For many people converting the garage is a sensible and cost-effective way to add more living space to your home, and in general this is true. Garages can often end up filled with rubbish and clutter that you actually find that you don’t really need and for many of us, unless you are a classic car owner, gone are the days of having to park your car inside to protect it from the elements. However as trusted and reputable Bolton builders, we have seen our fair share of garage conversion mistakes and have been there to pick up the pieces of a job gone wrong. So if you are thinking of creating extra space in your home by converting your garage, have a look through our list of common garage conversion mistakes below, to make sure that you don’t fall into the same trap.

Make sure everything is good and legal

Just because you already own the property and you are only converting the garage and not necessarily adding anything to the footprint of your house, it doesn’t mean that you can just do whatever you want without consulting the authorities. Especially if you are planning to use that space for a granny annex or possibly for a space from which you will run a business, then you should consult your local planning authority to see if there are any special permissions that you need to get granted before work can commence. Also even if you are a keen DIY-er, you need to make sure that your work will meet current building regulations, because if not the space may be deemed unfit for habitation.

Remember that you are losing your garage

You may be gaining an extra room but what are you going to do with all those things that are currently residing in your garage? A good clear out may deal with some of it but it is worth having a proper think about where you are going to store the golf clubs, bikes, suitcases etc once the garage is your new man-cave? We presume you don’t want them propped up against your cinema screen?! It may be possible to do a partial conversion which would still leave you with some storage space, or think about installing a decent shed and/or get your loft properly boarded out. Also losing a parking space can also cause problems for many areas where parking is at a premium so make sure that you have a reasonable alternative.

Future proof your build

You can never predict exactly what is going to happen but if your garage is attached rather than integrated, think about ensuring that the conversion is able to stand up to a second story being added at some point. Even if finances say that this isn’t an option now, it is much cheaper to ensure that the walls etc are strong enough now, than having to go back and amend them when you do decide on that extra bedroom later.

For free, friendly, no obligation advice about converting your garage, contact the lovely people at Wisecraft Ltd. today.