Planning help and advice needed for use of garage as office? If you want to know how your DIY projects could be affected by building and planning regulations, click here to post questions and view answers

[Mrdrt]

Hello all

I have fitted part of my garage out as a makeshift office, including;
Boarded walls with insulated board
Boarded ceiling with insulated board
Put carpet down
Put in a small toilet cubicle
Put in a window for extra light

I have kept the existing floor level, a step down from the house, and kept the existing locking external door on kitchen through into the garage.

The garage door is still present but just 1.5m depth of garage for storage. A partition wall in place dividing office and garage.

Do any planning experts have any knowledge of whether this requires any approval notice from the council?

Any advice is much appreciated, I'm not sure if it's still classed as garage or it's now part of the house?

Thanks.

[welsh brickie]

Its a bit of a grey area, technically, it is still classed as a garage, you have not changed anything structural or altered the external appearance, if you sell the property you will have to return it to a garage space, it cannot be classed as an office as not planning consent has been approved

[Mrdrt]

Cheers for reply

With selling the house,
Do you mean I have to physically remove the wall to open it back up into a garage or just not call it an office on particulars / legal docs?

[welsh brickie]

you will have to disclose to the vendor that it has not had planning consent, if they wish to transform it back to a garage they can do that, but officially,you cannot advertise it as an office,

[bikerchris]

You could also take the precaution of a Lawful use certificate (using the description 'study', not office). Alternatively a Pre-Application enquiry for around £25. Agree with Welsh Brickie though, all the way.

Hope that helps.