WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? WORK IN THE SHADOWS...

[andycorleone]

I'm trying to figure out how to do some comision pieces and sell them , But I want to start working from my garage? aparently by law this is very hard to do. So what is the only solution as a starter, Work in the shadows? Almost every professional self employed woodworker in america that I know work from his home Garage or Basement. Why is so hard here?

 

[Blister]

Maybe as we are mostly packed in like sardines in most of the UK

Is noise a issue

or maybe its the most common reason , more TAX :evil:

If a million people all worked from home and not from a industrial unit where would Alistair Darling get all the extra dosh from .

My mortgage stated not to be used for commercial use !

:wink:

 

[CWatters]

There are two other possible issues even if noise isn't a problem...

The planning laws mean that all land has a "use class".

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/englan ... 37913.html

Your house will be use class C3 - dwellinghouses. Officially you would need planning permission to change the garage to one of the B clases (Business and industrial). Hard to tell if getting PP might be a problem. Noise and traffic are likely to be the two main issues. If you expect deliveries/visitors you may need to arrange off road parking and check that your driveway entrance isn't considered dangerous (What's the speed limit? Is it necessary to back out onto a the road? Good visibility splays? etc).

Your house deeds are the other issue. It's not unknown for the deeds to contain a covenant prohibiting you running a business from home. In practice this is rarely a problem. I think anyone who had a complaint would have to find the previous owner and persuade them to enforce the covenant. I'm not 100% sure but I don't think a third party (eg the council) can enforce one. You are also at liberty to negotiate with the previous owner to have it removed in return for payment. It's also possible to take out insurance against the holder taking enforcement action demanding compensation for the breach...but I wonder how frequently that ever happens.

..and the government wonders why we all commute to work clogging up the roads It's much easier to work from home in other countries like Belgium.

 

[RogerS]

Being pragmatic - given decent sound insulation then who is to know? I know many woodworkers who work from home in either a workshop or garage. Two fingers to any jobsworths, I say. Start the revolution.

 

[Harbo]

Unless your neighbours are going to get upset and complain I would risk it.

I use my attached garage as my workshop but try to limit the noisy actions during the day and not at weekends and so far have not had any complaints.

I also work part-time and from home when ever I can and in fact the Company I work for encourages it. Admittedly this is mainly sitting at a desk and a computer but I have converted a spare bedroom into an office. I do get tax relief for it and have not declared a change of use?

Suck it and see?

Rod

 

[BradNaylor]

Being pragmatic - given decent sound insulation then who is to know? I know many woodworkers who work from home in either a workshop or garage. Two fingers to any jobsworths, I say. Start the revolution.

This would be my approach too.

It sounds like you want to go from keen hobbyist to very keen hobbyist - no-one need know that you are making money at it.

Most joiners and kitchen fitters I know have a workshop in their garage which they use for making things for clients. I'm 100% sure that none of them have ever applied to anyone for business use. Have a word with Karl, he works out of his garage.

In fact, the one thing I would not do is make any enquiries at the council. The answer will always be 'no' and once you are on their radar you're knackered!

We're too bloody law-abiding in this country. Rules are made for ignoring!

Just keep the noise to a minimum. One saddo neighbour could make your life difficult.

Good luck

Dan

PS If you were in my area I'd be dobbing you in! Last thing I need is competition!

:lol:

 

[andycorleone]

thanks for all the honest replies guys . Maybe don't have the cojones yet to start but maybe tomorrow I will change my mind :?

 

[W0ody]

I too work from home - i make things in my workshop most the time to sell on - no one is any the wiser :wink:


Dan tovey says..

I would not do is make any enquiries at the council. The answer will always be 'no' and once you are on their radar you're knackered!

that is true - any slight complaint , they will put two and two together, like they say - keep it reasonable & you will be alright

 

[Grinding One]

You could always move to the Good Old U.S.A. we all work where ever we want too,although I personally don`t start up saws till after 7:30 A.M.
Heck my neighbors want me to build them stuff....

 

[Tusses]

You could always move to the Good Old U.S.A. we all work where ever we want too,although I personally don`t start up saws till after 7:30 A.M.
Heck my neighbors want me to build them stuff....

I'd love to - but its about impossible to get a green card these days !

 

[RogerS]

thanks for all the honest replies guys . Maybe don't have the cojones yet to start but maybe tomorrow I will change my mind :?

if you do go ahead talk to your neighbours ...maybe even now..about noise and how you are aware it might be a problem/minimising noise during certain hours/usual I'm a nice guy stuff

 

[chunkolini]

Working from home?

I packed in my day job 2 1/2 years back and worked out of my garage since then, doing noisy and very large sculpture eg 4.5 metre long ants.
my garage? below my flat in the middle of town, sharing a carpark with the council offices. My neighbours think I am mad but like to see what I am up to, and have never complained. I also make shelving units and do all the machining and sanding outside.

I say give it a go, be discrete at first, dont do noisy jobs say after 5.00pm; be quiet at weekends and be nice to the neighbours.

BUT at last I am moving out in a couple of weeks into a purpose built workshop on nearby farm, lots of space. Cant wait.

Chunko'.

 

[Digit]

Some people may have noted somewhat disparaging remarks by myself regarding officialdom, no? :lol:
But there are some who are different.
One came to see me a few years ago and informed me that they had recieved a complaint about me working from home. I was completely open and honest with him and he explained that they liked to encourage small businesses so please keep it out of sight!
It's true!

Roy.

 

[Grinding One]

You could always move to the Good Old U.S.A. we all work where ever we want too,although I personally don`t start up saws till after 7:30 A.M.
Heck my neighbors want me to build them stuff....

I'd love to - but its about impossible to get a green card these days !

Guess you haven`t heard?? we have 11 million Hispanics without Green cards
they just pour over the border and are still coming every day....although they say their economy is getting better then ours so maybe they`ll go back home for better pay.You know, we are sending our jobs there as well as our Companys are relocateing there equipment there and jobs go because of wages.Also they don`t have to clean the enviorment like they have to here.
On the up side My business of making things out of wood is cheap to start with,the guy I`m working for is in no hurry to finish anything,I`d fire him but then what would I do with all the tools??

 

[eggflan]

Just go for it :wink:

I work out of my workshop at the bottom of my garden , i have done for the last 4 years , i work all hours day and night (up to around 11pm some nights), all of my neighbors seem to be very understanding probably as they all have bits of my work hanging on there walls or in the front room with coffee cups on :wink: . I generally do all the joinery work they need doing and either charge very little or nothing at all , i find this keeps them sweet and it seems worth the effort so long as they leave me alone

Best to start doing more and more at different times and just see if anyone says anything to you about noise , and start making some small gifts for christmas this will help them forget about the noise issue if you have one , and dont advertise to them that you are making a living from doing it, you have to let them belive you are doing it for friends and family :wink:

Good luck

Mic..

 

[skipdiver]

I once had an application for a mortgage turned down because of my home workshop.They knew what i did for a living as it was on the mortgage application and put two and two together.I had to ring them and point out that woodwork was my hobby as well as my job and that the two were not linked(true at the time) but when i get my new workshop finished i intend to do as much work from home as possible.I no longer have a mortgage so that's not an issue but the council cite parking issues,customers visiting your house and advertising as no-no's but what they dont know won't hurt them.I aint about to tell anyone.I've already had the Council round asking me what i was building as someone had complained,so will have to play it by ear.After all they cannot prove if the thing you are working on is recreation or business,can they?

 

[W0ody]

I once had an application for a mortgage turned down because of my home workshop.They knew what i did for a living as it was on the mortgage application and put two and two together.I had to ring them and point out that woodwork was my hobby as well as my job and that the two were not linked(true at the time) but when i get my new workshop finished i intend to do as much work from home as possible.I no longer have a mortgage so that's not an issue but the council cite parking issues,customers visiting your house and advertising as no-no's but what they dont know won't hurt them.I aint about to tell anyone.I've already had the Council round asking me what i was building as someone had complained,so will have to play it by ear.After all they cannot prove if the thing you are working on is recreation or business,can they?

True... and no they can't call you a liar either - to them it's a hobby. and hobbies aren't illegal (well not yet anyway..)

well the thing is here we can't do much and enjoy it without someone spoilin it/complainin etc , it more like a damn contration camp :twisted: , but hey thats a whole different topic..