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Converting Garage into Living Space
Another brilliant idea in this latest contributed post. We did not think of doing this but it certainly would have cost us a bunch less than the renovations we’re planning. We’re building a Master Bedroom above our garage.
On with the contributed post.
From Garage To Living Space – Make The Conversion Work For You
These days, it feels like we could all do with a little more space at home. And this is especially the case for many families. It’s always nice for everyone to have their own space in a home, but because of current financial restraints on most people, many families are living in homes that are only just big enough for them. There’s not much stretching out space, that’s for sure!
But there is a great solution that some families are utilizing in their homes – converting their garages into extra living space. This is the perfect solution for creating a new nursery for the kids, or making a games room that the whole family can enjoy. It’s also one way you can add another bedroom to the family home if you are expecting a new addition in a few months.
Some families might be quite wary about going ahead with a garage conversion, though, especially if they have never carried out a similar home project before. But this kind of conversion project isn’t actually as difficult as it might appear on the face of it.
As long as you follow these useful tips, you will find that turning your garage into a living space will be easier than you had ever envisioned.
Get Planning Permission
First of all, and probably most importantly, you need to make sure that your plans for a conversion get passed.
It is super important to apply for this kind of planning permission as it is the law. If you go ahead and start the work without getting the required permissions, then you will probably be fined and ordered to revert the garage to its original use.
That will be very expensive as you will need to pay not only for the conversion to a living space but then the conversion of the structure back to a garage! So, before you begin hiring any contractors and making any firm plans, draw up some blueprints of your ideas (you can get an architect to help you with this) and submit them to your local planning office. After a couple of weeks, you should hear if they have been passed or not.
Don’t panic if they aren’t passed the first time, though. You can often make some tweaks to the plans so that they are okayed by your local planning office.
Take Out Insurance
Once you have your all-important planning permission and have an idea of how you are going to convert your garage space, you need to take out some insurance. This is incredibly important – it isn’t a legal requirement to have insurance for a conversion, but it really will be in your best interest.
You can now buy special policies that cover conversion projects. These are sometimes slightly cheaper than taking out regular building and construction insurance, but that isn’t always the case. However, a conversion insurance policy can be tailored to fit your specific project, which can be very advantageous.
Research Contractors
Once you are all ready to start work on your garage conversion, you need to find some contractors to carry out the various jobs. Of course, if you or your partner have any building and DIY experience, you might be able to complete the whole conversion on your own.
However, this can be very time consuming, and there is a large margin for error, so you will always be better off handing the responsibility over to a professional. When you start looking for contractors, make a list of the ones you need and research them well.
If you click here you can find out about a company that can update your garage doors to make them better suited to your garage’s new purpose. You will also need to find a plasterer, electrician, and potentially some builders if you are significantly changing the structure of the garage.
If you aren’t entirely sure how you should style the interior of your new living space, you could always enlist the help of a local interior designer. Researching all contractors ensures that you hire the best ones for the job. Ideally, you should get some recommendations from friends and family members. But if no one you know has carried out their own conversion recently, then you should take a look at online reviews.
Consider Adding Windows
Most garages don’t have any windows in them. If they do, they are often very small and will only let in a limited amount of light. To improve the ambience of your new living space, you should add a few more windows to the walls. This will increase the natural light in the room, and will also give you something to look out of at the nice view.
This might be quite expensive, as the work can be fairly complicated depending on how old your garage’s building is. But a reputable window firm should be able to give you a reasonable quote for the work.
Just make sure that you go for double glazing so that your new living space is well insulated!
Think About Building Regulations
As you are changing the use and purpose of this room from a garage to a living space, your conversion will have to meet certain building regulations. For instance, you will now need to make sure that the room has plenty of ventilation and insulation.
There will also be a few safety regulations that you need to follow as well, such as ensuring that there are plenty of escape routes out of it and that it has been correctly fireproofed.
These are just some examples of the regulations, there are more you will need to meet. If your final room does not meet them, then you could be fined and ordered to carry out further work to make sure it comes up to standard.
Keep all of these tips and pieces of advice in mind when you start to think about your garage conversion. By the end of it, you will have a fantastic new living space your family can stretch out into!
Have you ever converted your garage into a living space?
Very very informative and effective writing on converting garage to living room. I must say all the mentioned points are making some sense and Helpful for many individuals like me, who do not have much idea about the renovation or interior stuff. Well done, Thanks for sharing such a helpful stuff.
Thanks for your wonderful, affirming comment. Much appreciated.