A lot of garages around Chelmsford are full of everything except cars. Converting yours into a home office, playroom, gym or extra bedroom is one of the most cost-effective ways to add living space, because the walls, roof and foundations are already there.
Do you need planning permission?
Often not. If the work is all internal and you’re not making the building any bigger, a garage conversion is usually covered by permitted development. But there are some important exceptions:
- Some newer estates have planning conditions that remove permitted development rights or say the garage must be kept for parking, so check your property’s planning history before you start
- Listed buildings and some conservation areas have extra controls
- If you’re extending the garage or making big changes to the outside, you may need permission
If you’re not sure, we can check for you. We’d also recommend a Lawful Development Certificate from the council for peace of mind when you come to sell.
Building regulations
This is the part you can’t skip. Turning a garage into a habitable room will normally need building regulations approval. That covers things like:
- Filling in the garage door opening with a properly built wall and window
- Insulating the floor, walls and roof
- Damp proofing, as garage floors are often lower than the house
- Ventilation
- Fire safety and a safe way out
- Electrics, and heating if you’re adding it
Done properly, you shouldn’t be able to tell it was ever a garage.
Things to check before you start
- Where you’ll park, and whether losing the garage matters on your road
- What’s stored in there now and where it will go
- Whether the floor needs raising to match the house
- Where the boiler, meters or pipework are, as they may need moving
- How you’ll heat the room
How we do it
We take garage conversions from start to finish: the drawings and building regs, the brickwork to fill in the door, insulated floors and walls, then plastering and finishing. You can see one we did recently on our projects page, from bare walls to a finished, insulated room.
If you’re planning a project in Chelmsford or anywhere in Essex, get in touch for a free site visit or call Mark on 07747 022565 or Garrat on 07783 549849. You can also read more about our extensions and conversions.