Garage Conversions in Northern Ireland
Rarely used for car storage anymore, home garages regularly become dumping grounds for things we rarely need or use. Is now the time to think about converting it into a habitable room instead?
Choosing to convert a garage into living space is a fantastic way to add additional space to your home. It is cost-effective and is one of the least disruptive improvements you can make to your home, in fact, a good conversion can add as much as 10% to the value of your home.
We have loads of experience dealing with garage conversions, as well as building regulations. We can see the project through from start to end.
Garage or Double Garage Conversions & Building Regulations
Garage conversions fall into ‘change of use’ and so will require building regulations approval.
Building Regulations apply to:
- Moisture proofing
- Ventilation
- Insulation
- Fireproofing
- Escape routes
- Structural soundness
Added Value: Moving to a new house costs money that cannot be recovered but converting a garage into a habitable living room adds more value to your home than it costs to do the conversion in most cases. A garage conversion can increase your home’s value after the actual garage conversion costs. Some think that you can get over a 10%-20% return by taking on a well-considered project that improves the usability of your house.
A garage conversion is one of the quickest and cost-effective paths to adding living space. An typical build to create a new home office or bedroom can often be finished in just over a week, and, of course, you won’t need to resort to moving to get a house that suits your family’s requirements; so you’ll save on fees for stamp duty and solicitors. And, unlike the usual home extension, it will not use up any of your outside space.
Why choose Lock Property Services for your Garage Conversion?
We provide the following services.
- Fitting & repairing double glazed windows
- Roofing
- Insulation
- Heating
- Fitting Bathrooms
- Fitting Kitchens
- Tiling
- Brickwork
- Electrical
- Fitting Staircases
- Plastering
- Joinery
- Doors
- Soundproofing
- Damp Proofing
- Plumbing
- Locksmith
- Property Maintenance
Can you convert your garage?
Before you start building your garage conversion, you need to know all the legal matters that can be involved. There are three crucial things that you need to check out first.
Restrictive clauses in your home’s lease
You will need to check your property’s deeds for any restricting covenants. Some developers place a condition on any building work that will alter the outside appearance of a house. If there is a clause, get in touch with them as it can often be averted for a fee.
The other option is to just convert the inside of the garage without changing its outwards appearance. This is often achieved by keeping a front portion of the garage for storage space and converting the rest. Of course, this option depends on your need for the garage conversion.
Do you need planning permission? – You usually only need planning permission to convert a garage if you decide to extend the actual size of the garage. But check with your local planning authority as the exact rules do differ.
The building regulations – If you propose to convert any part of your house into a room to be used as a habitable room, you will need to follow the government building regulations that are in place. A building control officer may need to check your conversion during the construction.
There are some incidences where the permission to convert your garage space may be denied such as:
- You live in a listed building. It is very possible that the external look of your home must be kept as it is.
- You live in a conservation area.
- Your conversion could affect drainage. If you plan to concrete over your garden, thus creating extra pressure on the drainage that is already there.
- If additional insulation is needed. There are some councils that will allow you to add the extra fill to the existing building, some others may insist that you dig up your existing garage floor to insulate it as if you are building from scratch.
- There are parking restrictions. In some areas where there is a lack of parking spaces and councils can refuse permission to convert your garage.
Contact us today to arrange a free consultation for your garage conversion.
Frequently Asked Questions
In many cases the conversion of a garage to living accommodation does not need planning permission and will be regarded as “Permitted Development”. In these situations planning permission will be needed before you can carry out a garage conversion.
If you have off-road parking and depending on where you live, you may find converting a garage can considerably increase your home’s value. If your garage is connected to your house, you should be able to convert it into another room for between £10,000 and £20,000.
Planning permission is not typically required to convert your garage into further living space for your home, providing the work is internal and does not involve enlarging the building. A condition attached to a planning permission for the building might also necessitate that the garage remain as a parking space.
When compared to building a typical extension, a garage conversion is the understandable choice. For example, a brand new three by four metre extension could cost upwards of £13,000. A typical garage conversion, however, should cost between £4,995 and £7,000.
A garage conversion does not at all times need planning permission as it often falls under a permitted development. Converting a garage will always need a building regulations application.
A single-car garage conversion can take anywhere from one week to one month subject to the scale and extent of the conversion.
Illegal Garage Conversions. An illegal garage conversion occurs when a property owner or tenants changes or modifies their garage for living purposes without getting the correct approvals or permits from the city.
Emergency?
Phone our emergency line to get assistance