Garages are often fairly large areas, filled with clutter such as old bikes, Christmas decorations, endless tools and furniture. If this sounds familiar, then perhaps it\u2019s time to think of a better use for your garage. Rather than waste this valuable space, how about converting it into a superb living area.<\/p>\n
There are many different ideas homeowners come up with for their garage conversion and popular options include a home office, gym or extension to the home such as a living room or kitchen.<\/p>\n
Now, a lot will definitely come down to how large your garage is and where it\u2019s positioned next to your home. Your house type will also factor and what\u2019s important is to ensure there\u2019ll be as little disruption as possible throughout the entire process.<\/p>\n
So how about the dull, but important matter of planning permission and Building Regulations? Well, both are likely to apply and the conversion will be classed as a \u2018change of use of part of a building\u2019. Planning permission can be sought from your local council, whilst the company you bring in should know Building Regulations inside out.<\/p>\n
Building Regulations cover a number of areas such as safety, ventilation and insulation. For instance, the garage is likely to need extra insulation as it wasn\u2019t originally designed for living in. Foundations may also need strengthening and you\u2019ll also need to think about windows and how to connect the garage conversion to the rest of your home.<\/p>\n
Of course, if you have a large garage, you don\u2019t necessarily need to convert it all. Many homeowners enjoy success by just converting half of the garage. With this, you\u2019ll have extra living space and will also be able to store things on the other side.<\/p>\n
Lastly, you probably want to know about the cost and how much you need to pay. Well, for a single garage conversion, you could be looking at between \u00a35,000 and \u00a310,000. A larger double garage conversion would cost up to \u00a318,000. Of course, this is substantially cheaper than extending your home or converting the loft, so it\u2019s a superb idea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Garages are often fairly large areas, filled with clutter such as old bikes, Christmas decorations, endless tools and furniture. If this sounds familiar, then perhaps … <\/p>\n