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Written by McCarthy's Team on July 21, 2015

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Should you park the idea of a garage conversion?

It’s estimated that around three quarters of a million households have converted their garage into an extra room – with many more considering doing so. It can seem like the perfect solution if you need extra living space and don’t want to move, but you don’t have the room or finances to build an extension. An added bonus is that you usually don’t need planning permission to do it (although we’d always recommend checking for your particular property. A standalone garage is more likely to need planning than an integral one.)

The average garage conversion apparently costs around £10,000. It could also add value to your home if you come to sell it, depending on what parking and space you have available on the property. If converting your garage leaves you with nowhere to park a car, it may do the opposite!

But parking is not the only thing to consider. Not many of us actually park our cars in garages any more, that’s for sure. Research from the RAC showed 62 per cent of us don’t use our garages for our cars. Some studies say up to 90 per cent of us don’t. And if garages were standing round empty it would seem sensible to convert them to living space. But of course they’re not standing round empty – they’re full of garden tools, bikes, scooters, decorating supplies, exercise equipment, paddling pools, kids toys – and of course junk!

So if you’re planning on converting your garage you really need to consider the options for where that all goes. Some conversions still leave space at the front of the garage for storage, retaining the original up and over door and having a wall built around 6 ft back as the divider. Or do you have room for a large garden shed? Is your loft under-utilised? (Although admittedly that’s not much use for your lawnmower.)

With the junk…maybe it’s just the ideal time for a clear out! In my garage I’m ashamed to say there’s boxes in there still from when we moved in – eight years ago.

And for those things you can’t bear to part with, there’s always the option of self-storage, while you decide on the best place for them! After all, it’s crazy to stop yourself creating much needed extra house room, for the sake of a few boxes full of ‘bits and pieces’.

Now to get thinking about that open plan living space/play room/home cinema/games room we’ve always dreamed of!