Building a garage/appartment
Discussion
I'm looking for the PH Massive's help before I invest too much time in something that could be REALLY stupid. If the following sounds familiar to you, I could do with picking your brains:
Short version: I think I want to live in a flat over a garage, not a proper house.
Slightly extended: At some point conventional wisdom dictates I need to buy property rather than carry on frittering away money on cars. The main problem being (apart from the fact that I'm stuck somewhere horribly expensive) that primarily what I need from a house is a garage, but if you want a decent garage it comes with about £350,000 worth of detached house that I can't afford. This got me thinking, and thus could lead to problems.
My current foolish plan is to try and build or convert something along the lines of a well serviced triple garage with some kind of studio appartment above/around it. The first problem is I know the square root of f**k all about any aspect of property. The other obvious one I can see is that the only other idiot who'd ever buy it off me is probably somewhere on PH, so I could see it not being a particularly wise investment.
I'm not all that imaginative at the best of times, so I guess somebody has done this before, and I guess it's fairly likely they're on Pistonheads if they're out there.
Occy
Short version: I think I want to live in a flat over a garage, not a proper house.
Slightly extended: At some point conventional wisdom dictates I need to buy property rather than carry on frittering away money on cars. The main problem being (apart from the fact that I'm stuck somewhere horribly expensive) that primarily what I need from a house is a garage, but if you want a decent garage it comes with about £350,000 worth of detached house that I can't afford. This got me thinking, and thus could lead to problems.
My current foolish plan is to try and build or convert something along the lines of a well serviced triple garage with some kind of studio appartment above/around it. The first problem is I know the square root of f**k all about any aspect of property. The other obvious one I can see is that the only other idiot who'd ever buy it off me is probably somewhere on PH, so I could see it not being a particularly wise investment.
I'm not all that imaginative at the best of times, so I guess somebody has done this before, and I guess it's fairly likely they're on Pistonheads if they're out there.
- Have you done anything like this?
- What's the most obvious thing that's going to screw me over?
- Where does one even start? I'm currently buying magazines ffs!
- On a scale of 1-10, how idiotic is this?
Occy
I dare say there are designs on self build websites you could find. Also, a modern estate build 'coach house' design would do you... 2 bed flat over 3 garages.
As in something like this: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
As in something like this: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
Edited by hornetrider on Tuesday 28th December 23:32
Finding the plot in the first place will probably be difficult.
I'm sure you'd need planning permission aswell to build on top of the garages.
Also, it's unlikely that the original foundations for the garage will support another storey above, so there's quite a big cost there in getting it underpinned.
Probably better off buying a small block of garages and then put in a planning application to knock them down and build a house.
Then again, the sort of place where you'll find a block of garage like that, probably isn't the sort of place you'd want to live.
I'm sure you'd need planning permission aswell to build on top of the garages.
Also, it's unlikely that the original foundations for the garage will support another storey above, so there's quite a big cost there in getting it underpinned.
Probably better off buying a small block of garages and then put in a planning application to knock them down and build a house.
Then again, the sort of place where you'll find a block of garage like that, probably isn't the sort of place you'd want to live.
Just make sure you design it properly! Came across this place installing sky ( Google Maps) It looks even worse in person! The big black line is where the err.. coachhouse is slowly slipping away from the other buildings - Making it all slantysided!
If its done properly though, i can see it being perfect for a petrol head!
If its done properly though, i can see it being perfect for a petrol head!
There are a fair few of these on a new build estate by where I live so there must be a market for it!
https://m.rightmove.co.uk/quickPage.html;jsessioni...
https://m.rightmove.co.uk/quickPage.html;jsessioni...
Chap this is not a mad idea at all.
When i decided to buy my house my priority was parking above all else. I wanted a house with a garage however! Now this is a big however most garages turned out to be glorified sheds and those houses with a proper garage where you can park a car in walk around it and open all the doors where above budget.
In the end i settled for a house with a drive big enough for parking four cars at a squeeze. I have access from the side for a garage in the garden but this is upon agreement of my neighbour knocking a small wall down. He is not a car type but i have hope one day.
I wish you all the best with your decision OP, keep us posted with any updates with your search.
When i decided to buy my house my priority was parking above all else. I wanted a house with a garage however! Now this is a big however most garages turned out to be glorified sheds and those houses with a proper garage where you can park a car in walk around it and open all the doors where above budget.
In the end i settled for a house with a drive big enough for parking four cars at a squeeze. I have access from the side for a garage in the garden but this is upon agreement of my neighbour knocking a small wall down. He is not a car type but i have hope one day.
I wish you all the best with your decision OP, keep us posted with any updates with your search.
rich0411 said:
There are a fair few of these on a new build estate by where I live so there must be a market for it!
https://m.rightmove.co.uk/quickPage.html;jsessioni...
Linky no worky fella. Use the email a friend link.https://m.rightmove.co.uk/quickPage.html;jsessioni...
We build them all the time. They are very popular with FTB and BTL in our neck of the woods.
In the trade, they are know as a FoG (Flat over Garage). We refer to them as 'Coach Houses' to the punters, though, 'cos it sounds nicer. Usually a block of 3 or 4 garages, with a 1 or 2 bed flat above them (though Miller Homes, for one, used to do a 2-garage block with an ultra-compact 1 bed flat over it, too)
Trouble is, we usually only allocate one of the garages to the flat itself; the others are leased out to neighbouring, traditional properties (some developers don't even go that far and allocate only a parking space to the FoG, with all the garages being leased to houses).
What area of the country are you looking for one in?
In the trade, they are know as a FoG (Flat over Garage). We refer to them as 'Coach Houses' to the punters, though, 'cos it sounds nicer. Usually a block of 3 or 4 garages, with a 1 or 2 bed flat above them (though Miller Homes, for one, used to do a 2-garage block with an ultra-compact 1 bed flat over it, too)
Trouble is, we usually only allocate one of the garages to the flat itself; the others are leased out to neighbouring, traditional properties (some developers don't even go that far and allocate only a parking space to the FoG, with all the garages being leased to houses).
What area of the country are you looking for one in?
hornetrider said:
Hi Sam, I've often wondered if you're buying off plan whether developers would be open to the coach house buyer taking more than one of the garages for a market-rate premium? Say, 10k per garage or whatever it is? You ever hear of that?
While I'm not an expert my brother has bought a few of these (as BTL) and a few houses on new estates.The reason they build these is to get maximum density of plots, to the point where houses have 2ft front gardens, and have roads bearly wide enough for two cars to pass.
Each house/flat has either a garage or alocated parking as part of planning permission, and there is very little in the way of extra space you can park cars.
In short its unlikely that a developer will be willing to sell garages for houses that will have very little alternative parking. It would devalue a house by more than say 10k, and might breach the conditions attached to the PP.
rich0411 said:
Ooh, nice coffee table ............ 
There's a small village I drive through sometimes whose first buiding looks like a 70's village fire station. It is now a private residence and sometimes the roller doors are open reavealing a huge garage / workshop with what look like rally cars inside. Living accomodation is upstairs and the building has a flat roof.
MH said:
rich0411 said:
Ooh, nice coffee table ............ 98elise said:
Each house/flat has either a garage or alocated parking as part of planning permission, and there is very little in the way of extra space you can park cars.
In short its unlikely that a developer will be willing to sell garages for houses that will have very little alternative parking. It would devalue a house by more than say 10k, and might breach the conditions attached to the PP.
Ah, of course, by flogging off the garage the associated house would also lose the driveway parking element. Good thinking.In short its unlikely that a developer will be willing to sell garages for houses that will have very little alternative parking. It would devalue a house by more than say 10k, and might breach the conditions attached to the PP.
blackburn said:
There's a small village I drive through sometimes whose first buiding looks like a 70's village fire station. It is now a private residence and sometimes the roller doors are open reavealing a huge garage / workshop with what look like rally cars inside. Living accomodation is upstairs and the building has a flat roof.
Google map/streetview link?hornetrider said:
Hi Sam, I've often wondered if you're buying off plan whether developers would be open to the coach house buyer taking more than one of the garages for a market-rate premium? Say, 10k per garage or whatever it is? You ever hear of that?
What 98elise said, basically: it would normally cause problems with the parking allocation for other properties.It's not completely impossible, though; particularly in the current market, if you crossed the developer's palm with a sufficiently large quantity of silver, they might be willing, for instance, to allocate a single garage in the FoG to a neighbouring detached 4-bed, where previously it was allocated two, thus freeing up another garage on the FoG (but you'd have to offer sufficient to compensate them for the hit they'd take on the sales price of the detached house, which could be substantial), or even to re-jig the estate layout to accommodate your requirements.
The Planning Permission aspect of parking allocation would normally be the least of the developers worries, incidentally, as it's effectively unenforceable in most circumstances (I won't bore you with the details of why); it's the effect on sales revenue of having to sell houses with sub-standard parking provision that will bother them.
Sam_68 said:
We build them all the time. They are very popular with FTB and BTL in our neck of the woods.
In the trade, they are know as a FoG (Flat over Garage). We refer to them as 'Coach Houses' to the punters, though, 'cos it sounds nicer. Usually a block of 3 or 4 garages
I think that this thread is getting away from the OPs question, as per PH. It appears to me that the OP's best plan is to obtain some plans for a 3 garage FoG from someone like Sam68 and then build it as he suggested. A regular design like this should ensure that when it comes to sale time he does reasonably financially, is OK with building regs and PP and that it is pleasant to live in.In the trade, they are know as a FoG (Flat over Garage). We refer to them as 'Coach Houses' to the punters, though, 'cos it sounds nicer. Usually a block of 3 or 4 garages
JR said:
Sam_68 said:
We build them all the time. They are very popular with FTB and BTL in our neck of the woods.
In the trade, they are know as a FoG (Flat over Garage). We refer to them as 'Coach Houses' to the punters, though, 'cos it sounds nicer. Usually a block of 3 or 4 garages
I think that this thread is getting away from the OPs question, as per PH. It appears to me that the OP's best plan is to obtain some plans for a 3 garage FoG from someone like Sam68 and then build it as he suggested. A regular design like this should ensure that when it comes to sale time he does reasonably financially, is OK with building regs and PP and that it is pleasant to live in.In the trade, they are know as a FoG (Flat over Garage). We refer to them as 'Coach Houses' to the punters, though, 'cos it sounds nicer. Usually a block of 3 or 4 garages
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