Planning Permission Tips UK - Garage Conversions - What Value Do They Add?

Article by: Martin Meaks

Most conversion works to an existing structure is often more expensive than having it knocked down & rebuilt. The main reason for this is the VAT element that is exempt for new dwellings. There have been numerous examples where extensive extension & conversion work has proved more expensive than rebuilding the scheme a-fresh from the ground up.

However, where VAT is still applicable even for new build within an existing residential curtilage, the conversion route is often still less expensive. This can also have the added benefit of retaining the sites character & charm where as a complete new build can often stand out like a sore thumb.

Garage conversions are a case in point. Converting a domestic garage , How to Install a Ceiling Fan (normally integral or attached to the main dwelling) is a growing , Build Your Own Garage Workbench trend that I cannot see declining in the coming years.

Peoples desire for additional living space is by far more important than the the requirement to store a motor car or general household , Improving your Home with New Windows storage which is more often the case.

WIth the general superior build quality of most modern day cars the need for undercover parking in order that they start in the morning has now diminished. This combined with the relative cheapness of cars makes that valuable garage , Things To Consider When Buying a Pool area look very under used.

Off road car parking is till very important but a physical building , Things To Consider When Buying a Pool to store it in overnight in is not.

So what are the issues relating to converting an existing garage , Things To Consider When Buying a Pool into habitable room , What are the Benefits of Cabinet Refacing? space? Well firstly, most garage , Tips for Home Remodeling Projects conversions do not require the benefit of a separate Planning Approval unless there is a condition on the original Planning Approval restricting the garages , Table pads - I think this covers everything. use. Always check with your Local , The Faucet: A Deciding Factor Planning Authority first but in most cases specific Planning Approval should not be required (subject to conditions & Planning criteria).

If the garage , The Faucet: A Deciding Factor is to become a useful additional to the main dwelling then it should ideally be converted in a way that makes it hard for the 'lay person' to tell that the space was originally a garage. , Stone Foundation Repair

This means that the new room , Choosing an efficient dishwashers (previous garage) should be preferably accessed off the main hall way, have follow through floor , How to Keep Your Bathroom Looking Showroom Perfect levels (rather than step downs), have similar floor , 7 Materials For Creating The Perfect Kitchen Countertop to ceiling levels, have all the meter services relocated to outside , Home Heating Oil Tanks: FACT vs FICTION - What You Really Need to Know! meter boxes, be centrally heated, thermally upgraded for the floor , Conventional Steam Saunas vs. Infrared Saunas walls, & ceilings, & have a quality in-fill construction for the old garage , Why Choose An Air Mattress? door opening. Most of these items are covered within the Building Regulations , How to Install a Ceiling Fan for which the conversion must comply also to.

As a guide, a good single garage , The Need for National Guidelines and Testing in the Home Improvement Industry conversion incorporating these element will be in the order of Ã‚Â£15 to Ã‚Â£20K. Cheaper conversions can be achieved but they will always feel like a 'converted garage' & may not add the full value to a property. , Plastic Laminate Countertops Explained

If the converted garage , How to Keep Your Bathroom Looking Showroom Perfect can only be accessed off another room , Home Air Purifiers: Healthy Home Solution such as the living room , 7 Fixups to Sell Fast and For Top Dollar or kitchen, , How to Keep Your Bathroom Looking Showroom Perfect they can still perform a useful functioning extra room , Quartz Countertops As An Alternative To Granite or Laminate but they may not have the flexibility of use compared to access form a common circulation area.

So what are the typical uses for garage , Bamboo Flooring - The "Other" Wood conversions? The most common use is for a study area whether it be for the business dealings of the parent working from home , Selling Solar to Your Utility - Interconnection Agreements or the children having a dedicated place , Cheap Faux Wood Blinds - An Alternative to Wooden Blinds? to study homework outside , Leather Sofas Choosing Tips of their bedroom which is not very desirable.

Another common use is for a ground floor , Plastic Laminate Countertops Explained bedroom for an elderly relative or even a son or daughter unable to purchase a property , Top 5 Best Motor Home Rentals but now requiring some extra space for a baby for example.

Separate dining rooms , Step Ladders are now a thing of the past really but if the garage , Laminate Flooring Basics adjoins the usual 3M x 2M developer designed pokey kitchen , 3 Things To Know About Making Home Improvements To Increase The Value of Your Home then by knocking through into the garage , Hot Tubs, Good Investments, Yay or Nay? area often creates a great full sized family kitchen/eating area that is so much in demand these these days (the Jamie Oliver effect).

When should a conversion be avoided? - generally if the garage , What You Should Look For When Buying an Outdoor Wood and Coal Furnace is detached or some distance away from the main dwelling. Also, if the loss of a car parking space within the garage , Things To Consider When Buying a Pool means that the property , Home Heating Oil Tanks: FACT vs FICTION - What You Really Need to Know! is unable to park at least 2 cars unless your have adequate on road parking available right outside , Buying Furniture Online Can Be Safer Than Offline the property. , Save Money by Becoming Your Own Home Remodeling Contractor

Future trends for new build? - Even the Planning policy design , Outdoor Kitchens - Simple and Sophisticated guidance is now erring away from dedicated garages , Plastic Laminate Countertops Explained for densely populated developments preferring to have the space released for extra habitable rooms. , Tips for Home Remodeling Projects A dedicated off road car paring space or two in the open is now preferred over garages , Improving your Home with New Windows - Planners also realise that most garages , Kitchen Remodelling: Seven Tips for DIY Kitchen Makeovers are not used for the storage of cars so they are now doing something about it.

To emphasis the point further, we have never yet been asked to convert a habitable room , Gel Candles Myths into a garage , Log Homes - Finding the Perfect Log Home Plan space but we are asked several times a year to complete the opposite. I am sure in London & such places , Leather Sofas Choosing Tips such 'reversionary garage' schemes have been completed but this is certainly not typical when compared to the larger picture of what the current development trends are.

Our 'Maximum Build Planning Guide' explains further the issues involved when converting existing structures & what areas can be exploited for developing land, buildings , 7 Fixups to Sell Fast and For Top Dollar or a site for residential use. Obtain planning permission with our guide.

http://www.planning-permission.co.uk

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