Garage conversions in London
Most London garages have not held a car in years. Converting one adds a full room to the house for a fraction of the cost of an extension, and usually without planning permission.
From £14,000 · typically 3–5 weeks
What a conversion involves
The garage door comes out and a new front wall goes in, matched to the house in brick or render with a window. The floor is usually 100–150mm lower than the house, so it is built up with insulation and a new screed to meet the internal floor level. Walls get a damp-proof membrane and insulated stud lining, the roof is insulated, and the room is plastered, wired, heated and decorated. If it is an integral garage, we open up a doorway into the house.
Everything is inspected by building control, and you get a completion certificate at the end. That certificate is what makes the room count as habitable when you sell.
What people turn them into
- A bedroom with en-suite — the most common request, often for an older parent or a grown-up child.
- A home office, separate from the house and quiet.
- A self-contained annexe with a kitchenette and shower room, for a relative or a lodger. This one may need planning permission depending on how independent it is.
- A gym, playroom or second living room.
- Extra kitchen space, where the garage sits next to the kitchen and the wall between them comes down.
Planning permission
Converting an attached garage is normally permitted development, as long as the work is internal and the front wall matches the house. Detached garages are also usually fine. The exceptions are conservation areas, some new-build estates where the garage was a planning condition, and conversions to a fully independent annexe. We check your address before quoting.
Foundations: the thing to check first
Older garages were often built on shallow foundations because they were never meant to be lived in. Building control will want to see that the existing foundations are adequate for a habitable room, and sometimes they are not. We dig a trial hole at the site visit rather than discovering the problem after you have committed.
Common questions
How much does a garage conversion cost?
A single integral garage typically runs £14,000 to £22,000 as a basic room, and £24,000 to £35,000 with an en-suite. A double garage or a self-contained annexe sits above that. We are not VAT registered, so no VAT on our labour.
Do I need planning permission?
Usually not, if the garage is attached to the house and the front wall matches. Conservation areas, some estates with restrictive covenants, and fully independent annexes are the exceptions. We check before we quote.
How long does it take?
Three to five weeks for a straightforward room, five to seven with an en-suite. Most of the work is inside the garage, so disruption to the house is minimal.
Will it add value?
In most of London a converted garage adds more value than the cost of the work, particularly if it creates an extra bedroom. Off-street parking is the trade-off, so it is worth thinking about where the car goes.
Get a garage quote
Free site visit. Written price in 48 hours.
Garage full of boxes?
Send us your postcode and a photo of the garage. We will check the foundations, the planning position and the damp, and give you a written price.