LOFT CONVERSION VS GARAGE CONVERSION

For the past few decades, homeowners in the UK have realised that enhancing and reshaping their house to add more value and space, is much more cost-effective than buying a house. In this article, I will discuss the two most common types of house conversions in the UK. You will have a comparison between the loft conversion vs garage conversion in detail, discussing the benefits of each conversion, also about the top garage loft conversion ideas, garage loft conversion costs, and many more.

Loft Conversion

A loft conversion is a common building practice around the world by altering the empty space of the roof and turning it into a house room or functional space. Everyone admires a little space in their house and converting a roof from empty space with a pile of dust and cobweb into a guest room, children playroom, or even to an office not only allows you to properly utilize the space but also cost-effective since it’s a lot cheaper than making the extension. Certain factors might be needed to bring under consideration before such an alteration of your roof, but, with few skills and knowledge, you can do it by yourself without spending a lot of money.

The first thing for a loft conversion is understanding the structure of the existing house. Not every roof is convertible to a loft, but luckily, most of them are. So, you have to assess whether your roof can bear the weight of the loft. A structural survey by exposing the foundation can answer that question. Then the question arises, what kind of loft you want or what’s the purpose of the loft is going to be because a lot of the design work has to be based on that. If you are not sure about that, have a look around and see the design of your neighbour’s loft. Here are a few common types of loft conversion in the UK.

• Hip to gable
• Flat roof Dormer
• Mansard

The dormer conversion is the most common type of loft conversion in the UK. The Mansard conversion is much more expensive compared to the other two conversion types. However, mansard conversions increase the pace of the house to a great extent. You should consult with an architect and they will provide you with the loft conversion plan examples, which will help you to decide which type of loft conversion you want. You can also find the loft conversion before and after pictures which are indeed very helpful.

Garage Conversion

The garage conversion is yet another affordable and quickest way to add a lot of value and space to your house, often without the need for a major structural change. There is always a competition between loft conversion vs garage conversion as these are the most common types of conversions in the UK to add value to the room. However, a garage conversion is the easiest way and the go-to option for you if you want to add more value to your house.

Whether you need a bedroom, a playroom for your children or an extra bathroom garage conversion is all you need to do the trick for you. If the conversion is planned perfectly then the newly converted room, together with the house will look great. With a little time and effort, something which was once a place for your family car can become the dream room, where there will be everything for everyone to enjoy. It is a great opportunity so should be carefully assessed

The first thing, of course, you need to have a garage which you don’t use anymore. Maybe you don’t have the car you use to have. The closer the garage with your main house the better. Then comes the perfect planning. Planning is crucial before you start converting your garage. Do you often have questions about whether I can get garage conversion builders near me? There are many garage conversion specialists and garage conversion companies for you to contact online or via any reference. They are new architects who will design and provide you with a complete view of the converted garage before you even start. Also, you can get garage conversion before and after pictures. They can give you links to the best builders near you. They will also suggest if you need garage conversion planning permission for your project.

The Benefits Of Garage Loft Conversion

The benefits you will get by converting your loft or your garage are endless. If you have a leftover loft or a garage and you desperately need some extra space maybe you need an extra toilet or an extra living room for your grown-up kid, the garage loft conversion is all you need. Here are the three benefits-.

• The net worth of the house significantly increases.
• The overall space of the house increases. So you don’t have to shift to a larger house with more space which will be more expensive.
• The most cost-effective option to add some value to your house.

Do You Need Planning Permission For Garage Loft Conversion? 

A garage loft conversion is nothing but a garage that has a loft above it. You can see this in the picture below. Here you do a loft conversion above the garage.

And talking about converting garages, it doesn’t need planning permission unless there are some external changes to the house. If the work has been finished just by upgrading the internal structure then it falls under permitted development. Also, you might get excited to hear that many loft conversions do not need planning permission as well unless permitted development rights are exempt. However there are some limitations as well, that’s why you have to contact the local authority before starting your project.

Garage Loft Conversion Costs

The cost of garage and loft conversion depends on many different factors. Your total cost will depend on the type of loft conversion or garage conversion you are making, where you live, and whether you need planning permission or not. However, I can provide you with a rough estimate of the total amount you need. The average cost of the loft conversion in the UK is 20000 pounds. And the standard cost for a garage conversion is 4500-7000 pounds. In the garage, conversion wins for a cost comparison of loft conversion vs garage conversion.

I hope this article gave you an insight into both types of conversions and gave you a comparison between loft conversion vs garage conversion. Thanks for reading.