Has anyone converted their garage into a useable room?

[ilikeyoursleeves]

Hiya, we have a detached garage that is used to store junk. We live in a 3 bed house and DS has one room, we have another and DH has the small 3rd bedroom as a music room. He is a musician and has TONS of equipment and CD's etc so really needs this space. DC2 can share with DS but I'm thinking we could somehow convert the garage into a space for DH to do his music so that would free up the 3rd bedroom? It would need thoroughly insulated, waterproofed, soundproofed and be well secure. Any ideas how much that might cost? Has anyone done it already?

We've been thinking along similar lines... we were thinking of getting a more secure lock on the garage and putting weatherproofing along the bottom of the garage door... or would you need to take out the garage door and replace with a solid wall?
If you were converting into a proper room would you need planning permission? Also it would probably affect your house insurance as well, I guess!

yes we did, in our old house, yonks ago. we had a builder come and take off the garage door and half brick up then stick a window on top half then my husband and brother in law put plasterboard (i think that's what it's called?) on the walls, then papered and painted, laid carpet and hey presto - 4th bedroom!

Don't ask how much it was cos I can't remember. not much cos builder was a mate and the rest we did ourselves.

I'm not sure at all about planning permission etc, just thinking about it really just now. I think it would be better to make a solid wall somehow, haven't really thought it all through TBH! Have you had any quotes?

Detached garage different to integral though in terms of what is required.

Hecate was your garage integral or detached?

We did ours a couple of years ago. I think it cost about £7K but we did some of it ourselves to save money. So I think you would need to budget for at least £10K possibly more. It depends on whether you need planning permission (we did but rules have changed in past year) and also things like putting radiators in, windows etc.

integral.

W're converting our integral garages in the new year - it's costing just under £20K for the two rooms. We didn't need planning permission but needed something called a building warrant (we live in Scotland).

No we haven't a quote, just thinking about it vaguely... probably use it as a store/playroom so we probably wouldn't bother about heating (though might buy an electric heater for the winter). Our garage is attached to the side of the house.

We converted an integral garage in our old house and are probably going to do our garage here which is detached. The quote we have had is for leaving the door and having the front for storage then a room at the back. It is £2,200 or slightly less depending on which insulation used.

We have just done our and needed planning approval and building regs!!

It cost about 8k to complete.

I think the planning s required because it is classed as change of use.

I would also make sure you tell your car insurance company that your vehicle will no longer be garaged over night

If it were me I would keep the garage door at the front and use a small amount of the garage for storage - if you have an up and over garage door you could possibly look at how far along the ceiling that comes and convert from there and behind.

My mate has just had her garage converted but it was integral and they got rid of the garage door and put a window in. That cost £8k, that was plastering, sockets, flooring, running a new radiator in etc

Thanks for all the advice. Not sure what to do as our garage is detached so it would look weird with no door etc. Good idea Fizzy though re only converting a part of the garage, might look into that option.