Millions of UK garages across the country become idle spaces. Perhaps they’re a storage shed for those bikes the kids have long grown out of or are collecting old furniture year by year?

There are many reasons why garages don’t tend to be used for cars, with the primary cause being that traditional building plans simply aren’t large enough for modern vehicles! Pinnacle Works offers complete garage conversion services, from helping to design the perfect space for your family to creating contemporary conversions that enhance your home life.

Let’s explore the potential of a garage conversion a little further to give you some inspiration for transforming that dusty cave into something unique and really useful!

Why Invest in a Garage Conversion?

First, let’s think about the usability of that space; it’s a broad scope of opportunity. As we’ve mentioned, most garages aren’t used for parking. Cars are bigger, garages haven’t grown, and they’re often a pain to get in and out of when you’ve got a handy parking space right outside your door.

Converting a garage gives you thousands of options for using that space more effectively, and there are no limits on what you might do with it!

Some of our recent garage conversions have included:

• Creating home office spaces, gyms and playrooms.
• Expanding interior rooms such as kitchens or living areas.
• Developing an annexe for a family member to move into.
• Adapting disability-friendly spaces with more room to manoeuvre.

These are only the tip of the iceberg, and given that the garage is separate from your main property, you can knock through to create internal access, remove the wall entirely, or keep it as a standalone asset.

Five Benefits of Converting a Garage

Garage conversions offer some attractive benefits, and they’re not all about having flexibility in how you change your home.

1.     Separation from the Main Property

Think about a quiet snug for relaxing, a home gym where you can make as much noise as you like, a private office space, or a music rehearsal studio where you won’t need to keep an eye on the volume dial.

2.     Potential for Changes of Use

Teenagers like privacy and little ones tend to gather no end of toys! Using a garage as a dedicated children’s space keeps the clutter at bay and frees up ‘adult’ living rooms, allowing your home to feel more peaceful.

Change your mind? The framework of the garage conversion is there, so you can redecorate and use that space however you wish in the future.

3.     Adding Value to Your Home

Undoubtedly, in central city areas where parking is at a premium, a garage can be a great asset. However, the vast majority of homes don’t need this room, so converting the garage is an excellent way to maximise living space.

Buyers will happily pay more for any home with an additional room compared to neighbouring property listings, and having a professional garage conversion can be a major selling point.

A garage conversion can add as much as 10% to the value of a home. Given the relatively low cost of the work – since the core structure is already there – it’s a high return on investment compared to any other home improvement projects.

4.     Making Your Workshop Work Harder

Perhaps you’d love your own workshop or to keep your garage as a functional area for storage but without the unused floor space.

There are two options here – a total conversion, where you reconfigure the whole space or a partial conversion where you keep some areas as a storage space or workshop, with the rest used for other purposes.

Optimising garage space can completely change how you use it. That might mean adding insulation, more windows, installing heating and proper lighting so you can work any time of the day or night.

Storage racking, robust flooring and user-friendly access points make a garage workshop far easier to use and a better place to work.

5.     Increasing the Garage Size

Another option is to look at optimising the space available. For example, some of our clients want to use that extra capacity to extend outwards, making a small living room or stuffy kitchen far more generous.

Garages tend to be boxy shapes, which means they are relatively easy to convert and can make a significant difference in the flow of air and light around your home.

Planning Permission and Building Regulations for Garage Conversions

Now, planning permission can make even the most enterprising home improvement fan reluctant. Still, there are several solutions to streamline the process and ensure you can convert your garage any way you’d like!

Here are some of the options:

• Keeping the external aesthetics as they are. That means you leave the garage doors in position but block up the entrance internally to remodel the interior. That option means you won’t usually need any planning and can proceed through Permitted Development rights.
• Using Pinnacle Works for your garage conversion means our team of experts are on hand to provide support and ensure the building regulations approval process is managed seamlessly.
• Opt for a total property makeover with our help to ensure you have accurate drawings, specifications and costings to pass through the planning permission system without a hitch.

A great factor in a garage conversion is that it’s minimally intrusive, so you won’t need to worry about dust, debris and muddy boots – not that we’d ever leave a home in anything but pristine condition!

Garage conversion projects can proceed even when you’re at home, and the Pinnacle Works team consult every client about the best scheduling for noisier tasks such as knocking through a wall or creating a new door space.

Note that converting the garage won’t impact your council tax and is tailored to your style preferences and aspirations.

Turning a tired old garage into a sparkling new home gym or dedicated office can make a substantial difference to space and make your home a better, more comfortable place to be. For more information about garage conversions or to discuss your ideas, please get in touch with the team at Pinnacle Works.