Garage Conversion and Extension - should you combine the two?

Many home improvement schemes very rarely simply focus on one area of development. Many house extension schemes may include or combine several elements. A two storey rear extension may also propose a garage conversion. So, when presenting your scheme to the Planning Department should you be showing the total development scheme?

Well it all depends upon the skill and professional assessment of your house extension designer or architect. Many home extension schemes proposed to the Councils planning Department are refused for over development reasons or for technicalities such as inadequate off road car parking provision.

Bearing I mind that a lot of garage conversions can be completed without the need for formal Planning permission under the sites permitted development allowances, it is often wise to remove the garage conversion element from the other house extension scheme. Planners are very easily influenced by works that are not within their control so seeing a garage conversion as well can often prejudice their assessment of the other extension.

In other words it is often a matter of tactics and a battle of whit’s depending upon the experience and pro-activeness of your house extension designer or architect in giving you the correct advice at the right time. Some garage conversions combined with other house extensions are quite acceptable and considered low level development without any adverse planning issues but is I up to your experienced home extension designer to provide you with their opinion and options for moving the scheme forward to approval through the Council.

If you have engaged a young inexperienced ‘plan drawer‘ for you house extension and garage conversion scheme then they will not have this level of expertise and simply complete a garage conversion and extension plan to you exact instructions.