute it better, and don’t worry – a well-planned garage conversion is one of the best home conversions that you can go with.

Total
3
Shares
Share 2
Tweet 0
Pin it 1
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • beginners
  • converting
  • converting garage
  • garage
  • projects

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

You May Also Like
featured image - How To Know When It's Time to Replace Your Home's Windows
View Post

How To Know When It’s Time to Replace Your Home’s Windows

  • January 26, 2023
featured image - Trenton, NJ Roof Repair by Certified Roofers
View Post

Trenton, NJ Roof Repair by Certified Roofers

  • January 26, 2023
Featured image - 6 Living Room Design Errors and How to Avoid Them
View Post

6 Living Room Design Errors and How to Avoid Them

  • January 26, 2023
Featured Image - Four Interior Design Styles to Consider Before Buying Your Next Holiday Home
View Post

Four Interior Design Styles to Consider Before Buying Your Next Holiday Home

  • January 26, 2023
featured image - 10 Tips for Decluttering Your Home and Maximizing Space
View Post

10 Tips for Decluttering Your Home and Maximizing Space

  • January 26, 2023
Featured image - How to Create Memory Galleries
View Post

How to Create Memory Galleries

  • January 25, 2023
featured image - Leaky Roof? Everything You Should Know About Roof Repairs
View Post

Leaky Roof? Everything You Should Know About Roof Repairs

  • January 25, 2023
featured image - Yes, You Need to Seal Your Pavers. Here's Why!
View Post

Yes, You Need to Seal Your Pavers. Here’s Why!

  • January 24, 2023
Dream Lands Design
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

Add Dream Lands Design to your Homescreen!

Add