But a garage is his sanctuary
Incorporating your garage within (or alongside) your home gives an easy access particularly useful if you want to free up the kitchen clutter and house tumble dryers & freezers. use as an office or even a gym — a garage can be for many things not just the car. If you build good enough foundations, it gives you the option of converting to living space later on. If you’re building a garage onto an existing property, it will be treated as an extension in terms of planning rules.
A detached garage makes a style statement in its own right, and allows for a larger, multi-purpose structure to be built. If you are considering other uses either now or in the future it is worth considering this and making reservations for it at the design stage. Roof space can be put to good use as a teenagers’ retreat, guest room, games room, gym or office.
Costs vary wildly depending on size, materials and design quality. A basic concrete garage can cost as little as £1,500. A detached double garage built with bricks and tiles to match the main house could set you back to upmost of 18-£20,000 including preparation and site work.
Many oak and timber frame companies also build garages, working on a modular system so you can create your ideal spec or offer bespoke solutions. You could be looking at anything from £3,000 for a simple two-bay garage for the oak frame only, up to around £12,000 for a garage with first floor, but that doesn’t include groundworks, roofing or assembly which will be extra expenses.
To be classed as permitted development, structures should fall under a maximum roof height (4m for a dual pitched roof, 3m for any other roof – but 2.5m for any building sitting within 2m of the boundary). If your garage also includes living space, its purpose needs to be secondary – home offices and gyms are fine, but bedrooms will require formal consent. If you’re embarking on a self-build, constructing a detached garage ahead of the main house can make sense, acting as secure storage for plant and materials or a watertight base for your construction team. Its also worth noting that you should always check your local areas planning policies and ensuring that should you be in the AONB or outside a permitted development area you could require planning permission no matter the permitted requirements usually allowed.
