nick205
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 posted on 31/8/16 at 12:33 PM |
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Garage conversion - oh dear
Afternoon all,
The wife and I have 3 kids having planned for 2, but encountered twins the 2nd time around. As I say we planned to have 2 kids and that meant we
bought a 3 bedroom semi. With 5 of us now and 3 beds our 2 boys (8 and 10) are sharing a room. As they get bigger and more independent sharing a
room is becoming somewhat of a nightmare for us and for them.
We've looked at the cost of moving house, but the jump from a 3 to 4 bed house isn't possible for us. As chance would have it we have an
integral garage in the house. This has lead us to consider converting the garage to achieve a 4th bed (others in our street have already done so).
Having a "man space" for tools and currently for bikes etc has been very nice, but I don't really see that we have too many options
left, but to convert. To that end we had a builder round last week to measure up, advise and give us a quote.
My question to you lot is has anyone else done this and what were the pros and cons?
Fair to say I'm apprehensive and more than a little sad, but life goes on as they say
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coozer
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 12:42 PM |
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Got any land down the side, access to the back to put a garage up?
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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Ugg10
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 12:51 PM |
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Not done it myself but a couple of thoughts -
Insulation is probably the key and making sure the garage existing walls have a damp course. if it is flat roof then insulation in the roof may be a
challenge.
Assuming the garage is single skin then insulation, batten and plaster is the easiest but use the best insulation you can (celotex ?). This will also
take the least amount of the size of the room.
Levelling out the floor to match the ground floor of the house without loosing too much head room may be a challenge. levelling the floor gives the
opportunity to put insulation into the floor.
Moving / re-routing radiators can be tricky.
If you have room down the side for a lean to or wooden construction this would help with the storage.
Good luck with the project.
---------------------------------------------------------------
1968 Ford Anglia 105e, 1.7 Zetec SE, Mk2 Escort Workd Cup front end, 5 link rear
Build Blog - http://Anglia1968.weebly.com
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nick205
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 12:53 PM |
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Already considered options (including a loft conversion), but we have a footpath down one side and our neighbours attached to the other side. As
above we seem to have little choice left, but the relative luxury of the integral garage, which keeps costs down and feasibility up.
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coozer
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 12:54 PM |
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Aye, is it built in flush or does it stick out half and half like the ones round here?
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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nick205
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 01:05 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Ugg10
Not done it myself but a couple of thoughts -
Insulation is probably the key and making sure the garage existing walls have a damp course. if it is flat roof then insulation in the roof may be a
challenge.
Assuming the garage is single skin then insulation, batten and plaster is the easiest but use the best insulation you can (celotex ?). This will also
take the least amount of the size of the room.
Levelling out the floor to match the ground floor of the house without loosing too much head room may be a challenge. levelling the floor gives the
opportunity to put insulation into the floor.
Moving / re-routing radiators can be tricky.
If you have room down the side for a lean to or wooden construction this would help with the storage.
Good luck with the project.
Fair points!
The garage floor is 18" lower than the house floor and the builder has suggested building a timber floor level with the house floor. The walls
are brick outer and timber/plasterboard inner. Plan would be...
Build up the floor with insulation in it.
Remove the wall plasterboard and re-board with integral insulation.
Remove the ceiling plasterboard and re-board with integral insulation.
We're also considering leaving the up/over garage door in place and having a storage area at the front of the garage. The idea being that
we'll have some bike and tool storage space.
There's a downstairs cloakroom adjacent to the garage with central heating, water and waste so adding a small shower room is also a possibility.
Trying to bathe 5 people in 1 bathroom is getting harder work (timetables and encouragement required).
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nick205
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 01:06 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by coozer
Aye, is it built in flush or does it stick out half and half like the ones round here?
Built in flush with the house so not too obvious really.
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sdh2903
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 01:07 PM |
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Did the same to our current house.
It was pretty straight forward. The insulation requirements are very high now. On all the exterior walls we ended up with 100mm celotex and 70mm under
the floors, along with 150mm rockwool in the roof. It does however make it a very cosy room and we could have fitted a tiny radiator. Our exterior
walls were already double skinned and damp coursed. You do end up with a slightly narrow room however fine for a kid. We have a double bed in ours for
our oldest boy and it's tight.
My Mrs works in the trade so all materials were sourced at trade prices. I got a bricky to build the wall, plasterer to skim and a sparky to do the
final commissioning. The rest I did my self. We came in at just shy of 5k all in. This included an expensive timber window to match the house. Also we
needed a building warrant and architects drawings which took up 400 quid of the budget.
This was a saving of 3-5k on builders quotes. However it took over my life for a few weeks and was glad when it was all done.
We had to do it as like you the cost of a 4 bed house in our school catchment was unaffordable and luckily I had space on the other side of the house
to build a garage. After completion we had a valuation done as we were changing mortgage and were told we had increase the value of the house by 10
to 15k which wasn't bad for a 5k investment.
Any other info you need give me a shout.
Steve
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steve m
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 02:08 PM |
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My take on this would be .........
Pick your favourite child, and keep them
Foster out the remaining two children
The for's out way the against's
you keep the garage, as a man cave, you get a free bedroom, to make into an internal man cave, just like I have 
you save money, as two children don't live there anymore
The against's
Wife might not be two pleased
two children may hate you for life !
obviously the above is banter, but how about a loft conversion, to at least make a room bigger enough for the kids to use, as bedrooms, are really
only for sleeping in ?
or do as my Daughter does, 3 bed house, 1 adult 1 VI and 4 kids
16yr old in large bedroom, 6yr old in small bedroom, twin boys (2) in her old bedroom,
her and the village idiot sleep in the lounge on a pull out bed
steve
Thats was probably spelt wrong, or had some grammer, that the "grammer police have to have a moan at
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Jeano
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 02:32 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by nick205
quote:
Originally posted by Ugg10
We're also considering leaving the up/over garage door in place and having a storage area at the front of the garage. The idea being that
we'll have some bike and tool storage space.
We have this and is a priceless space to keep my bike tools etc. Its a mini man cave which makes working on the car easy whilst not having the luxury
of a garage.
However ive had enough and am now moving as its cheaper to move than have the extent of work done to customise the house to our needs. The house is
perfect, but just not for us.
Location: Essex
Drives: MK Indy F20c with hairdryer
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nick205
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 02:42 PM |
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Thanks all.
Some good points to consider.
We've looked at moving areas, but we have family around who help with the kids and the kids are all in good local schools too.
ETA...Our roof is a very shallow pitch and full of timber trusses + there's nowhere to put an extra flight of stairs. A loft conversion
isn't really an option, reinforced by the fact no neighbours have gone down that road.
[Edited on 31/8/16 by nick205]
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Mash
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 02:55 PM |
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Cost will be significantly more(depending on how much you do yourself) and you'll need planning permission as well, but.....
...build up above the garage, get a bedroom and shower room on the same floor as the other bedrooms, keep the garage?
You might need to get the neighbour on side if the garage is the attached bit, otherwise you're laughing.
If you were thinking of moving, then you can probably weigh the cost of moving against what it would cost you, plus you will have an increase in value
afterwards.
I'm building up above a single storey room on the side of my house at present, and although it's only 6 feet wide, it goes the full depth
of the house, and I'm gaining two en-suites above.
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nick205
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 03:02 PM |
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Sadly the garage shares the pitched roof with the neighbours garage and the garage door end of it is single story. To do as you describe was an
option discussed, but the cost, building complexity and shared roof with the neighbours make it unfeasible for us + nobody else has done it either.
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morcus
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 06:23 PM |
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I grew up in a house with something like you are proposing and it worked well (Though our house was three stories with the garage under another
bedroom). We kept the door and enough space to open it. My Dad and Grandad put in what was technically a temporary block wall.
My brother had that as his bedroom for about 12 years and my dad used his dads sheds for normal garage stuff.
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
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snapper
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 06:52 PM |
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My solution will not be great help to you as garage was attached to the side but bear with me
Partner moved in with 3 kids, I have 1 this turned a reasonable 3 bed detached into a multiple occupancy dormitory
Demolish garage build up, 4 beds, should have done 5 but downstairs extra room is multiple use
The resulting lack of man cave even with a small workshop on the side resulted in drastic measures.
A fellow builder looked at renting a low barn off local farm, result, 3 blokes split the rent, room for 10 cars, £70 each per month plus £15 a quarter
for electricity
We now need more room as its full
I eat to survive
I drink to forget
I breath to pi55 my ex wife off (and now my ex partner)
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motorcycle_mayhem
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 07:16 PM |
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I did it the other way, I bought a house where the integral garage had been turned into a 'bedsit' bedroom. I stripped the whole lot out
to get the garage back, finding a lovely inspection pit in the process. The conversion job had been done thusly:
There was a raised floor above the garage floor, i.e. supporting beams and (green) chipboard flooring. Walls had battens screwed into them, with
plasterboard over and fibre glass under. To the rear, a shower-room and sink unit.
7' Door had been replaced with a wooden frame construction, topped with a double glazed unit from about half way up. Fire door off the kitchen
(the access), with a rear door by the shower 'room'. Conversion was really 'nice' it worked well, beautifully warm (only one
small panel heater) so I guess the construction was sound and the sort of thing you should be doing.
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ReMan
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 08:09 PM |
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For me, (dignity aside . ) if you can do it without it ever looking like it was a garage then go ahead.
Remove the up and over is a good start!
www.plusnine.co.uk
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Humbug
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| posted on 31/8/16 at 09:23 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeano
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
quote:
Originally posted by Ugg10
We're also considering leaving the up/over garage door in place and having a storage area at the front of the garage. The idea being that
we'll have some bike and tool storage space.
We have this and is a priceless space to keep my bike tools etc. Its a mini man cave which makes working on the car easy whilst not having the luxury
of a garage.
However ive had enough and am now moving as its cheaper to move than have the extent of work done to customise the house to our needs. The house is
perfect, but just not for us.
My brother did this and it's very useful unless you've got other decent and accessible tool/bike storage
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Bluemoon
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| posted on 1/9/16 at 06:42 AM |
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You could post the floor planes some might come up with an idea you have not had yet, might save the man cave...
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nick205
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| posted on 1/9/16 at 08:49 AM |
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Humbug - thanks for the feedback. Neighbours in our street have done it this way and said they have the benefit of an extra room and keeping some
storage space. To some it may seem odd, but with precious little access to the back garden there's not really another way around it.
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907
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| posted on 1/9/16 at 10:05 AM |
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I have thought of a garage conversion.
We hardly use the dining room and a third garage would be so handy.
Mmmm, MX5 V6.
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nick205
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| posted on 1/9/16 at 11:04 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by 907
I have thought of a garage conversion.
We hardly use the dining room and a third garage would be so handy.
Mmmm, MX5 V6.
Given the option I'd like a detached 6 bed house with 4 garages a workshop a pool and a sweeping driveway with separate in/out entrances.
Back in my world converting the 1 garage we have into a bedroom is what I'm left with
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steve m
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| posted on 1/9/16 at 11:50 AM |
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I would like a 4 car garage with a bedroom on top,
ive yet to see a place like this advertised
steve
Thats was probably spelt wrong, or had some grammer, that the "grammer police have to have a moan at
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907
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| posted on 1/9/16 at 01:21 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by nick205
Given the option I'd like a detached 6 bed house with 4 garages
Surely that's a typo and should read, "4 bed house with 6 garages." 
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02GF74
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| posted on 1/9/16 at 06:53 PM |
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Bedrooms like hot desks where the boy move around, every month or so. You sgare bedroon with missus so why cant day.
10 yr old with own bedroom, shheesh
When i was 10 i shared a bedroom with 5 others in cardboard box in tmiddle of road.
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