02 / 15 Construction & conversions
A garage conversion turns space you already have into a warm, dry room you will use every day: a bedroom, a home office, a playroom or a bigger kitchen. Because the walls, roof and foundations are already there, it is often one of the quickest and most affordable ways to add living space to a London home.
We survey your garage, check what the structure and your council allow, and carry out the whole conversion, from the new wall and window where the garage door was to the heating, electrics and final coat of paint. One team, one quote, and the building control sign-off at the end.
Types
An integral garage sits inside the footprint of the house, usually with a room or bedroom above it. It is the most straightforward type to convert, because it already shares walls, a roof and often a door with the house. The new room can open straight into the hallway or kitchen, and it is easy to extend the heating and electrics into it.
An attached garage is built against the side of the house, often with a flat or lean-to roof. Converting it usually means insulating or replacing the roof, checking the walls are sound enough for a habitable room and forming a new doorway through the house wall. It can become a separate room or be opened up to make a larger kitchen or living space.
A detached garage stands on its own in the garden or at the end of the drive. It can become a home office, gym, studio or hobby room. Because it is a separate building, it needs its own power supply and heating, and may need drainage if you want a WC or shower. The planning position also depends on how the building will be used, which we check at the survey.
Full or part conversion
A full conversion uses the whole garage for the new room. A part conversion divides it with an insulated wall, keeping a smaller space at the front for bikes, bins and storage, often behind a smaller garage door, while the rear becomes a room or utility area. A part conversion keeps the look of the front of the house unchanged, which can help where planning is restricted.
An extra ground-floor bedroom, useful for guests or for a relative who finds stairs difficult. It can include a shower room if drainage allows.
A quiet, separate workspace away from the rest of the house, with the sockets, data points and lighting you need.
A room for children that keeps toys out of the main living areas.
Space for the washing machine, tumble dryer and storage, with plumbing through our washing machine installation service.
Knocking through from an attached or integral garage to create a larger open-plan kitchen and dining area, with the pipework handled through our kitchen plumbing service.
A practical use for a detached garage, with good ventilation and a solid, level floor.
Is it right for you
Most garages can be converted, but at the survey we check five things before recommending the work.
Check 01
Garages are often built with a single skin of brick or block and shallower foundations than the house. We check the condition of the walls and whether the foundations can carry the new wall under the garage door opening. Single-skin walls are usually lined and insulated on the inside.
Check 02
A garage floor is normally lower than the floor of the house. It is raised and insulated so the new room meets the rest of the house at the same level, with a damp-proof membrane underneath.
Check 03
A flat roof on an attached garage may need insulating, re-covering or replacing to make it suitable for a habitable room. Under an integral garage, the ceiling is checked for fire protection and sound insulation to the room above.
Check 04
Garage walls and floors often have no damp-proof course or membrane. We add the damp protection the room needs, so it stays dry and warm.
Check 05
Boilers, gas and electricity meters, consumer units and water pipes are often found in garages. We plan around them or move them, and include this in the quote.
What you need to know
Converting an integral or attached garage into a room for your own use often does not need planning permission for a house in England, as long as the work is mainly internal and does not enlarge the building. Replacing the garage door with a wall and window is usually part of this.
You are more likely to need planning permission if:
It is also worth checking whether losing the garage affects parking where your street has a controlled parking zone. Where the conversion is permitted, we can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate so you have written confirmation from the council.
What you need to know
Turning a garage into a habitable room needs building regulations approval, even when planning permission is not required. Building control inspects the work at key stages and issues a completion certificate at the end. The main areas are:
We arrange the inspections and hand you the completion certificate, which you will need if you sell the house.
Cost
Every conversion is priced after a free survey, and you receive a written, itemised quote. These are the main factors:
Integral garages usually cost least to convert, attached garages need more roof and wall work, and detached garages need new supplies run to them.
New foundations under the door opening and extra work if the walls are single skin or in poor condition.
How much the floor needs raising and insulating to meet the house level.
Whether a flat roof can be insulated or needs replacing.
Extending the central heating with radiators, or adding underfloor heating installation for a clear wall space.
A WC, shower room, utility or kitchen adds pipework and drainage.
The size and style of the new front window and any glazed doors to the garden.
Flooring, decoration and storage, plus building control and any planning or survey fees.
No guesswork: you receive a written, itemised quote after your free survey, with payments staged against clear points in the work.
Timescale
A garage conversion is usually one of the quicker building projects, because the main structure already exists. A simple integral conversion takes the least time. Attached and detached conversions take longer where the roof is replaced, new foundations are dug or services are run from the house. Most of the work happens inside the garage, so you can stay at home throughout. Your quote includes a programme showing each stage.
09 — One team
We coordinate every trade the conversion needs, so there are no separate contractors to find:
New sockets, lighting, data points and smoke alarms through our domestic electrical installation service.
New radiators through our radiator installation service, with a check that your boiler can heat the extra room.
Smooth walls and ceilings and a clean painting finish, so the room is ready to use on handover.
Floors and walls for a shower room or utility through our kitchen and bathroom tiling service.
Process
Every stage is planned before we start, with one project manager from survey to sign-off.
we inspect the garage structure, floor, roof and services and talk through how you want to use the room.
you receive an itemised quote, a programme and a simple layout for the room.
a planning check or Lawful Development Certificate where useful, and building regulations approval.
the garage door is removed, foundations are laid and the new wall and window are built. Any roof work is carried out.
the floor is raised and insulated, walls and roof are insulated, and wiring and pipework are run in.
plastering, second fix electrics and heating, flooring, and decorating.
building control completion, electrical certificates and a walk-round of the finished room.
Areas
We convert garages across London, with a focus on east and south-east London. Orpington's semis and detached houses often have integral or attached garages that are ideal for a ground-floor room, and many homes in the outer parts of Ilford and on newer estates in Barking and Dagenham have garages that are no longer used for cars. Find out more on our pages for garage conversion in London, garage conversion in Orpington, garage conversion in Ilford, garage conversion in Barking, garage conversion in Dagenham and garage conversion in East Ham.
FAQs
Can't see your question? Call or WhatsApp us — we're happy to help before you book.
It depends mainly on the type of garage, the condition of the walls and foundations, how much the floor needs raising, and whether you add plumbing or a new roof. Integral garages are usually the lowest cost to convert. We give you a fixed, itemised quote after a free survey.
Often not. Converting an integral or attached garage into a room for your own use is usually allowed without a planning application if the work is mainly internal. You may need permission if your permitted development rights were removed when the house was built, if you live in a conservation area, or if the building is enlarged. We check your planning history at the survey.
It is usually one of the quicker building projects because the walls and roof already exist. Integral conversions take the least time, while attached and detached garages take longer if the roof is replaced or new foundations are needed. Your quote includes a programme for each stage.
An extra bedroom, office or larger kitchen usually adds more to a home's appeal than a garage used for storage. In areas where off-street parking is valued, losing a garage can matter to some buyers, so a local estate agent can give the best guide for your street.
Most can. Garages with poor foundations, very low ceilings or serious structural problems need more work, and some estates have planning conditions that keep garages for parking. We tell you at the survey whether a conversion is practical and what it involves.
Yes. A part conversion divides the garage with an insulated wall, keeping a storage area at the front behind a smaller door, while the rear becomes a room or utility space.
One team, every trade
Next step
Tell us how you would like to use your garage. We will inspect it, explain what is involved and send you a written, itemised quote.
Send us photos of your garage on WhatsApp to get started, or use our contact form.
