Brick Office & Garage Conversion Ideas

[Tim84]

I'm just looking for ideas, comments, sketches, price guides or anything else you think relevant to these two projects in one...

For background, the back half of the garage is currently my office, so I need a new office if we convert the garage to a play room for my son as I'm currently thinking. We'd like to keep the utility room too.

Current garage/utility setup:

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• Tim84
• 10 Nov 2013
• 1

Garage from the front, I want to brick up and add a window:

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• Tim84
• 10 Nov 2013
• 1

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• Tim84
• 10 Nov 2013
• 2

Location where I want the brick built office, with a really badly sketched office overlaid:

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• Tim84
• 10 Nov 2013
• 1

The space behind (currently the skip pile and old dog kennel) where the office will go:

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• Tim84
• 10 Nov 2013
• 1

The view from the side for a bit of perspective:

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• Tim84
• 27 May 2013
• 1

Thoughts, ideas, where to start, what to do, how to build, anything else? It's just an idea at the moment so I want some inspiration! Planning permission issues will be dealt with at some point, more looking for building ideas at the mo.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Any chance of getting a 2-storey side extension to the RHS of the house?

 

[Tim84]

I'm pretty certain planning permission would be easy for that side extension, however, quite a considerable bump up in cost plus maybe outsize the house for the garden/road?

 

[angelboy]

The garage conversion would be permitted development rights but would have to come under building regs to make it a habitable room.

I'd consider putting a door in from the hall and blocking up the utility door completely. This will create a better flow at ground level than accessing the new room via the utility, plus it'll give you a little extra wall space in the utility.

Alternatively, put a downstairs WC off the utility accessed via the current office door - always a bonus (if you don't already have one) and should only take up 800mm or so. You'll already have water from the utility and a waste so you need to put in a foul waste from the toilet, which will be accessed at the back of your property anyway. Without seeing the location of the master bath (which I'd assume to be at the back left, looking from the front) might mean it'll be easy to tap into the soil pipe.

The garden room idea is great but it will need planning permission as it's at the side of the house and it's a permanent structure. I'd consider attaching it to the house so that you have access from the house plus you can then use the wall of the house which will cut the costs significantly in materials and labour. You'd also get away with a mono pitched roof which again will be cheaper. The access to the back garden would then be moved further to the right, between the new building and the wall. Doing this would also give you further future potential by extending upwards and/or backwards at a later stage.

I'm not sure why you'd want a door facing the highway in the office building. It's more of a security risk plus if you're planning on running a business from the property the detached space could attract business rates or worst, not get permission. Keep it residential - planners aren't daft, they've seen it all before!

Just my thoughts for you.

 

[Tim84]

These are some good suggestions angelboy, thanks, just the kind of thoughts I was hoping for.

Permitted development for the garage would be good - we're a conservation area (or something like that, I can't quite remember) though so anything could happen!

Internal door from the hallway is already in my imaginary plans - it would enter the room pretty much where the stud wall dividing the current office/garage is, at the bottom of our stairs. WC already sits in the hallway towards the front (little window to left of front door) so no need for a new one. I think I'd leave the utility room door there too.

I like the sound of a significant labour and material saving, plus better roof arrangement, by attaching the new office to the house instead of standalone. I'll take this advice onboard and adjust my plan accordingly with garden access to the right. Future extension could be a possibility so you've addressed that problem too.

I'd rather an external door facing into the driveway, sheltered from the road by a large hedge, for two reasons (1) less noise from dog/baby/wife (2) less disruption to the TV corner of my living room where the internal door would need to go. Security is an issue as I keep quite a bit of expensive kit in my office, but I'll make the office door/window as secure as possible plus have alarm and CCTV in place.

Business rates would not be good! It's not for running my own business or anything, I'm a home based travelling sales person so work off my laptop etc. anything from one to four days a week and have done for the last five years - hence wanting my own quiet space somewhere if I lose the current office.

 

[Tim84]

Being a bit bored on the iPad this evening I thought I'd put my phenomenally poor drawing skills into action and sketch something up for novelty value.

Does anyone have any guesses at costs for both the garage and the office (I'm thinking about 2.8m by 3m)?

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• Tim84
• 11 Nov 2013
• 1

 

[angelboy]

I don't think that drawing would get through PP or building regs......

Costs could be anything from £800-£1500/sqm - without drawings and the spec it's just a very rough estimate - plus anything below ground is guesswork until you start to dig.

Maybe someone else could give their (experienced) opinion.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

The garage conversion would be permitted development

Generally anything developer built since around the mid 80's seems to have its PD rights removed as a condition of the original planning approval, this should be checked with the council planning department. Also as you are in a conservation area an Article 4 Direction may have been made, again restricting such development.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And they are often especially hot on garage conversions, as every garage removed means 1 more car parked on the streets, or (although not in this case) more demand for front gardens to be paved over.

The fact that they allow garages to be built so small that if you do actually use it for a car you have to get in and out via the sunroof is irrelevant.

 

[Tim84]

I looked it up - we're in 'The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty', so not the same as a conservation area. 1974 is the build year IIRC http://www.wycombeapps.co.uk/localp...erns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty#10_l1

I think I need to perfect my drawing before I apply for planning permission!

Parking is not an issue since we tarmacked (sp?) the entire front garden when we moved in last year, so room for four cars on there if we really wanted to squish them in. Therefore planning permission is hopefully easier to gain if required at all.

I don't even have a sunroof so my only option would be to sleep in the car if I parked it in the garage

What about comments around the construction of the office - any advice for a complete brick novice so I can guide any builders that quote?

 

[Tim84]

Slightly neater iPad doodling in front of the TV tonight. Any advice on novice software to use for drawing designs like floor plans etc?

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• Tim84
• 12 Nov 2013
• 1

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• Tim84
• 12 Nov 2013
• 1

 

[ban-all-sheds]

AFAIK you can use Sketchup in plan mode.