Estate agent details often include a garage in the floor plans of a property to make the living space look bigger.
Yet more than half of households with a garage rarely or never use it, according to research by lender Admiral Money.
With the average house price falling by 0.3 per cent last month, according to Halifax, one expert says that by converting a garage into living space you might boost the value of your home by an estimated £43,000.
Room with a view: Most garage conversions do not require any extra planning permission
Scott Cargill, chief executive of Admiral Money, says: ‘Few of us still use our garages to park a car, so converting one could be the perfect adjustment to add space, reinvent any wasted area and importantly, add value to your home.’
The research revealed that of the 16 per cent who have already converted their garages, two thirds have opted to install utility rooms and offices. A further quarter have created bars, gyms and even home cinemas.
‘But while converting a garage will add square footage to a home, the ultimate value of the renovation won’t be realised until it is sold, so any works undertaken will need to be given the same consideration as any other large financial purchase,’ says Cowgill.
The standard size of a UK garage is 128 sq ft, with each sq ft adding around £335 of value to the average property, according to property data company TwentyCi. That suggests a garage could add an extra £43,000 to your home’s value.
Charlie Syson, of Chestertons estate agents, says: ‘Converting your garage into habitable living space is the most valuable conversion you can do. In most cases you own the land your garage is on, it requires no planning permission and most of the time, no structural work so is a very cost-effective way to increase square footage and living area.
‘If you knock down walls to create a bigger, open-plan space, block off the garage door and add insulation, you can gain liveable space.’
Converting your garage into habitable living space is the most valuable conversion you can do
Charlie Syson of Chestertons
Syson says that while the upfront cost of a conversion could be off-putting, homeowners could increase their property value by more than £43,000 on average across the UK, according to recent figures, ‘and by up to £150,000 in some London postcodes’.
A basic garage conversion can cost as little as £6,000 for a single garage, while a full conversion is between £10,000 and £20,000.
It’s estimated only ten per cent of garage conversions require full planning permission, according to the home extension firm, Resi.
The rest come under permitted development rights. These rights ensure that as long as the works carried out are internal, and you are not trying to enlarge the existing structure, you can avoid a traditional planning application and move straight to the building regulations stage.
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However, homeowners may need planning permission if their garage is detached from the rest of their property.
James Perris, a director at De Villiers Surveyors, says: ‘Converting an integral garage into living accommodation will almost certainly come under permitted development, but checks will still be needed with your local authority – especially if you will inevitably be changing doors or windows and your neighbours’ privacy cannot be compromised. If you are just laying down a carpet and calling it a gym then no, but if you want to create an annexe then yes, you will need to check with the local authority regarding consent.
‘This is because the local authority generally requires consent for living accommodation where any building is not attached to the main residence. You should also be mindful that garages are not generally built to the same standard as that of the main house. They are often made of a single layer of brickwork (rather than two layers as with most standard homes), so if you do get consent, some fairly significant building works will be required.’
For any full-scale conversion, homeowners will also need to follow building regulations, which cover aspects such as fire safety, sound, ventilation, drainage and waste disposal among other requirements.
To ensure your project is in line with building regulations, Resi recommends commissioning a set of technical drawings of the proposed build from an architect so the contractor has detailed instructions on meeting all legal requirements.
Resi also suggests that even if a homeowner does not need to complete a full planning application, they should still obtain a ‘lawful development certificate’.
Anyone can apply for one through their local planning authority to obtain a decision on whether an existing or proposed development is lawful for planning purposes or not.
A lawful development will prove to both the local authority and future buyers that your project was legal at the point of construction.
Liaising with an accredited architect who can help decide the best way to design your garage may add to your budget but it may save you money in the long term.
On average, professional fees for an architect range from between £1,500 to £3,000 per job depending on the complexity of the conversion.
Architect Martin Hitchcock, from Wales, advises homeowners to think about how a garage conversion will benefit them and whether they will still need to have some of it for storage space.
‘An architect can offer insight and ideas that you might not have thought of and could save you money in the long run, as your builder will have detailed drawings to work with which will help provide more accurate costs,’ he says.
‘Whether you choose to extend your kitchen, install a gym, set up a playroom or have an art studio or office, your garage can go from a place for forgotten clutter to a space that completely transforms the way you live.’
Garage conversions are also scaleable according to Charlie Syson, meaning you can not only add value but make it pay for itself.
He says: ‘Creating a self-contained ‘Granny Annexe’ and adding a kitchen unit would mean you have a potential opportunity to Airbnb or rent out the space when it’s not in use.
‘And if you don’t have the finance to convert your garage professionally then it’s best to self-convert and use the space as a teenage den or home gym – living space will nearly always add value to a property.’
