Building above a garage... If you want to know how your DIY projects could be affected by building and planning regulations, click here to post questions and view answers

[MaverickUK82]

My girlfriend and I were thinking of moving as we are expecting our second child. However, due to the current housing market and the insecurity of it all. We are planning on extending the house. Let me describe my house.

Our house is a semi-detatched. We have our neighbours on one side, and on the other side of our house we had our garage. The garage was converted into a room before we moved in. We can access the room from our house via a door into the kitchen. Next to our garage is our neighbours garage. So next doors garage is attached to our house, not theirs if that makes sense.

I would like to do one of three things (maybe more over time).

Could we extend our house by building another room above our garage, accessible from the 1st floor of our house? What would the planning implications be? Would it be expensive, it's roughly 3mx5m (the garage), would like to maybe add a bedroom with an ensuite above it.

The other two options would be to buy next doors garage or add a conservatory to the back. But building above the garage would be best...

[kbrownie]

Hi,
you would need planning permission and building controls to be involved with this project. As to cost depends where you live and the type of materials you intend to use or what planning insist you use.
Plans could easily cost £1000 and build £40000 depending on amount of work you can do yourselfs?
It would be a good idea if you take look around the house nearby and see if they have had the same done as you wish to do, as this would be a good guide to the possibilty of you have planning granted.
If you bought neighbours garage again planning and building controls would apply.
Good Luck
KB

[MaverickUK82]

Would I need planning permission to buy their garage then?

[MaverickUK82]

The cost of this is a big implication for me. We couldn't afford 40k.

The actual building work seems fairly simple to me...

wouldn't it be a case of taking the roof off the existing garage, building the walls up, then putting the roof back on? obviously, it's more complicated that that, but isn't that the gist of it? I can't see how it could cost 40k!

Is there a way I could get a rough price of the work before spending any money on planning etc. It would be a shame to shell out for planning only to find out that I couldn't afford the work...

[kbrownie]

Hi, there is lots things that need to be addressed in a project such as.
Is the garage structual sound enough to carry the build on top for starters.
If you want to get an estimate, id recommend you get a rough idea what you want to build on paper via a drawing plan. then get some builders in to give you quotes. It's not as simple as taking a roof off and building up. Even though that is what you are doing, you'll need tradesmen in such as joiners, brickies, plumbers, roofers, sparky's, plasterers, decorators.
and building controls will need to be complied to. 40k was stab in the dark as I don't know how much work will be involved and how much you can contribute to it and the area where you live.
But I would be interested in the quotes you do recieve to see how close I was.
You would not need planning permission to buy the garage, but would to develope it as it would be a change of use.
Sorry if I've scared you with price but a calculated estimate with the little i know of your project.
KB