Converting a large prefab garage/small barn....

[KatyMac]

Looking at buying a house with a large (9.8x5.5) prefab garage/almost a barn

Im an eco geek, in an ideal world id like to renovate it but the issues I can see are

1. the roof Is it asbestos Do I need to replace it the metal work looks ropey
2. adding more windows There are only 4 & I envision patio doors/French windows - if you cut holes in prefab concrete what happens? Do I need to remove whole segments? Rather than cut a home?
3. Insulation

Obviously ill need planning permission and building regs if i want a bathroom/bedroom

But if its impossible i can just insulate and use as a workroom by building an internal frame and insulating a room/box- possibly even freestanding

Any thoughts?

Asbestos roof, prefab construction. Knock it down ( safely) and rebuild what you want.

It depends whether the garage is coming to the end of it's useful lifespan really. If it's 20+ years old and/or hasn't been maintained well, there's likely not much you can do to save it. A reputable builder is likely to advise you to knock down and rebuild. If it's a very large building (assuming measurements are in metres) and likely not water tight or well insulated, you'd likely soon spend as much money trying to waterproof, insulate and heat it then you would just buying a new smaller garden office.

Do you know a builder irl who you could ask to go to a viewing with you and advise? The flip side is, if it does need demolishing, you may be able to negotiate on the price, as some buyers may be put off by the work involved in getting rid of it.

It looks pretty new, obviously I'd have the roof checked for asbestos before I bought, but I anticipate it not being asbestos

Looking at the photos its in excellent nick

The local council allows annexes but in order of preference its

a) connected to the house
b) converted out building
c) new build

Lots to think about

If I connect it to the house, side access to the garden is reduced/eliminated

Ok had some professional advise and its a non starter

Poop!

A sectional concrete garage with asbestos roof is nearing the end to of its life. Money is much better spent knocking down and replacing with a new building that suits your neeeds.

Could you remove the garage and put a wooden 'home office/ garden building on the existing base?

It's relatively new and the roof isnt asbestos but concrete

But adding openings is a problem and it has virtually no insulating properties

So storage and maybe an internal insulated box for a workshop, you know a small 5m x 5 m one 🤪

Removing it means 2 wooden buildings so probably not

If we can fit all the work buildings in the garden we can all fit in the house for sleeping which is fine

Do you know how long it's been on the market for? If it's been a while, you could do some research into how much it would cost to build the amount of garden office space you need and make an offer based on that.

About a week!

Im convinced its going to be bought by a builder and we'll miss it