WWYD - Annex/garage or bigger garden and drive?

[Julia000]

I would love some opinions please. What would you do?

We've just demolished the double garage at the end of our garden as it was unsafe and now trying to decide what to do with the plot. Options are either to have a large shed, a larger garden and driveway or to rebuild the garage with a granny annex. The cost difference between the options is at least £40k.

We have a large house so not short of space, but it would be nice to have the annex for when our parents get older and need help...

Are you planning to want to sell the house short-term?

Why is replacing the double garage (no annex) not on your list of options if you don't have a need for the annex now?

You are likely to need planning permission for an annex. Not sure if that swings your decision.

We’re not planning to sell anytime soon and I don’t think we’d probably use the car for storage... of everything but not keep the car so main motivation to build it would be the annex and not the garage.

We think we can do permitted development without planning.

Use the garage to store everything but the car that is.