Garage Conversions in Eltham

Eltham has plenty of 1930s and post-war semis with an attached or integral garage that now holds bikes and boxes rather than a car. Converting it into a living room, office or bedroom adds useful space for far less than an extension.

Most Eltham garage conversions do not need planning permission, as long as the work is internal and the house has not had its permitted development rights removed - worth checking on some estates. Building regulations always apply.

The garage door opening is filled in with a new wall and a window, built on a proper foundation and matched to the house as closely as possible so the conversion looks like it was always there.

Garage floors are usually lower than the house and have no damp-proof membrane, so the floor is raised, insulated and damp-proofed. The walls and roof are insulated too, because a garage is effectively an unheated outbuilding until it is converted.

Heating is extended from the house, or electric heating is added, and ventilation is planned so the new room stays dry.

Garage conversions are one of the quickest building projects, because the shell is already there.

Eltham garages are often narrower than they look once the new inner walls and insulation go in, so the room is measured with the finished wall thickness in mind before deciding what it will be used for. A home office or playroom suits a narrow garage well, and a bedroom needs an escape window and a door that opens onto the hall rather than straight into the kitchen. Photos of the space and a rough idea of what you want are enough to start the conversation about what is possible and what permissions it needs.