Garage Conversions in Essex


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Essex Garage Conversions

If you wish to greatly expand your living room, why not consider a highly cost-effective garage conversion? Garage conversions are so cost-effective because, unlike an extension, you don't have to lay any new foundations or construct any new walls. If your garage already has lights and possibly an electric door, there could be no need for any kind of electrical rewiring for your new garage conversion. The addition of our beautifully designed, single-storey garage conversion, will act as a complement to your existing house. Typically only used to store vehicles and other items, a garage is generally a space that people don't even consider converting. Our proven track record in the designing and building of garage conversions, means that you can be confident that we can turn your garage space into something very special. Our attention to detail and commitment to customer satisfaction, means that not only will your garage conversion be completed on budget and on time, but also to the highest specifications.
Garage Conversions
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The Garage, and Unused Space

When considering where to place an extension on a property, garages are often overlooked, however they can present the perfect option. A high quality garage conversion can provide you with a perfect solution to any space issues that you may have within your current property.

You must ask yourself, am I putting my garage to good use?

Our living spaces have grown progressively smaller over recent years therefore it can often be a waste of space to be keeping a car in a garage. Some years ago most people used to simply use the garage for storing their car. Modern car design has meant that garage parking is now not really necessary. By storing rubbish and unwanted items in your garage, you are essentially wasting what could be a beautiful addition to your living space.

It is also highly likely that you have toys, memorabilia, or any number of other items in your garage that have been stored there for many years. Most households would definitely appreciate extra space within their property.

Do Garage Conversions Add Value to Your Home in Essex?

Not only will you be able to add up to 20% to your home’s value by adding a quality garage conversion, you will also greatly increase your home’s interior space. So if the project cost is less than the added value to your land, this works out as a cost-effective way to add more rooms.

If your property boasts a double garage we could do a superb conversion on only half the space. The conversion of half of a double garage ensures that you are not only extending your living space, you are also maintaining storage space within the garage.

Garage Conversions

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Why Opt for a Garage Conversion in Essex?

What are you going to use your garage for these days?

It is highly likely that your garage space is simply being wasted when it could be turned into a valuable addition to your living space. Take the time to really consider whether any of the items being stored in your garage are worthwhile or necessary. Modern cars are routinely galvanised meaning that they do not need to be protected from inclement weather in a garage.

So if you can park in the driveway, don’t let this precious asset waste away! By converting your garage in Essex, you will be effectively increasing the interior space in your home whilst increasing your property value in an extremely cost-effective way.

By executing a high quality garage conversion in your home, we can ensure that extra daylight will also increase the greater feeling of space. It is a wonderful addition to any home to convert a garage which has an adjoining room, mainly because the lightness and airiness of the adjoining room is greatly increased.

Let’s take a look at some of the old garage’s most common uses and advantages

  • No need to relocate to a new, bigger house
  • Four larger internal living spaces
  • Increasing property value
  • Large family
  • Easy to park the vehicle somewhere else
  • Also difficult to fit larger vehicle in standard 150 ft.² garage
  • Probably not necessary to request planning permission
  • No need to relocate to a bigger property
  • Perfect conversion to suit your requirements
  • Reduce unwanted items in the house
  • Increased luminosity in interior living space

Essex Based Quality Garage Conversion Service

There are many considerations when planning a quality garage conversion, including whether your space will need floor ceiling, insulation, painting, or any other kind of work. Your quality garage conversion in Essex may require council consents for any of the structural or interior changes, we will be happy to handle this for you.

Converting your workspace in Essex

Garage Conversions

Why not install a functional and elegant office space in your home?

Convert your garage into an inspiring, stylish home office space and get to work! You can choose from our huge portfolio of first-class garage conversions. Our ingenious design team are excited to discuss your vision and our process to achieve a first-class garage conversion.

Elite builders London are here to help you realise all of your design ideas whether they relate to lighting, colours, storage or anything else. Whatever you require, we can help.

Essex High-Quality Extra Bedroom Conversions

There are often different factors at play when it comes to deciding whether to convert an extra bedroom. If you have a cramped property, it could be a great idea to convert an extra bedroom. It is quite common within modern, cramped living spaces, that when family and friends come to visit there is a lack of space. Our high quality bedroom conversions will allow you to enjoy a whole new area in which to relax or rest. Or how about a whole new bedroom for you?

Essex storage space conversion

It is highly likely that your house would benefit from more storage space. Our ingenious team understands that storage space has to adapt and grow along with your family, that is why our storage systems are designed specifically for you. We can design a unique storage system that will allow you to store everything from essential documents to sports gear in an orderly and controlled way. Our detail oriented approach means that your new storage space will allow you to store all of your family’s items in a tidy and efficient manner.

Kids Playroom Conversion in Essex

Your kids will be over the moon when they see your quality playroom conversion in Essex When deciding on your playroom design, you may have it as open or as closed as you wish. A playroom conversion will not only give your children a safe environment to play in, it will also offer them privacy. Why not contact our friendly design team today to see how we can change your garage into an imaginative and functional children’s playroom?

High quality living space conversion in Essex

Are you getting bored of your living space? Are there bookworms or movie lovers in your family? Our talented team of designers can personalise your living room for any kind of unique activity, for example we can install soundproof walls, massive bookshelves, comfortable chairs, or anything else you may need. Our renovation specialists will listen carefully to your needs and wishes and will convert your garage to results that will blow your mind

Garage conversions and planning permission in Essex

For many integral or attached space garage conversions, our high quality design and construction is conducted in-house. If your garage conversion falls within the ambit of permitted development (PD), you may not require planning consent in Essex.

Some modern buildings are subject to restrictive covenants requiring that the garage be maintained as a parking area, which will need to be discharged (check the deeds to find out if this is true). A garage conversion alters the use of a detached garage and therefore in Essex may require formal permission.

Garage Conversions

It is possible that your PD rights may be revoked, however it is still possible for you to ask for approval from householder planning by putting together any design sketches and approaching them for the requisite permissions. If your garage is connected to the side of your home, it will make the adjoining room lighter and airier by installing glazed doors for entry!

There are a great number of advantages in opting for a high quality garage conversion including,

  • Additional living area
  • Growing family
  • Cost-effective
  • Add value to your home
  • Tailored solution to meet your exact needs
  • Brighten up your home with more daylight access
  • Reduced need for indoor parking
  • Bigger cars may struggle to fit in standard 150 ft.² garages
  • Reduce household clutter
  • Quick option with minimum disruption and stress

What does our garage conversion service in Essex entail?

There are many considerations when planning a quality garage conversion, including whether your space will need floor ceiling, insulation, painting, or any other kind of work. Elite builders London have a team of dedicated professionals on hand to acquire any kind of council consents that you may need to complete your garage conversion.

Quality Workspace Conversions in Essex

Would you like a brand-new office space in your Essex home?

Why not choose to convert your garage into a functional home office space now that remote working is so much more popular. There are unlimited numbers of ways that we can deliver a beautiful garage conversion for your home. Our accomplished team of builders and tradespeople can discuss the best way that elite builders London can help you realise your design ideas.

Whatever ideas you have regarding lighting, storage, colour schemes etc. Elite builders London have the knowledge to implement them exactly. We offer a first-class start to finish service for your garage conversion.

Convert an extra bedroom in Essex

In Essex many property owners have a variety of reasons to expand their home A great reason for converting an extra bedroom is lack of space within the house It is quite common within modern, cramped living spaces, that when family and friends come to visit there is a lack of space. Expand or convert your house and have a spot to relax and rest for your beloved guests of family members Or how about a whole new bedroom for you?

Storage Space Conversion in Essex

With ever expanding families, it is very possible that your property requires more storage space Our cutting-edge designers have been designing storage systems for years that can completely transform your house in a systematic and orderly way. We can design a unique storage system that will allow you to store everything from essential documents to sports gear in an orderly and controlled way. In Essex, our beautiful storage conversions will ensure that all of your families items are safely and securely stored.

Essex quality kids playroom conversion

Give your kids the special hideaway and play spot by turning your garage into a Essex playroom. You can design a playroom that you can see into, or one that is closed. Offer them privacy and make sure that they continue to play in a secure and supervised environment If you would like to discuss with our innovative design team the possibility of converting your garage into a beautiful children’s playroom, contact our friendly team today.

High quality living space conversion in Essex

Are you getting bored of your living space? Among your family members are there any that love to read books or watch films? Why not use your living room conversion as a home cinema, for example? Our ingenious designers and engineers can guarantee that whatever you require for your garage conversion, they can deliver it to the highest standard.

Converting your garage and planning permission in Essex

For the majority of our quality garage conversions, the construction work will take place inside the house.

Garage Conversions

As the majority of garage conversions are considered permitted developments or pd, it is not necessary to request planning consents in Essex. It is highly recommended to check your house deeds to see if your house is subject to any restrictive covenants which only allow your garage to be used as a parking area because if that is the case they will need to be discharged. A garage conversion alters the use of a detached garage and therefore in Essex may require formal permission.

Don’t worry that you will not be able to follow a scheme if your pd rights have been revoked, we are on hand to help you put together well thought out sketches to ask for appropriate permission from householder planning. The overall charge would be £500 and you would have to pay the design fees on top of that. Any major structural changes that will be made throughout the building project, will require a completed householder planning application. Depending upon the property where you wish to carry out the conversion, we may need to apply for various permits, for example if you reside in a listed building, or you have adjacent neighbours.

Garage conversions and building regulations in Essex

By changing the use of your garage, our skilled engineers will then need to ensure that the conversion is within the building regulations. With more complex Essex garage conversion projects you might prefer to have complete structural plans drawn up.

Once we have completed detailed structural plans, our reliable team will pass them to building control to be inspected who will then make sure that your conversion conforms to all the regulations. In addition to structural protection, damp proofing, ventilation, insulation, and energy conservation, fire safety (including escape routes), electrical and plumbing are key areas the building control officer or authorised inspector can look at.

High-quality garage conversion key works and considerations in Essex

Garage conversions cannot begin until the walls and roof have been completely sealed and made watertight, so this is the first step. The majority of the building work to complete the conversion, will be carried out inside the pre-existing garage.

The first task will be to strip the main structure, at which stage you get the clearest view of what’s in store yet including why you’re most likely to find unforeseen problems (such as patchy foundations or secret issues in the walls) that could add to costs. It will be necessary to cover these areas during the conversion

  Evaluating the existing floor

An existing concrete floor could well be solid enough to accommodate general domestic use. Thermal efficiency can be achieved within the new conversion by levelling the floor maybe with a self-levelling liquid screed, damp proofing it with an acceptable membrane (lapping into the walls dpc,), and insulating it. Our expert team of engineers are highly adept at insulating garage floors in a way that will simply place them on the same level as the floors of the main house.

Building work to convert a basement

It is very important to ensure that the foundations of a basement are watertight As a basement is generally low in a property, it is very important to build it up to ensure that your new conversion is not affected by groundwater. In theory, in a regulated drainage system, a cavity drain membrane system allows moisture of flowing water to pass behind the cone. The installation of a cavity drain system generally requires very little planning or destruction to your property.

  • Changing the door

    The most popular route is to replace the main garage door with traditional walling matching the rest of the house, such as a masonry infill completely to and bonded into the existing brickwork. The evaluation of the design stage should determine whether the foundations require modifications to accommodate the new loads. Planning allows you to add windows or a glazed access door and bring more daylight into your new space, which can also help to reduce the load.

  • High-quality wall insulation

    Our team of dedicated industry professionals will be able to advise you as to whether you need to insulate the walls of your garage, however, this will generally not be necessary in an integrated garage for example. Even if you have an attached or detached single skin garage, we can easily internally insulate it with the use of stud walls and timbers which are wide enough to place adequate insulation and an air gap. Our experts builders can also blow insulation into the gap of cavity walls which allows you to preserve all of the internal floor space within the conversion.

How can I insulate the roof?

If it is necessary to remove the garage roof at loft level then 270 mm of mineral wood should be used with a pitched covering, 100 millimetres between the joists and then place the rest on top. Why not discuss a warm roof system with our expert design team and allow them to also include rooflights which can add extra daylight to the interior of the conversion.

We are committed to delivering the highest quality conversion possible which includes ensuring that the roof does not allow condensation to enter which for flat roof will involve the installation of rigid insulation in the ceiling joists. By using polysocianyiltrate (pir) or slim multi-foil products, our skilful team can ensure that you do not lose any floor-to-ceiling height.

Garage Conversions

Which doors and windows would you suggest?

It is very important when selecting doors and windows that you ensure they meet the appropriate full unit u values (1.6 w, m2k for windows, 1.84 doors), provide sufficient ventilation, meet safety regulations, and suit your decor. If you are interested in keeping costs down, you can try to operate on regular units. Our sophisticated engineering techniques involve punching a suitable hole and inserting lintels to ensure the installation of casements, door sets and sashes to the highest standard.

Our talented engineers can also apply the same method to install main house and garage entrances. For a more open plan design, we would recommend the use of a reinforcing steel beam. This kind of work can involve a structural engineer to make calculations. However if you have an integrated garage it is possible that a developer may decide that there are restrictive agreements which must be addressed prior to you beginning your conversion.

It is required by law that any habitable room which doesn’t have an exterior door must have an escape window. An escape window must have an openable area that is not more than 1100 mm from the finished stage, a transparent openable area of at least not 0.33 mm2 and should also have a width and height of not less than 450 mm.

Garage Conversions

Installing heating and electrics

The best way to get this infrastructure in place is by recruiting trained professionals to self-certify their work under part p of the building regulations. Providing heating and lights in your quality new conversion may result in some additional load being placed on your consumer unit and boiler

It may be necessary to upgrade your devices to deal with the new electrical circuits and heating loops which could also potentially raise the total budget by £2000. An easy option for lighting are led downlights which can be easily fitted into the ceiling of the new garage conversion Why not consider installing cutting-edge underfloor heating to maximise the interior space in your new conversion?

It is sensible to bear in mind that if your conversion will include a kitchen or bathroom, the drainage and the water source will need to be dealt with If you are planning a kitchen or bathroom it will be wise to consider how you will ventilate it Opening windows, fitted with trickle vents, will be sufficient in most cases but if you incorporate a bathroom or kitchen, you will need a powerful enough extractor ventilator to manage the buildup of humidity.

What can I expect to pay for a garage conversion in Essex?

Understandably as garages and conversions come in so many different sizes and designs, we prefer to deliver quotes based on each unique person’s requirements. You can expect to pay in the region of £15 to 25k plus vat for one garage, a simple garage conversion.

For this budget what work can I expect?

We undertake the following:

  • Make good all disturbed areas and clear away rubbish
  • Jet wash drive
  • Plaster all walls and ceiling where necessary
  • Supply and fit plasterboard to all walls and ceiling when necessary
  • Supply and fit skirting and architrave
  • Gain final building certificates
  • Provide company 15 year guarantee
  • Supply and fit one matching internal door to opening
  • Supply and fit new insulated floor
  • Create opening from house to garage
  • Supply and fit four double sockets
  • Supply and fit one radiator
  • Supply and fit one ceiling rose and switch
  • Supply and fit polythene radon damp proof barrier to walls and floor
  • Supply and fit plasterboard to all walls and ceiling where necessary
  • Plaster all walls and ceiling where necessary
  • Supply and fit window to match existing
  • Construct cavity wall in selected regrade to damp proof course with all brickwork above ground level on outer walls to match existing facing walls
  • Supply and fit window boards
  • Submit building notice and deal with inspectors
  • Cover drive and supply skip
  • Dick footing to the front of the garage and supply and fit one 150×100 mm prestressed concrete lintel
  • Remove existing door and frame
  • Supply and fit new insulated floor

Why not get in touch for a free garage conversion consultation?

Our team of highly skilled industry professionals are on hand to answer any questions you may have with regards to the transformation of your garage into a quality conversion.

Call now on 020898780714 for some support or to get a free garage conversion quote.

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Frequently asked questions

Why convert my garage?

The following are important considerations when deciding whether to convert your garage Always an important consideration before undertaking any construction project is whether the profits i.e. the added value to your home, will be higher than the spend. A great person to consult is a trusted local estate agent.

Another very important consideration is how much extra space you will receive in comparison to the amount of money you will spend. If you require more space then at some point you may need to move to a new house, a garage conversion is a much cheaper option than this. It is also good to be aware that your council tax may be affected because of your garage conversion. Check the added cost before you proceed

Will my garage conversion require planning permission?

Our extensive industry experience has shown that generally planning permission is not required if you want to convert your garage

But we still encourage our customers to contact their local authority before the work starts to confirm if there are no covenants on your property or in the area where planning permission to convert your garage could be appropriate.

If there are any planning permissions that need to be acquired before work can begin, our professional team will be happy to take care of the nitty-gritty.

When will you need planning permission for a garage conversion?

    • If the garage conversion increases your home beyond permitted development rights if you live in a listed building
    • If you live in a listed building
    • You are converting the space of business
    • Your council has restrictions on reducing parking
By ensuring that the exterior of the garage remains untouched, you can avoid these restrictions.

Will the conversion take a long time?

Common conversion will be completed in 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the specification involved.

Once my conversion is completed, will i receive a building control certificate?

Throughout the whole process our expert and professional team at elite builders London will liaise with the local council building control officers to ensure that they are aware of all of the work undertaken and also that they will give you a completion certificate once an inspector has seen the conversion.

Are elite builders London fully insured to convert my garage?

Yes, we are comprehensively insured

What kind of guarantee will i receive?

All of our high quality garage conversions are covered with a 15 year company guarantee.

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We are still working and quoting throughout this period using safe social distancing advice. We can quote from existing surveys or from photos or virtual guided tour if preferred. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements.