Garage conversion

[VandFamily]

Hi Everyone,

i am currently planning a garage conversion in my mid terraced property. I am planning to convert into a 4th bedroom. However, I am not sure how will it affect desirability of my house. I am wondering if it would make sense to convert the garage or it would make sense to convert it partially or leave it as it is. I have prepared some initial options which could be possible ways to move forward.

This is our first house after relocation from Germany, so we need some advice in these topics. Can someone please advise us which would be the best way to move forward considering desirability and valuation of the property?

Options I have in mind are in the attached picture.

It the house detached? Will you be able to put a window in the left hand wall?

The reason I ask is that bedrooms need a window in reorder to be legally classed as bedrooms. Otherwise it is just a big cupboard. Obvious if you are terraced then you will have to loose the whole garage or at the very least have the storage bit in the middle of the house.

Also you have an unusual layout. With 4 bedrooms will there be enough communal space?

It is a mid terrace house, so no additional window on the side is possible.

If there's no option for a window in option B then I guess you are stuck with option C.

B won't be allowed, so you can forget about that option.

Have any neighbours converted? Is it permitted for your property to lose a parking space? I know, garages are rarely used for parking as usually too small in this country to fit an actual car, but it might be a condition of the planning.

Yes, some neighbours have already converted their garages. It looks like option b is not allowed, so its either option a or c now. Not sure what will be the effect on desirability and valuation.

Also you have an unusual layout. With 4 bedrooms will there be enough communal space?
It's a mews style house looking at that floorplan, not that unusual.

Can bedroom 2 become two bedrooms? (It has two windows) and the en-suite can be accessed from the landing for both bedrooms

You can convert it but when you sell I think it will be hard to sell as a 4 bed because there is only 1 reception room. I think you would have to have it maybe as a home office/ occasional bedroom? But they are basically the same in terms of everything except furniture so it probably doesn't matter. Do you need a 4th bedroom? I liked @Chillyjam s idea of splitting bedroom 2.

This is what I’d do:

• convert existing kitchen to 2 smaller beds;
• put another loo in the big cupboard by the current kitchen;
• leave the front of the garage as bike/ other storage.
• have a utility in the back of the garage with a glass door/ window for light;
• knock current bed 3 an utility together to make a nice big kitchen/ family room on the ground floor.

But this is because I’d much rather have a nice big kitchen with garden access than have a first floor kitchen next to the lounge. You might have different priorities.

The other alternative would be to forgot a separate utility downstairs and open up the back half of the garage into the open plan kitchen/ family room.

I'd put the kitchen downstairs across the back, with a dinee and a lounge in the garage. Then have beds upstairs.
Do you have to have 4 beds?

I agree with others. Option B won't be allowed as a bedroom.

I like the idea of turning the current utility, garage and bed 3 into a kitchen diner and a living room.
Then 2 beds plus a bathroom on the middle floor, and leave the top floor as is.

I am not sure how will it affect desirability of my house
The last three suggestions all involve converting the layout into something more conventional - which may be a hint (from a very small sample size) as to the general desirability of mews style homes on MN.

Do you need the 4th bedroom? If not, don't do a speculative conversion. Part of the desirability for future buyers will be having that option of having a garage, or converting to an office/gym/bedroom to suit their needs. If you do need the bedroom, do the conversion so that it's sympathetic to being readily used as either a bedroom, office or gym. Plenty of electrical sockets in the right place and either run cat 6 or install trunking so that it's an easy job to do in the future.