Garage change of use - any pointers?

[DrPhill]

Hi all, I am toying with the idea of converting our garage into a more usable space.

The garage is single-skin blocks with a flat roof, power and light. It is close to, but not attached to, the house. We have plenty of drive space and the car never goes in the garage.

I am thinking about thermal insulation, replacing up-and-over door with wall, window and door. I will need to do something with the solid concrete floor and put in an insulated ceiling too. Garage already houses tumble drier fridge, freezer but would be a more convenient place to bring muddy dogs in, hang wet coats. It could also become an office space and a music room.

At what point does this need permissions (change of use? building regs?) and what sort of costs** (ballpark figures) am I likely discover? (Assume that I can't do any of the work). Are there any 'gotchas' to consider at the earliest stages. All and any opinions/advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Phill

Edit: ** I use the scale 1k, 2k, 5k, 10k 20k....... just which is likely to be closest. (My guess is 5k)

 

[RobinBHM]

£5k would be the material cost perhaps….so the cost for you to do it, with maybe the price for an electrician to domthe notifiable stuff.

More like £15k for a builder to do it



As it’s not attached, it is viewed as an outbuilding, so exempt from b/regs unless it’s over 15sq metres and under 1 metre from boundary, or over 30 sq metres - in which case it might invoke b/regs.

Be very careful to consider damp arrangements, as it’s a single skin building, so you need to ensure integrity of damp course of floor, walls and junction of those two.

 

[DrPhill]

£5k would be the material cost perhaps….so the cost for you to do it, with maybe the price for an electrician to domthe notifiable stuff.

More like £15k for a builder to do it



As it’s not attached, it is viewed as an outbuilding, so exempt from b/regs unless it’s over 15sq metres and under 1 metre from boundary, or over 30 sq metres - in which case it might invoke b/regs.

Be very careful to consider damp arrangements, as it’s a single skin building, so you need to ensure integrity of damp course of floor, walls and junction of those two.

Thanks for that Robin - 15k is more than I expected - so a good reality check. Probably a measure of wishful thinking in there as well as being out of touch. That kind of cost might just be acceptable - it may be the cheapest form of 'extension' given the layout of the house.

It is under 1m from the boundary, and probably exceed the size limit so BRs required. Electrics are already in place (complete with separate consumer unit), but they are mounted on the inside of the existing wall so might need moving to whatever becomes the inner wall. Drat!

What would the regulations implications be If I only replaced the up-and-over door with a wall/window/pedestrian door? That would still make the space more useful.

 

[TeeCee]

I don't know the answer to the above but it is what I'm going to do with my new garage when I move house. I'm considering a roller garage door to cover the wall/window/door. This will improve security and visually nothing will change.

I'm in Scotland so the BR might be different anyway.
I'd anticipate problems with a garage that is integral to the house over one in the back garden.

I'm a few months off getting to grips with it, but I'll let you know how I get on.....

T

 

[DrPhill]

I don't know the answer to the above but it is what I'm going to do with my new garage when I move house. I'm considering a roller garage door to cover the wall/window/door. This will improve security and visually nothing will change.

I'm in Scotland so the BR might be different anyway.
I'd anticipate problems with a garage that is integral to the house over one in the back garden.

I'm a few months off getting to grips with it, but I'll let you know how I get on.....

T

I have been trying to decipher the words on the government website. I *think* that sheds and garages are all classified as outbuildings. Changing usage between these is not an issue.
The big step may come when the building becomes living accommodation. No sleeping overnight in it!

Offices can outbuildings, as can music rooms.

Take this with a pinch of salt as I am not an expert.

 

[Matt635]

Hi, under town planning rules in England (the rules are a bit different elsewhere but I know less about those) Permitted development rights that allow for the construction or alteration of detached outbuildings are based on the building being ‘incidental’ to the main house. Incidental means something like a garage or workshop. It is different to ‘ancillary’ accommodation, which is extra living accommodation for the house, eg a bedroom, and therefore not incidental. Google the difference between ancillary and incidental and you will find lots on the subject. People often confuse the two, but a new detached outbuilding providing ancillary floor space isn’t permitted development even if it meets all of the size limitations.
To get back to your original question, if you have an existing incidental outbuilding then to now convert it to ancillary use may not need planning permission, provided that it isn’t going to used for a commercial purpose. However, depending on when the house and/or outbuilding were built they may have restrictions on their use, as the planning department could have removed permitted development rights for future changes when the buildings were first given permission. The only way to check that would be to look at the planning permission(s) so the best advice is to check with your local planning authority to be sure.

 

[DrPhill]

I do so love the English language. We have so many shades of meaning that we can distinguish between ‘incidental’ and ‘ancillary’ with such clarity.

our current plan to make more use of the garage will not see it move (yet) from incidental to ancillary. But the work we do could be enhanced in the future.

As a garage it is pretty much useless. It and the drive to it were built before cars were measured in acres.