Simply Garage Conversions can help you unlock the potential in your home by offering the full garage conversion service. Garages are seldom used for what they were originally designed for. Converting a garage is not only one of the most efficient ways to add space to your home, it can also add a considerable amount of value, as it is a proven fact that a garage conversion's value will rise in line with the house price.

What do we use your garage for these days anyway? With cars seemingly getting bigger and houses getting smaller, more and more garages are becoming just a dumping ground. Garages tend to get filled up with forgotten fitness equipment, old toys and useless, let's face it 'junk'. In days gone by, the family car had to be protected from the elements - but that was before they were routinely galvanised or rust protected, so, if you can park in the street or the drive - don't let this valuable asset go to waste!

If you intend to convert your garage, we would recommend contacting a specialist garage conversion company to ensure that the job is done professionally. A bad garage conversion can reduce the value of your home and, if it does not comply with building regulations or the specifics of your leasehold, you may be forced to return it to its original condition. Before committing to a builder or any other professional, remember to check that they are registered with a reputable trade organisation, such as the Federation of Master Builders or National Federation of Builders (NFB)

Simply Garage Conversions work with you every step of the way, from the moment you invite us into your home, we start thinking about the right design to meet your requirements. In comparison to building an extension or a loft conversion, converting your garage will most likely create the maximum floor space for the minimum expense. In addition, each conversion is skilfully installed by our qualified craftsmen who have years of specialist experience.  

You will already have an idea of what you want to convert your garage into, however here's a few ideas, the options are endless, but here are some ideas to get you started:

• Another lounge
• An extra Bedroom with or without en-suite facilities
• A 'granny annexe' (Double Garages)
• A children's play-room
• A larger kitchen
• A home cinema
• A Dining room
• A home-gym
• A home-office
• Or just an extension to an existing room

Another lounge is actually the most popular garage conversion. You may think that having two lounges is excessive? However, Just wait till those cute kids turn into teenagers - and they need their own space to be with there own mates. On the other hand, if you work for yourself and pay for office space elsewhere, perhaps you should size up the cost of having your own home-office, factoring in the added value to your house when you come to sell it.

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Whatever you choose to use the extra space for, with years of experience Simply Garage Conversions can help in painless and effective process from the moment you call us! Can I convert my garage? Before you go ahead with your garage conversion, you will need to know all the legal issues involved. In 85% of the cases, you don't need planning permission to convert your garage.

To allay any fears, it is always advisable to check with your local council before you start any work. Before you make that phone call, there are a couple of points below you should be aware of:- * Restrictive clauses in your deeds - It is advisable to check your property deeds for any restrictive covenants. Some developers place a restriction on any building work that will affect the external appearance of the house . If you have any doubt that there might be such a clause, contact the developer. * Permitted Development - In October 2008 the Government passed a law indicating that you can convert your garage under permitted development rights, in other words, you can convert your garage without planning permission as long as you do not change the foot-print of the building.

However, in some case you will still need permission or at least contact the council to check whether your permitted development rights have been already 'used up' or even in some cases taken away.

* Certificate of Lawfulness - The council may suggest that you apply for a 'Certificate of Lawfulness', this is more bureaucracy which will cost £75-£100, which is not so bad, however the process requires a set of scaled drawings and a time scale of 8-10 weeks, very similar to the process of applying for planning permission.

* Planning permission - You usually only need to apply for planning permission to convert a garage when you intend to extend the actual size of the garage. However, as we have just mentioned, it is always advisable to check with your local authority as the precise rules do differ with each local council department.

* Building Regulations - If you plan to convert any part of your house into a room to be used as habitable space, you will need to comply with government building regulations.

A building control officer will probably need to check your conversion a number of times during construction. Again, rules differ so you need to check with your local council. There are some instances where permission to convert your garage may be denied such as:
1. You live in a listed building or neighbourhood - It is very likely in this case that the external appearance of the house must be maintained as it is.

2. Your garage conversion would affect drainage - If you plan on concreting over your garden or anything similar, thus putting extra pressure on the existing drainage in place, you may need to invest in a solution to allay the potential for flooding or blocked drains.

3. Additional insulation is needed - Some council departments will allow you to simply add the extra fill to the existing construction, others demand that you dig up the floor and insulate it as if building from scratch. This will affect your budget, so always check first

4. Parking restrictions - In some cities where there is a particular shortage of parking spaces such as London, councils can refuse permission to convert your garage from a place where a car is kept. Don't panic.... Simply Garage Conversions will take care of everything, we can design, advise, contact the council, apply for the certificate of lawfulness or planning permission (if needed), arrange for detailed plans to drawn up (again, if needed) and to oversee and take care of the building regulation.

What kind of garage do you own and is it suitable for conversion? 

Single garage - A single garage will add around 12-13 sqm of floor space to your home.
* Double garage - You may either convert the whole area or just the nearest side to your house. If you convert it all, you can expect to add around 25 sqm of floor space to your home.
* Tandem garage - Converting only the back will leave you with the best of both worlds.
* Standalone garage - Careful, as you may need to make an application for permission to change its use. * What we can offer? Solution 1 -Single Garage

Whether your garage is integral, semi-detached, or detached, whether your garage is got a flat roof or a pitched roof, we can convert it. The costs for the conversion are obviously variable as this depends on the construction of the existing garage and the amount of work that is required, however, to get you some idea, a standard single garage conversion will cost from around £7,000 and £12,000.