Garage Conversions - Do They Add Value?

Garage conversions are an ever increasing requirement for many homeowners especially those with adjoining or integral garages. It almost seems anti-social these days to have a dedicated brick built space connected to the main dwelling simply to house a car or two.

Even then, most garages do not actually house cars - they are simply rough storage or utility areas for the main dwelling. So, if a garage if then converted to habitable room space, do they add value to the main dwelling?

The answer in short is most definitely yes subject to a few caveats. For a garage conversion to add value, it must first be established that the garage is not the only off road car parking facility that cold be of more value than the new floor space to the dwelling. The more urban and densely populated the environment, the more value a car parking space has so ‘do the maths’ as the Americans would say.

Provided your home can still accommodate some form of off road car parking provision (at least 2) then most garage conversions will not only provide greater use of habitable room space but will significantly add to a properties desirability and as such add value provided the conversion is completed to a high standard and has received formal Building Regulations Approval.

A cheaply converted or non compliance conversion will possibly detract from a properties value and be of little use to the home owner unless the space is only required for a basic gym or child’s play area for example. If the space is to be well integrated into the main dwelling then it is vital that certain design criteria is achieved. These are:-

1 - Maintaining flush ground floor levels with the existing property.

2 - Insulating and upgrading the existing garage walls.

3 - Any infilling of the old garage door opening looks as though it is part of the original dwelling and not a replacement garage door.

4 - Highly insulated roof voids with finely plastered walls and ceilings.

5 - Any existing service meters are relocated to outside walls or built into cupboards that appear natural an do not appear as awkwardly situated housing or boxing.

6 - Access to the new room or reception room is off the main ground floor circulation areas (hallways). Garage conversion accessed off other rooms (kitchens and living rooms for example) have less flexibility with regard to alternative uses (bedrooms for example).

7 - Try to form what is already missing from your dwellings amenities (ground floor cloaks, utility room or study) before formation of a gym or cinema room for example.

8 - Try not to cram too much in. Small pokey facilities may appeal to the tick sheet but are of little practical use to the end user.

Adhere to these basic principals for your garage conversion and the new habitable ground floor space created for the garage conversion will add value to your home.