Using garage for prototyping business idea. Is it legal?

[flanajb]

Having recently took redundancy, I am now in the process of prototyping a number of furniture related products from my garage. I am doing this as I want to get some finished items together so that I can approach architects and galleries to gauge what they think and whether they would be interested. Given I am not making any money, what I am trying to deduce is whether I am now classed as a business and should not be using the garage or that it is fine until I actually set the company up officially?

I have looked at local commercial premises and cannot afford to outlay +£600/month + business rates before I am 100% convinced this idea has serious potential.

I am very conscientious (perhaps too much) regarding neighbors, but my other :twisted: side keeps saying to me "just run the business from the garage until someone complains. The council are useless and will just slap you on the wrist if you get caught running a business from home". This conclusion is based on my recent FOI request to the council regarding the number of bonfire complaints made and the number of council prosecutions. 255 made / 0 prosecutions.

Thanks

 

[Lons]

You're not operating as a business until you start supplying goods or services, at the moment you're just creating speculative products to test the market. Go for it mate!

As long as you're not causing a nuisance to neighbours you haven't got a problem. i ran my building business from home for 16 years btw.

Bob

 

[Jacob]

Carry on regardless. It's perfectly legal to run a business from home, millions of people do. It might become a planning issue when what you do impacts on the neighbours - noise, change of use, traffic etc but it's non punitive - you might get asked to apply for permission at some future date and then have to argue the toss but they are not out to get you or slap you on the wrist.

 

[mseries]

If you have a mortgage you ought to check that your lender allows the property to be used as business premises - when you become a business

 

[flanajb]

Thanks for the vote of confidence chaps. I always feel really guilty when I am in my garage these days and turn a router on ... I get really anxious about what the neighbors are thinking and constantly worry they are looking out the window with phone in hand to the council. I know it's not a rationale thought, but struggle to forget about it.

 

[Jamesc]

I wouldn't get too hung up about the noise. My understanding which comes from my son who is a Police Officer is that it is noise after 11.00 pm that is actionable and even then it is supposed to be taken by the local council who have reduced their resources so far that they have no one to deal with these 'minor' problems. The police are powerless unless they can find something else - breach of the peace or whatever.
I would suggest keeping any noisy activity to normal working hours say 8:30 to 5:30 you will avoid many problems as most people will be out.

All I can sy is go for it and good luck. I have been working from home for over 25 years and couldn't go back to being employed now - no one would have me!

James

 

[morfa]

Thanks for the vote of confidence chaps. I always feel really guilty when I am in my garage these days and turn a router on ... I get really anxious about what the neighbors are thinking and constantly worry they are looking out the window with phone in hand to the council.

I guess you've spoken to your neighbours about the noise then? I've had a chat with my neighbours about noise and they say they can't hear anything. Admittedly one of them used to work on Harriers in the RAF, so his hearing is shot anyway. Least then you know that they're all ok with it.

 

[flanajb]

I wouldn't get too hung up about the noise. My understanding which comes from my son who is a Police Officer is that it is noise after 11.00 pm that is actionable and even then it is supposed to be taken by the local council who have reduced their resources so far that they have no one to deal with these 'minor' problems. The police are powerless unless they can find something else - breach of the peace or whatever.
I would suggest keeping any noisy activity to normal working hours say 8:30 to 5:30 you will avoid many problems as most people will be out.

All I can sy is go for it and good luck. I have been working from home for over 25 years and couldn't go back to being employed now - no one would have me!

James

I always keep to between 830 and 530 anyhow. I just have to crack on and stop worrying about things.

The redundancy money will last another 6 months, so it's now or never if I am to get my own business off the ground. Going back to a desk bound job, that did pay very very well is not on the agenda and fills me with dread thinking about it!

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

On the noise front I've been told that from outside my workshop (in a single-thickness wall garage) it just sounds like I'm vacuuming.

 

[Jacob]

High pitch noises in the workshop travel least well. Your router may be deafening you but your neighbours may not notice. They will hear low frequencies more, the further away they are

 

[flanajb]

That is a great experiment and I will get the wife to loiter outside whilst I run up a few different machines/tools to see what she thinks from up at the house. I suspect you are correct that the actual noise outside is hardly noticeable.

 

[RogerP]

...........[ always keep to between 830 and 530 anyhow. I just have to crack on and stop worrying about things............

Don't worry about it. From time to time I make the most awful racket in my workshop and at first mentioned it to the neighbours to apologise for the nuisance. Both immediate neighbours said they not noticed anything. So I just left with them that they'd let me know if there was a problem. In several years they never have.

It's good to think about the impact on others of the noise we make but so easy to get paranoid about it.

 

[MusicMan]

I've had similar experiences. I mentioned my workshop activities to my neighbours once, and asked them to let me know if it was a nuisance; they said not at all and have never said more. Again I don't use it at night. I think they appreciated being asked, though.

Keith

 

[Steve Maskery]

Regarding noise, there is a free App for you phone called Sound Meter. It will give you a decibel reading of the noise level. The most noise I make is my P/T with the DX on at the same time. It's loud inside, I forget the reading, but outside it was the equivalent of a road outside, and that is before my outside cladding is on.
Good luck with your idea, you are not (yet) running a business.

 

[Fatboy]

I can't see whether the question has been raised already but this is your own home we are talking about is it? if its a rented property there may be an issue with running a business from the property regardless of whether you are making money or not.

The other thing to look at is the covenants within your mortgage (if its subject to a mortgage) that will tell you whether you are ok or not. The local council won't care a jot as its nothing to do with them unless you break any local by law like noise, obstruction, air quaility etc.

 

[Lons]

I can't see whether the question has been raised already but this is your own home we are talking about is it? if its a rented property there may be an issue with running a business from the property regardless of whether you are making money or not.

The other thing to look at is the covenants within your mortgage (if its subject to a mortgage) that will tell you whether you are ok or not. The local council won't care a jot as its nothing to do with them unless you break any local by law like noise, obstruction, air quaility etc.

The LA certainly can be interested when you are running a business in case they can extract business rates from you. They never miss an opportunity if they are extra funds to swell the town hall coffers.

The type of business and various other factors affect that of course, I've never needed to pay business rates. As already mentioned some activities are subject to planning approval though it's often worthwhile just carrying on unless you're challenged and good neighbour relations are important in that. In my case I did favours and work for all my neighbours who were quite happy and of course I restricted the noise to normal working hours and avoided Sundays. As far as the OP is concerned he's just indulging in his woodworking hobby.

Bob

 

[Cordy]

Yes, stay friendly with your neighbours; make them a small wood item occasionally, perhaps for their children

Make a couple of things from wood for your local Hospice shop or similar
Good luck

 

[Flynnwood]

Having recently took redundancy, I am now in the process of prototyping a number of furniture related products from my garage. I am doing this as I want to get some finished items together so that I can approach architects and galleries to gauge what they think and whether they would be interested. Given I am not making any money, what I am trying to deduce is whether I am now classed as a business and should not be using the garage or that it is fine until I actually set the company up officially?

Thanks

Given what you have written above I would say you are not yet running a business, because you are not producing invoices.

Regarding neighbours, it might be worth running the really loud machinery only between (say) 10am till 4.30pm and plan your work day around that. i.e. other jobs to do between 8am till 10am and 4.30pm till 5.30pm

Also perhaps check that none of your neighbours work nights.

Other than that, I'd say crack on .... and good luck!

 

[Matt@]

hobbyists whether it be woodworking,,metal working, restoring cars or motorbikes are the worst culprits for noise IMO as they dont need any kind of permissions....

 

[paulrockliffe]

Whether you're running a business at any point in time depends entirely on your intention. If you're making prototypes for no other reason than to make a profit then you're running a business.

Intention is very difficult to prove, so it's very unlikely to be a problem and most neighbours aren't going to kick up a fuss immediately.