How much does a garage conversion cost?

[allgonebellyup]

Just wondering as thinking of moving to a smaller 2 bed house (in order to be in a good area and near dd's school)so would need to convert the garage into a further bedroom. Can you do it yourself (ex dh is a builder)as i know you dont need planning permission or do you need to use regulated builders?

We are just changing ours to a study and storage area. We didn't have to have planning permission as we are leaving the garage door for the storage area and the room could be put back to a garage. It costing £1000 for a builder and materials it will probaly be another £500 for electrics as DH wants a loads of sockets. It has been done to planning regs.

I would check with your local council planning department to what thet require.

friend just had hers done and DID need planning permisiion??!!

I'd check with the council first - we've just had a quote for doing this and they said there are different rules depending on whether the garage was part of the house when it was built or if it was added on later. Our garage was built later than the house but is less than the number of sqaure metres that would require planning permission (IYSWIM!) so we don't have to get planning permission but we do have to sort out building regulations with the council.

So anyway, I'd check! Especially if you ever sell the house in the future you might need to prove its all done to correct regulations.

Converted our double garage to a pool room/den, its detached from the house and we checked with the council but didn't need planning permission (something to do with the distance from the house ?)

Costs were:

removal of original up and over door £75
additional sockets and 12 spot lights £500
plasterers £1500
flooring (laminate) (including screed) £400
skirting boards £100
paint £50
patio doors and full hight windows (across double door opening) £1500
heater: £40
additional glass bricks for back "windows" £100
hire of cement mixer (for floor screed) £40

converting to a bedroom would be different as you would have to comply with building regs (as its classed as a livable space) plus i would think change of use so planning permission would almost certainly be an issue.. check with your local planning dept

HTH

thanks for the help

We did one and had to have it done to building regs and planning permission but I think this varies from council to council ane areas (some housebuilders have a clause that says any changes have to have pp but this applies mainlly to newer houses). I think ours cost around £8000 in 2003 (this included knocking through to rest of house, new roof, electrics, plastering, plumbing for radiator and all furnishings. Dh did the wooden flooring and decorating himself. We asked the building control man from the council to come out before we started and he told us what we needed to do. HTH

ahhh no way can afford £8k even though that is probably a good price! do you think it can be done cheaper, though i would need a door to be knocked through to rest of the potential new house!

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I am sure you could get it done for cheaper, no reason why you can't do the work yourself as long as you get it checked afterwards. We're doing a renovation project atm aand dh is doing it all himself then getting it checked afterwards so it can be done! WE had it done to quite a high spec because we knew we would be selling it soon (did so after 2 years) so we could have economised in areas. iirc, a major cost was the front where they had to brick the opening up and then put a window in- think it's cheaper to just put a full length window (some people half the bottom half in patterned glass for extra privacy)in or clad some of it (can't explain it really but think of the houses you see where they've clad over th top half of the house rather than brick it...) Can't think of any other way to cut costs but will ask dh. FWIW, we got a few quotes and that was the best by far.

thankyou!

Just found this thread. Any update for more recent prices anyone?