What would you say is the most neglected area of your home? For most, it’s the garage. This little building is often left to its own devices. When the rest of the house gets a fresh coat of paint or some TLC, your garage is often left to its own devices and usually stacked with boxes! However, if you are after some more space in your home, you may be sitting on the answer. Converting your garage into a new room or living area is a great option for a lot of people, but is a garage conversion it right for you?

Pros

Relatively Cheap

It costs less than some other conversions. The average cost in the UK for a garage conversion is around £7000 to turn it from a cold, dusty unloved space into a new liveable room that you can be proud of. This is a great way of getting that extra space that won’t break the bank and will potentially add value to your house.

Quick & Easy

You’re never in the garage as long as you think you are, as a result when work begins it won’t interrupt your daily life too much. Not only this but the work can be completed in only a few weeks.

The speediness and ease of installation are two big benefits that you will get than This is a great bonus if you’re on a budget as you won’t have to pay out as much for labour costs. It’s also really good if you want the work doing quickly because you want/need to use it straight away.

Brand New Living Space

This may be an obvious answer but it’s probably the main benefit to you. A garage conversion will give you more space. 

They can become a lot of things – gym, office, bedroom, you name it, it can be done! And as a result that can give you a bump in your home’s value. This is especially true if you still have off-road parking available post-conversion.

Not Sacrificing Space

Even if planning permission is needed to change the exterior, you can still do the inside whilst you’re waiting for it to come through – you don’t need it to do the interior.

The space already exists. You don’t have to lose your garden to add a room. You may not have the space to legally expand beyond the existing home’s footprint. The garage may be the only area that you can expand into.

Cons

You’re Not Guaranteed A Bump in Value

Most renovations and updates you do to your home will add value to your house. The garage is no exception, however, just as it could add value to your home it could also lower the value of your home.

This most commonly happens when you live on a very busy street and you don’t have a dedicated driveway. If there is a lack of car parking, then converting your garage may not be the best option for you. You could always give up some front garden space if possible but if not, it could seriously impact the value of your home when it comes time to sell up.

It may also affect your council tax as this would count as an extra room. This is definitely something you should investigate and see whether you can afford the changes.

You Do Lose Some Space!

If you’re anything like us, your garage is used partly as car storage and partly as storage for everything else that doesn’t fit in the house. The trade-off you have to make is will you give up the storage space for a living space.

Buy Cheap Buy Twice

This little maxim is very true. Your garage probably doesn’t have the same standards of quality as the rest of your home. So, if you are going to convert it, make sure you pay for good quality. Particularly with insulation. If you don’t get good insulation, it could become cold and damp quite quickly costing you more money to fix the issue.

Planning Permission Hassles

Getting planning permission is always a bit of a hassle and can be a headache if the neighbours object to the work. Admittedly this would only be needed if you planned on changing the exterior of the garage, but always worth considering.

Converting a garage may seem like a great idea but be sure to weigh the pros and cons before starting any project on your home. It may be better simply to move, or it may save you the hassle of relocating if everything except lack of space is perfect. 

If you are looking at converting your garage and would like some advice, please consult an expert opinion and speak with us today. Click for contact >