Does a brick garage to office/hobby room conversion make a house harder to sell?

[DIYRalph]

Buying a house at the moment, and paying a bit over the odds I think.

What attracted me to it was the brick garage that had been converted into a nice big office/studio room - though small enough not to need building regs. They bricked up the garage door and put a big window in and then cement rendered over the end of it, which admittedly isn't the prettiest but it looks like good quality work. Alarm fitted and many plug sockets but no central heating.

....but I have to consider that one day I might want to sell this house. And now I'm wondering if what appealed to me and the one other bidder who bid this house up 10% and £15K over the mortgage company's valuation price, is something that actually could put as many if not more people off the house? I'm particularly thinking that anyone with children or thinking of having them would actually rather just have a normal garage for storing bikes and toys - so it might put off folk with children. But for the amount I'm paying for it you can get bigger family homes with garages (albeit not converted) for not a lot more.

So what is the consensus here - is a garage conversion like this to a studio room something that will actually put off lots of buyers?
The garage is in the back garden by the way so not terribly easily accessible by car anyway, a similar layout to this:

https://ibb.co/SXqRHv6

 

[Notch7]

Yes it will add value to the property because since covid so many people have converted to working from home and therefore a brick built outhouse properly insulated with electrics is a worthwhile extra

most people dont use garages to house cars these days -if the house has a driveway for 2 or more cars, the lack of a garage is not a megative

If the garage is in the back garden, you could make it much prettier by cladding it with timber feather edge boarding or add quality trellis and cover with some nice climbers and add potd around. if you have space you could extend the building by adding a pergola with BBQ area.

 

[Tigercubrider]

In my opinion, no.
My garage is still a garage (integral) while my semi detached neighbours have converted theirs.
About half the houses that I can see from my front door have a conversion.
My garage is full of motorbikes and is 50’s size - so too small for many big family cars.

My mate bought a house specifically as the detached garage had been lengthened to help form a garden workshop behind a carport. We converted it into a recording studio

Most cars don’t fit in older garages and most cars can sit outside all year compared to older cars that rusted while you watched.

 

[DIYRalph]

Yes it will add value to the property because since covid so many people have converted to working from home and therefore a brick built outhouse properly insulated with electrics is a worthwhile extra

most people dont use garages to house cars these days -if the house has a driveway for 2 or more cars, the lack of a garage is not a megative

If the garage is in the back garden, you could make it much prettier by cladding it with timber feather edge boarding or add quality trellis and cover with some nice climbers and add potd around. if you have space you could extend the building by adding a pergola with BBQ area.

Yes I was wondering about cladding it - the front where they took the garage door away is just plain concrete which looks a bit harsh - could cladding be put on concrete?

 

[Tigercubrider]

Yes.

 

[foxhole]

Sold my last property with garage / laundry room in back garden, big enough to convert to a one bed cottage.
(That was over £760k above valuation for mortgage) my current property was over priced but offered a 1 bed annex and workshop space at bottom of garden.

 

[morqthana]

Big enough to convert if you could get permission...

And more than £¾ million over the valuation? Must have been a pretty big valuation in the first place ...

 

[foxhole]

Big enough to convert if you could get permission...

And more than £¾ million over the valuation? Must have been a pretty big valuation in the first place ...

Should be £160k , but edit has dissapered on this post.