Would you buy a house with a converted garage?

[intolerant]

Housing market stagnation to one side for a moment..... we have a 4 bed detached house with an integral garage. DH wants to convert it to a room that the kids (approaching teens) can use for hanging out with friends. He has contingency plans for all the crap useful stuff stored in there. We, like most of the population, have never put the car in there. However, if we ever decide to move, do you think people would be put off by a house this size not having a garage? You see I think I might, although DH reckons a 3rd reception room is preferable. Opinions gratefully received.....

[ChippyMinton]

If the house had:
adequate off-street parking
easily accessible shed and side gate for bikes, lawnmower etc
room indoors for tumbledryer, freezer etc
loft for stuffthat couldn't be stored in the shed (eg books, xmas decs)
the conversion was properly done, heated, and had Building Regs approval...

Then yes.

[intolerant]

Yep. Ticks all those boxes. We have a drive way big enough for 4 cars (with a quiet cul-de-sac with parking there for extra visitors), an 8 x 6 shed and a large loft. Plus all the rest re: conversion plans....

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Then yes, given your responses to Chippy's questions, which would have been mine too.

[Stinkyfeet]

No, we would not even look at a house without a garage, regardless of the size of the house.

DP needs one for his bikes.

[daftpunk]

don't do it. people like garages.

[ChippyMinton]

But lots of people appreciate the extra living space too. My pet hate is estate agent details that describe such rooms as a 'downstairs bedroom'.

[steamboat]

If you decide to move in the future and it became a problem (which I don't think it would) you could convert it back to a garage very cheaply. If you have no plans to move in the next year or 2 then you should rally use the space how it suits your family best rather than trying to second guess imaginary buyers. Lots of people would rather have the extra space. I live on an estate where most of the houses are detached 4 bed with integral garage and lots of people have converted the garages into rooms.

[intolerant]

That's a good point, steamboat. We're planning on staying for a very long time and we could always turn it back, or rather any new buyers who had an issue could.

[Quattrocento]

Nope, would not buy a house without a garage. Garages are so useful. I don't buy the idea of garden sheds being just as useful. Ours is maddeningly inconvenient.

If all the other houses on your street have garages and yours doesn't then it will seem out of character with the neighbourhood.

OTOH my SIL converted an integral garage into her dining room and that works beautifully.

But then again she built a new garage because she had enough space to do so. Is that an option for you?

[LazyLinePainterJane]

I would much rather have the extra reception room, but suspect that this is just down to taste and a lot of people would vary in opinion.

[intolerant]

No. No room. Hmmmn, quandary worse now!!

[BloodySmartarse]

reckon id rather have the room too, rather than garage.

[daftpunk]

i would check with a few local estate agents, see what they think? it's down to you at the end of the day. a few houses in my area have done it, i never think it looks that good tbh. (they have taken down the garage door and put in a window)

[schneebly]

I would rather have a room for the kids to mess up

[twinsetandpearls]

We had problems selling our house and feedback was that the issue was our lack of garage especially as most other houses had one.

[daftpunk]

twinsetandpearls...thats true, iv'e heard that houses that have converted garages into bedrooms etc are harder to sell.

[twinsetandpearls]

Ours had never been converted it was never there, and there is never a parking problem but it did put people off.

[jenniepanda]

We converted ours into a dining room and a utility room 18 months ago. It is such a fantastic use of space and I wish we had done it sooner. We have a shed/loft with all the junk in. We are trying to sell and everyone who has looked round commented on what a good use of space it was as noone uses garages for cars anymore. Also we are about the 6th house on our 70 house estate to have converted. I say go for it!

[intolerant]

Very interesting. Thanks all.

[catweazle]

We use our garage as a bedroom, but kept the garage door and built a wall behind it. It could easily be turned back into a garage if need be.

Next door converted theirs "properly" with a window and it took them months to sell. The Estate Agent advertised it as a 4 bed house (it's 3 bed) and I did overhear some people looking at it complaining it was a conversion and not actually a 4 bed house. A house round the corner (same style but with garage) came on the market after next door, for £5k more, and sold first. (neighbours expected the conversion to add value)

[NoMoreOlympics]

well, we bought a house with a converted garage....

not an integral garage though. It is now a playroom/computer room/kids crap room

it means the rest of my house is beautifully clear of all that stuff

I second however, that there must be other space for what you would normally put in a garage

Are there alternative places for...

washer/dryer (ours fits in kitchen)

car(s)-our driveway easily holds 4

lawnmower, bikes etc etc (DH built a super-duper shed in back garden and you can get round both sides of the house

It works for us, and several other houses on the street have done it since we moved in.

[NoMoreOlympics]

Oh, and I forgot to mention that the rear few feet were preserved as a storage space with an outside door added onto the side. Is where we keep tall things like ladders n stuff.

Was all done properly with building regs, central heating radiator, proper opening window etc

[edam]

Interesting thread as I'd like to convert our (integral) garage. We do have a drive and there are parking bays opposite...

[dibdabscribble]

We converted our integral garage into a bedroom earlier this year. The garage was too small for either of our cars anyway. It makes the whole house seem more in proportion as we had 4 bedrooms upstairs then relatively litle space downstairs, much more even now. We have a huuuuuge cupboard under the stairs which we now use for all the crap useful things that were in the garage, seats from the car, tools etc. We have enough room for 2 cars on our drive and with a bit of work on the drive we will have space for 3. We also have 2 sheds and a conservatory which are useful for storage.
I say go for it - but don't use the Garage Conversion Company!!!

[intolerant]

Why not? Although I did call them. The receptionist said someone would get back to me, but noone ever did. Have got 2 quotes from local guys, one of which we've used before and who's excellent. Think GC co are expensive?