Garage Conversion Advice Sheffield

Garage to Office Conversion Advice

Recent events have changed how we all work in order to keep us safe and productive. There are more opportunites to work from home, cutting down on travel time and costs. Working from a kitchen or spare room if fine, on a temproary basis, but if you are looking at contiuing your work from home you need to look at permanent options that are cost-effective.

Modern homes have a built-in garage which generally becomes a store room of various descriptions. Using the garage makes use of a space you already own instead of going to the expense of building an extension.

Whether your home’s garage is integral or detached, converting it into an office is quick and easy. This type of project is often received more favourably by the planners, as they involve fewer alterations.

A garage conversion can provide useful extra space, increasing the value of your home so you can measure the modification costs against the increase in house value.

Cost to convert garage to office

How much does it cost to convert a garage into a room? One of the major factors when converting a garage into an office is cost. A comfortable office can be costly when adding amenities such as electrical points and plumbing.

For the purpose of our door and window installation services we will not be going into those in great detail. We will help you plan and design your garage door removal and fit your new composite door and UPVC window to allow access to your office with plenty of light for working.

There is a massive waiting list in the trade right now for this type of build, with clients in a queue, over one year long.

Going to an all-in-one builder, a single garage conversion £4,000 to £12,000. Double garage conversion £8,000 – £25,000, or at least £1,000/m2. This price includes construction, design, planning, building regulations and structural engineer costs.

PLANNING PERMISSION

Do you need planning permission to turn a garage into a room?

It is not necessary to get planning permission to undertake a garage to office conversion. However, there are some circumstances where planning permission is required so seek clarification from your local planning authority.

If you are not extending the footprint, or in a conservation areas, or the local council has restrictions on reduced parking, permitted development rights for this change of use could be removed. It does not rule out a garage conversion, but you will need to apply for full planning permission and put together a suitable set of drawings.

Submitting a planning application will be necessary if you want to fill in the garage door space with bricks and possibly add a window or door. If the garage conversion affects a shared wall with an adjoining property, the Party Wall Act will also apply. Garages that are in listed buildings will need Listed Building Consent.

BUILDING REGULATIONS

In all cases, garage conversions require Building Regulations consent and sign-off to make sure the space is suitable for occupation, so you will have to notify your local authority even if the work is just interior.

To comply, your home office will need to be structurally sound, have a damp-proof course, be well-insulated, energy efficient, have good ventilation and be fire proofed. All the new and existing electrics will be tested. A skilled builder or architect will be able to advise you on everything you need.

Most integral garage conversions will usually fall under Permitted Development, meaning planning permission is not required. However, it is still best to check with your local authority. Only 10% of garage conversions will require planning permission. If you live in a conservation area or in a listed building, you will almost certainly need planning permission. It is also worth checking for any planning conditions attached to the house or garage when constructed.

UTILTY SERVICES

Garage Conversion Plumbing and Elecrtrics

Our involvement is to create you a safe and secure entrance and working environment to your home office. Here is some general advice for plumbing and electrics on your garage to office conversion.

Make a thorough survey of the plumbing and wiring in the house and garage. Any wall you plan to pierce for doorways or windows needs special attention.

Check the garage for wiring in the walls and ceiling. Rewiring the garage for lights and electric radiators will place additional strain on the household mains

Plan heating, plumbing and electrics early. You will need to make sure your home office is comfortable all year round, so thoroughly plan your heating, lighting and electrics. A plumber may be able to extend your home’s central heating system or electric wall-mounted heaters can be relatively cheap to install.

LIGHTING

Most garages do not have any windows or only a small opening, so the interior is often dark and dingy. Take the time to think about lighting and how it will feel to work in the space.

If your budget can stretch, it’s a great idea to have a window installed. For the front of the house we can fit any size window to the space available. We can fit frosted glass, security glass or laminated glass windows.

For the back of the house we can measure and fit floor to ceiling windows or sliding doors leading to the garden could flood your workspace with natural light and totally transform the room. Glass bricks and roof lights are other options.

We do not offer garage conversions but we do offer fitted doors and windows to replace your old garage door.