Double Garage Conversion

5 years ago

Hi, it's time that I re-aquatint myself with Houzz. I've posted most of my house projects on here previously and received some great assistance along the way with the help of various posters on here.

So, as the title suggests - We're now in the very early stages of converting our double garage.

Why - the Mrs has gone self employed now and wants to bring her business in-house. She's a masseuse. We thought about investing in a specific 'garden room' but to be honest, with the size and finish that we want then you're looking at a lot of money, £15k ish. We looked at maybe a cabin of some description - but I'm not paying £5/6k for what essentially is just a glorified shed. To get that insulated, electrics etc would just be throwing money at it.

So we've decided on converting the garage - it's currently being used as 1) Gym and 2) general dumping ground. Yeah it's going to cost a few quid, but I think that it'll add value to the house, and we won't loose any garden space, or driveway space.

I will be throwing some design ideas around as I want to design it with longevity in mind, such as should situations change throughout the future the space can change as well. We already have electrics in there, and it backs onto the downstairs toilet so plumbing shouldn't be too much of an issue (she wants a small sink in there). Hopefully the amount of light will be ok with only a door and large window across the front without having to open up the side.

If anyone has any advice that they would like to offer then please feel free to input anything - good or bad. Also, throw some ideas into the hat, I'm sure that you'll think of something that I've not.

Budget I'm not quite sure how much I'm prepared to pay yet. I think that I will speak to the Mortgage people and see what can be done through them first, that'll at least give me something to work with. If they make it difficult then I have the money in various accounts elsewhere, but I'm not sure how much I want to break into those yet. I'm randomly thinking somewhere in the region of £10k max. My cousin is a builder and has just finished building his own house so I know he'll do me a decent job so I may get him around.

Featured Answer

Tim Summers
Original Author

2 years ago

So, this will be the last post on this thread - thanks for coming along for the ride :)

The weekend just gone all of the gear was removed from the old massage therapy room, and into the new.

We're still waiting on a few pieces of furniture to arrive, and over time we'll put up some shelves etc.

We're both super pleased that we committed to the garage conversion, even though it took the best part of a year with lots and lots of Covid delays.

I don't think that either of us expected it to be as nice as it eventually turned out.

Thanks for the ideas that have been thrown my way during the course of this thread, and for the positive comments.

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Comments (36)

PRO
User
5 years ago
I think it's an excellent idea, i would say just one thing. As the garage is nice and wide, I would leave a passage through it to retain your front to back access. Therefore, a window for the massage room and then a side passage.
Juliet Docherty
5 years ago
I converted my double garage into a studio for around 5-6k. We had a really wide opening so kept a quarter with a single garage door but essentially it is just storage accessed from the front. The remaining 3 quarters is an L shaped space with double aspect windows and access is form the back garden. It has a sink and heating and has been throughly insulated with cellatex. Only required a simple visit from Building control regarding insulation. Best thing we ever did and cost a fraction of a garden studio.
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rinked
5 years ago
So it's a detached house? Is the strip of land on the side yours? As in: Could you create a pathway to the back along the side of the garage?
Tim Summers
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Hi, thanks for the comments so far, it’s good to see that no one has instantly come out and said it’s a huge mistake, to the contrary actually which is pleasing.

Two comments about accessability to the back garden, its not via the garage at the moment anyway.

Yeah its detached and we have access around the other side (not shown in original photos)

The current back door of the garage looks like this
rinked
5 years ago
Would you still like some storage in there or can the Mrs have all of it?

Because with storage, there's only just enough space:

With a footpath on the right side of the house, the studio could have a nice hallway and there's the space to add a desk too, to have her entire business in there. Also plumbing can be fitted against the toilet wall. Add plenty of insulation, nice window treatment, underfloor heating. Wish it were mine! Wish her much luck and even more succes!
Sven
5 years ago
As long as there is sufficient parking on your drive way and your street, converting the garage is worth doing. If you are running a business from home that is more than building regs though.
PRO
User
5 years ago
I created it's own entrance so that you don't have to bring people through the house. Put a curtain up for extra privacy, provided a small seating area for meet and greet, with water cooler / dispenser. Storage and a vanity unit.
PRO
User
5 years ago
As someone else mentioned it above, there are Tax and Business Rates liabilities. Here's the link to the Business Rates on the Gov website, I believe you will have to pay Council Tax and Business Rates because of the Garage Conversion and people are visiting for a service. Gov.UK Business Rates However, you can claim Tax relief for some stuff, like Gas and Electric:- Gov.UK Tax Relief
User
5 years ago
We converted our garage into a room in our last house and it actually devalued the home. Everyone that came round wanted the garage. Thankfully we didn't remove the garage door so in the end we returned the garage back to its original state and the house sold for an increased value within 3 weeks. Just something to bear in mind. Also you are still going to have to put a shed or something up so you can store all your current items so you will have that cost to think about as well.
Sven
5 years ago
@Gerty Werty: It‘s silly as garages are very rarely used for cars, at least in all the homes that I have lived in. Mine has Christmas decorations, mower, bikes and an old table that I really should take to the dump. It would be so much more useful as a room, but most buyers want a garage despite the drive taking 4 cars.
User
5 years ago
Sven yes exactly. We thought the garage conversion wouldnt affect the sale but it did! I actually dont think the garage would be big enough to fit a car in these days anyway! But i guess people just want space to put their 'junk'. Weve got a double garage and a large workshop and I still get my husbands tools in my hallway!!!!!
Tim Summers
Original Author
5 years ago
Morning all, thanks for the replies so far - I think that together we can get something decent :)

I'll quickly try and answer some of the points/questions that have been raised, then later today I've got a couple of ideas that I scribbled down last night that I'll share.

So;

No I don't need any storage in there, we have a shed (which I will replace) around the side of the house which I can put my bike, lawnmower etc in. 80% of the stuff that's currently in the garage is junk - the other 20% I can store elsewhere. So, yes, the Mrs can have it all.

We have sufficient parking on our drive for a number of cars, and also there's parking on the street so parking is not an issue - also, converting the garage will allow us to retain the space out the front rather than using it for a garden studio/pod.

Yes we will be running a business from home - but as far as I'm concerned, it will only become a 'business' once we put a massage table in there and start charging customers. Until then, for purposes of building regs, council tax etc it's just an additional space and they don't need to know what's happening in there.

I'm tending to lean towards having a secondary 'front' door, and somehow dividing the space up with a stud wall - either horizontally, or vertically - so that if our needs change (elderly parents, kids can't afford to move out, air b&b etc) then we simple replace the massage table with a double bed, the some of the gym stuff with a sofa and TV, then bingo it's a nice little rental space. These are the ideas that I'll scribble down and post later today, as it's easier to understand with a picture.

But, one again, thanks to all who have got involved.
PRO
User
5 years ago
The trouble is with a lot of garages these days, the single ones that is, is that they are too small for today's cars. However, a double garage adds value definitely and it's worth speaking to an estate agent for an opinion. It's actually a lot harder to buy a house with a garage these days due to conversions, which is why a good garage will add value. We've considered moving in the past, and it's really hard to find good outside space, a garage / workshop, which obviously I can't manage without.
Tim Summers
Original Author
5 years ago
That is a really good point, and I have just sent an email to the estate agent that I purchased the house from asking in their opinion what effect they would consider a garage conversion to have on the value, and re-sale potential further down the line. I asked if a property of our size usually comes with a garage even if we can quite easily fit 5 cars on the drive. We're not planning on moving again anytime soon as we consider this our 'forever' house so I do feel as if we need to do what's right for us now, and for the next 20 years - but as selling it and downsizing is our retirement fund, then it would be some very valuable information to digest.
Tim Summers
Original Author
5 years ago
Well I've just done some digging around at lunch, and looked at the most recently bought property down our close - that was sold in January 2017 for £700k. It's pretty similar to ours, however it seems from their floor plans and the description they've converted their garage into two self contained, one bedroom maisonettes. see it here so there does seem to be a market for large family houses without garages, and for a decent price - and not being an arse, but ours is way better than that. All the other houses that have been sold date back to 2010 so I don't really think that's relevant information.

It also seems that 50% of the houses around our way have converted their garages, whereas the other 50% have not - but park up their drive so I'm assuming they're using their garage as storage.
Tim Summers
Original Author
5 years ago
I got a reply from the estate agents over night basically saying that where I live a garage is far less important in todays market and people generally seem happy to leave their cars outside as long as there is suitable off street parking facilities - which is good to know as it was something that I'd not even thought about before it was mentioned here.
PRO
Garageflex
4 years ago
Hi Tim - you may find some inspiration from the garage conversions we do although we don't necessarily fit them out as massage spaces. However, always worth a look to get ideas... www.garageflex.co.uk
This garage went from messy to WOW in 4 days! – Weybridge, Surrey · More Info
Tim Summers
Original Author
4 years ago
Quick update: It's taking way longer than anticipated. Maybe this wasn't the best time to try and get a project underway. We've been away for a few weeks visiting family etc, the builder has been away. But we've finally got the plans drawn up, made some alterations, and settled on what we want.

Yes, primarily it is going to be used as a massage therapy room, and small gym/other room - but we're keeping in mind that it could need to be used as a 'stand alone' self contained unit in the future.

This is the downstairs floor plan as it currently is - and it's the left hand side as we see it that we're concentrating on.

This is the final design that we've settled on

So, we're basically splitting the garage in 1/2 horizontally and putting an additional door and window at the front. Adding a window to the back room (gym/other room).

We're removing the back wall of the existing shower and putting in a shower and moving the toilet and sink around and blocking up the rear garage door to the back garden.

So, if we were to shut the door from the utility room to the kitchen then we basically have a self contained unit consisting of 2 rooms, 1 toilet/shower room, utility room.

All of this work falls under permitted development so planning permission isn't required. We may apply for a Lawful Development Certificate to keep a paper-trail.

A detailed quote should be following next including any surveys etc - I'm leaving the builder to handle all of that.

Will update once we see some more movement, but please feel free to comment.

I think that this is going to take quite a while to get this sorted - we're off to America for 3 weeks at the end of September so I doubt things will happen before we go, so hopefully before the end of the year we'll have it completed.
rinked
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I'd suggest lining up the shower with sink and loo, because that toilet needs some space.

And don't you think you'd rather have one bigger space? Perhaps with a thick panel curtain on workdays? 2m and 2.5m is rather tight (sorry if it's more, numbers on your plan are tiny).
PRO
Sarah Beeny's Renovate Don't Relocate
4 years ago
Hi Tim,

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We're looking for homeowners who have a design dilemma and have a budget to renovate, for whom Sarah can provide expert advice and help make your design go further!

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Tim Summers thanked Sarah Beeny's Renovate Don't Relocate
Tim Summers
Original Author
4 years ago
@rinq - Your thoughts are the same as mine, and I've tried to express this more than a few times to her, but she's adamant that she wants two rooms, and we've taped out the divide in the garage and I've actually had a massage in their and she swears it's fine. I've told her that I'm very concerned that this is going to be a very expensive 'mistake' and I don't want to be re-visiting it in a few years time to have the wall removed. She's not going to budge, so all I can do is hope that once it's completed it's sufficient.

I know that the numbers on the drawing are small, but the internal room dimensions (after taking into account additional insulation, wall thickness etc) are: Treatment room: 2508 x 4553 and the 'Gym' is: 2378 x 4553

Thanks for the comment on lining up the shower with the sink and loo - I'll talk with the builder on this.
rinked
4 years ago
Don't just tape off. Hang sheets. Place massage table, cabinets (boxes), chairs, dressing area. And see if she's stll content with the space. ;)
Tim Summers
Original Author
4 years ago
Great idea! I'd never thought of hanging sheets - of course that makes sense. I'll do that tonight so that we can consider things again over the weekend - I've got to replace a windowsill in one of the bathrooms with a uPVC one this weekend which should be fun as it was tiled, which had cracked, and water got in, and warped everything - so hanging sheets will be a good break unless I hang myself.
rinked
4 years ago
Sidenote: Curtains (or shutter panels, louvered, panel curtain, etc etc) and massage rooms are best friends! They really soften up the space.

I'd put a Veto on that wall.
rinked
4 years ago
Ooooh moisture... Good luck with that!
rinked
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
And when having flexible walls, you could flip the rooms and close off the first part of the gym on workdays, to create a bit of hallway (no equipment there anyway). And people will most likely feel more relaxed not being that close to the entry door (perhaps even warmer?).
Tim Summers
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Well well well, it's only been more than a year since I started this thread !!! Damn Covid scuppered all of our plans before this project even got off the ground.

HOWEVER .................................

We're back rolling again. Planning permission (or whatever it's called that we needed) has been granted for a while now, holes dug to check groundworks, some plasterboard removed and tested to check it's not containing asbestos.

And, now the most exciting bit of the 'build' to date - the bricks have just been delivered.

I don't think I've posted any 'official' plans for the build, so here is what on paper it's going to look like

I do have another drawing back at home with all of the dimensions on, so if anyone is interested then just shout, but I've hung sheets from the ceiling where the walls will be going and I'm more than happy with all of the sizes agreed on.
Tim Summers
Original Author
2 years ago
Quick update: I won't bother to include the 'build up' to where we are, but as of last night we're seeing some definite progress:

I've got an important call with the council planners, builder, and designer regarding a row of damn leylandii that I have to get rid of. I want to replace with a 6ft fence, but need to check about planning permission etc.

Not sure how much will get done today as both me and the wife are out pretty much all day, looking at my security camera I'm guessing not much lol

Only joking, they are super hard workers, who started at 07:00 so I think they're more than deserving of a break.
Tim Summers
Original Author
2 years ago
Once they get going then they certainly don't hang about !!!

Most of the brickwork is now complete - we're just waiting for the electrician to come over today to move the main fuse box which typically falls directly behind a side-door that we're putting in. Once that's done, then they can cut the rest out..

Yes I know that the gas / electricity boxes need some TLC - I'll replace them, or give them a good scrub up.
Tim Summers
Original Author
2 years ago
Finally finally finally we got the windows fitted this morning, and 95% of a door.

Once the missing panel is delivered at the end of next week then we’ll be weathertight and be able to press on with the inside.

This whole project has been delay after delay after delay what with Covid, no supply, no trades, massive lead times etc. But I think we’re starting to see the end goal.
jessa61
2 years ago
It's looking great! I can totally relate to the covid building delays! Will look forward to seeing it completed
Tim Summers
Original Author
2 years ago
There has been progress over the past few weeks. The plastering was completed on Friday, now we're starting the weeks drying time. So this week the carpenters are coming over to complete hanging the doors and finish off things. Then I think that towards the end of the week the electricians should be doing the final fix.

Next week the painters should be coming in - then I'll lay the floor - then the carpenters will come back to fix the skirtings, then painters just to paint the skirts. Definitely entering the home straight after waiting so long.

Fingers crossed that the carpenters and electricians have enough fuel to get to ours in order to work this week lol
Tim Summers
Original Author
2 years ago
Stop the press !! I think that by the end of this week we'll be finished.

There is no work happening today, but tomorrow (wed) the chippies are back to put the skirting boards on now that the floor is down and fix the door architraves, then the sparkies (thurs) to finish off the electrics, then friday the painters are back for the third and final coat on the walls and to paint the skirtings/doors/architraves (all to be painted F&B Worstead like other woodwork in the house).

Definitely in the home stretch. I won't hold my breath as I know how quickly a spanner can be thrown into the works, but fingers crossed.

I took Friday off work, and with Saturday and a bit of Sunday included, I managed to get all the floor down.

Note to self : REMOVE THE EXTERNAL STICKERS FROM THE CONSUMER UNIT ABOVE THE DOOR!
Tim Summers
Original Author
2 years ago
I think that by the end of this week we'll finally be completed !!!!

We had the carpenters around yesterday to fit the skirting boards and put in a nice hardwood threshold and to fit door architraves etc.

Sometime this week we should have the painters back to put a 3rd coat on the walls & ceiling, paint the skirtings & doors (F&B Worsted like the rest of the house)

Then before the end of the week the builders are back just to finish the little things (the wire for the radiator needs to look better, either trunking or clipped neatly to the wall and painted) etc.

We did the standard ceremonial trip to IKEA over the weekend and got the cabinets, blinds, shelves, picture frames etc (plus the obvious 150 tea-light candles that will never get used)

It's within touching distance.

I phoned the landscape people yesterday and given them 2 weeks notice to start their work as they need to hire a massive sump grinder as the one they have isn't big enough, and give them time to prep. now that the skip and builder have tidied everything up.
Avril
2 years ago
Nice to see a finished photo - it is looking great!