Garage conversion for a bedroom or just an extra room

[Junegirl15]

We are looking to get the garage converted in our three bed semi. Should we make it officially a bedroom- ie get planning per/building regs approval for it to be a bedroom? We don’t need it as a bedroom now but at some point we may need it for an elderly parent to move in for example. Or is it much easier to just have the room as eg an office/kids tv room. And have a sofa bed for occasional guests?

If you don't have a planned use for it, why bother?

For me, it would devalue the house. I know that not everyone values a garage so highly though.

In what way are the planning regs different?

I did this (needed as I'm disabled) also a 3 bed semi. I obviously did it for a bedroom, from memory the only thing that affected my choices was the window (has to have one that opens wide enough to evacuate through they even came and measuredthe opening). So if that's the only difference I'd apply for bedroom use as it could be useful in the future (perspective buyers if you ever sell).

We converted our garage (tandem garage attached to side of house) into part garage/part dining room. It's been brilliant. It doubles up as a kids games room with tv and games consoles at one end and dining table at the other end. We used to also have a sofa bed in there for guests. Our house is significantly worth more now as we have two reception rooms now.

I think building regs will be the same for any habitable accommodation - so a study, bedroom, living room etc, but could be wrong.

For PP it will depend on whether the garage had PP in the first place and whether that PP had any conditions requiring it to be used as a garage only. If that is the case, PP will be required to remove that condition.

PP may be required if there are external alterations, but unless this involves extending forward or flank windows, this is less likely.

Again, in planning terms it makes no difference what the new use will be, it's the change from garage use that is relevant.

We did a garage conversion for office use and still had to get building regs to come out and inspect and give a sign off at the end, as it was conversion to use as “domestic room”. We didn’t need planning for ours as it was within permitted development but still needed the building regs.

Yes, it was the same for us as @Mumlaplomb .

Thanks all. That is really helpful. Looks like we would need building regs approval sign off but not PP - no extension of footprint of the garage will be required. The gas meter is in the garage so that may need to be moved - need to look at that.

I know this sounds really obvious, but unless the garage is currently empty or you plan to build another garage or massive shed, you need to think about where all the stuff that is currently in the garage is going to go.

There may be things like whether the foundations are good enough for a dwelling, similarly insulation and damp proofing, cavity walls or single skin, get it checked if you don't know. If you just knock through and use it as you want probably no problem, but if/when you want to sell claiming it as part of the house it will have to comply.

@Junegirl15 why do you want to convert it?

We are a family of five with three teenagers who have friends around and one of the elderly grandparents is spending more time with us so some of the time we are now 6 plus friends etc. ideally what a room the teenagers can hang out in and I could use as an office sometimes (rather than the dining room table). Two of the kids share a room but that is fine - they like it (at the moment!)

This is really helpful - these are the things I need to ask the Building Regs folk about. Definitely single skin currently.

If it's single skin, it'll be too cold. Not sure what building regs says but it won't be pleasant to live in. It won't be too hard to make it double skin. We built over our garage and a second wall is added to inside the garage to support the inner bricks fo second floor. The makes our garage now double skin on the side. But the builders only put insulation on the second floor because we left our garage as a garage. There might be something they need to do to the floor too. Ours a big concrete slab.

The gas meter was in our garage, recessed into the wall. We just had it boxed in as part of the room. If you need to convert for more room for your teens, then definitely go for it. I couldn't imagine living here without our garage conversion, it's been a godsend for us.