Questions about garage conversions and builds

[devadreams]

We currently have a single garage, not attached to our house but at the end of our garden and weirdly it is attached to the back of a neighbour's house. It is used as storage at the moment, bikes, lawnmower, a ton of junk that needs clearing out...

We really need some extra living space but can't really afford to make the jump up on the property ladder where we live at the moment (would mean an extra £1k+ on our mortgage ) so I was wondering about converting the garage, to use as a home office/guest annexe, only the footprint of the existing garage so nothing huge, and wouldn't add the extra permanent bedroom we desperately need, but would be really useful extra space. Kids could use it for sleepovers as they get older etc.

Can anyone advise on the likelihood of being able to convert its use like this, and ballpark cost? The garage isn't in a brilliant state of repair to be honest, so I'm accepting it would probably need almost rebuilding, even if we could reuse some of the materials. It does have power and light. Would
Ideally want to add plumbing to allow for a WC and sink if it was to be a guest annexe.

Also if we were to lose the garage I'd want to put something to replace it on the end of our drive where there is an area large enough for some kind of large shed/storage building, would still allow us enough parking but also the crucial bike (x5), BBQ and garden equipment storage we need. What kind of options do I have that would be secure and relatively attractive? I'm wondering timber framed type structure but don't want to spend a fortune as essentially it's just storage, but it does need to be secure and look ok.

We are looking at doing the same and builders have quoted from £25 to 40k in price. But ours is not joined to the neighbours house but is next to the neighbours garage.

Should of said it's about 7x4 meters

Thanks for this, really helpful. Does the range in price allow for different scope or are they not sure what it will entail until they begin work?

Is it a concrete sectional garage? We did this a couple of years ago - insulating, boarding out, new roof, windows/doors and cladding cost just over £12k.

....Ours is about 5m x 3m. Makes a lovely office!

I think the difference in price is a first 'guess' from two different builders.

Unfortunately we have to basically build the whole thing and can't use any of existing walls.

If like the the other poster you can keep your walls and insulate it will be a lot cheaper !

Keter plastic shed would be good for your extra storage. No maintenance.

For the replacement shed it probably depends what the layout is when you say "end of the drive". If this is in front of your house there's no automatic permitted development (but this may not be enforced). In London I wouldn't use anything but a steel locker for bikes if there was going to be easy access to the shed from the street. If it's actually in you're garden or the risk of crime is low then you'll have more options.

Thank you square. I'm not actually sure what a concrete sectional garage is Ours is brick walls and tiled pitched roof, it's quite old I think, in keeping with the properties around it. One wall has a big crack in it and the wall is bowing out, so really needs looking at. Doesn't help that the side this borders the neighbour's house that the garage is attached to, so I am worried it's going to collapse into their garden

Thanks mosaic, I know the sort of thing you mean!

Nowornever, the existing garage really needs some TLC, one wall is in a really bad way. So I know we need to spend on it one way or another and I kind of thought if we are going to the trouble of sorting it, maybe we should think about doing the conversion.

I'm just not sure if the people whose house it is attached to might object to it being changed from storage to a room that is used during the day and/or as a bedroom? And if this could prevent us going ahead.....

It is attached to the back of their property, they don't access their house on this side at all, their driveway/access is further along the road. I have no idea how it happened that our garage was attached to their house! They wouldn't be affected in terms of seeing anything different, there would be no windows on their side of the garage (which borders their garden) it's just noise they might be concerned about I guess.

hgaj it's a bit of an unusual set up. Basically our drive goes down the side of our house and beyond the end of our back garden. We own the drive way and the area of land in front of our garage (which is at right angles to the bottom of our garden) and also an area beyond that. We park our cars on the area in front of our garage and on the bit of driveway beyond that. There is a house at the bottom of our drive, opposite our garage, and those neighbours have access down our drive to get to their house.

There is enough space on the extra bit of driveway where I park my car to put a large shed or garage even, although we don't want to lose the parking for more than one car so wouldn't want it to be a full length garage, maybe something wider than it is long, to use the width of the driveway there but not lose too much in terms of parking space.

It would be on our land and well away from the road, but not enclosed within our garden. We are in a semi rural village location so less risk of crime than somewhere like London, although as the village is quite wealthy in general, lots of v large expensive properties (not ours I hasten to add!) there have been reports of thefts from outbuildings etc as I think people know that it could be fruitful....