If the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown rules have made you realise that your family is outgrowing your home, you aren’t alone. Across the world, many people are starting to realise that things are a little cramped when you are all together. This has prompted some drastic measures for some people who are looking to sell and upgrade their home. However, with a little innovative thinking, you could stay where you are but maximise your living space.
A garage conversion can increase the value of your property by up to £45,000 and can be achieved in as little as a week! It also won’t create a mess in your house like a loft conversion or eat into your precious garden space.
Before you do anything, you need to plan your space and look at the integrity of your garage, particularly if you live in an older building. HIghlight the extent of the work you need to do, and you may find that it is cheaper and safer to remove the old shed and start again with something new.
You need to consider the budget so you can decide what the results will look like and if you have the money, bring in an architect to help you create a high-end finish. A professional designer will be more creative and will help you to bring your design in to match with the rest of your home. Some companies specialise in garage conversions too, these work like a one-stop-shop and will take you through the design process and see you through to the end of the build.
If your garage is detached, you could create an annexe. If it is a single garage that is attached to the house, then you could add a playroom for your children, a small guest room or an office. Depending on the location, it may also open up your kitchen into a larger kitchen diner.
You must check to see if you need any planning permission. In many cases, a garage conversion is a permitted development so won’t. Still, it pays to check especially if you live in an area of conservation or your property is particularly old. Do you research and only proceed once you know you are able.
Before you can get on with the primary conversion, you must do some essential work to the walls and roof of your garage. They need to be robust and watertight. Look here for information on damping and how to ensure you end up with a completely dry conversion.
You are also going to need to have the floor levelled and work out how to create a step through into your own home. Make sure you do the structural work before moving on to the next stage so that you don’t have any issues once your beautiful conversion is complete. If you skip this stage, it can be really costly in the future.
Once you have all the critical work done, including the roof and wall insulation and adding new doors and windows, you can start to get to the exciting part of the build.
Over the next stages, you will start to see your conversion take shape. Depending on the type of room you have gone for, you need to start working out your colour scheme and furniture designs. While the building work is being done, it’s a great time to get out and run through all the interior design elements of your extension. Maybe you chose to create a space that is entirely different from your main house, or perhaps you want to bring the design through to create a natural flow. Either way, the interior design elements of your home need to be perfect. So view tiles, flooring and get some paint samples ready. Then think about the furnishings – maybe you want to use what you have in your home already then update the main house with new and modern furniture.
When the building works are complete, you can start making the new space really feel like home. You will be amazed at the difference by the end of the project. What once was a dark and damp storage area will now feel like a light and bright part of your main home.
Decorate the space and then, crack open a bottle of bubbly and celebrate your beautiful new extension. Your house is now the perfect size for all of the family!