Does converting your garage make your house more or less appealing at resale?

[TomGW]

It will all depend on the level difference between the house and the existing garage floors and whether the family can live with a step, if the current floor is significantly lower.

My first thought would be to lay a dpm on the garage floor and take it up the wall to the house floor level, lay 100/150mm high density insulation and install a floating chipboard subfloor. This is just 22mm t&g flooring grade chipboard with the joints glued. Trim off excess dpm, fit skirting and job done.

This is the way I floored our entire house as a new build 35 years ago.

[dashfield]

It will all depend on the level difference between the house and the existing garage floors and whether the family can live with a step, if the current floor is significantly lower.

My first thought would be to lay a dpm on the garage floor and take it up the wall to the house floor level, lay 100/150mm high density insulation and install a floating chipboard subfloor. This is just 22mm t&g flooring grade chipboard with the joints glued. Trim off excess dpm, fit skirting and job done.

This is the way I floored our entire house as a new build 35 years ago.

That’s pretty much what the builder plans on doing.

I really appreciate everyone’s thoughts and comments. It’s pretty mixed and there’s arguments to be made for all three options. We’ve decide to stick with our original plan of partial conversion and leaving a front section as a garage.

We spoke with my brother-in-law who is an estate agent and he said people still really want garages because everyone has loads of crap to store. So even if it’s just a small space future buyers will still appreciate it.

I’ll pop up some pictures when the conversions done.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[alanm_3]

We spoke with my brother-in-law who is an estate agent and he said people still really want garages because everyone has loads of crap to store.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mine is converted but still has loads of crap in it :-)

[Ethos]

At my previous home, we converted the garage fully. It became a downstairs bathroom with an en-suite. I'd say it had a pretty positive impact on the value of our house. We had several potential buyers talk about loving a downstairs bedroom and en-suite - for older parents/ disabled children...

The quality of the conversion makes a big difference! Ours had a big window in the front, the bricks matched, the floor levels matched perfectly, the floor continued nearly seamlessly etc so it looked like it had always been like that.

[Taxboy]

There's obviously going to be a split between buyers; those who must have a garage and those for who extra living space is appealing.

What I would say is
1) Do what works for you. It's a home first not an investment vehicle

2) If you do decide on the conversion do the whole garage. If you do part it could appear to buyers as a compromise that suits neither type

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

[walkerwek1958]

I’m currently selling my house, a typical modern 4 bed detached on an estate with integral garage that’s too small for a typical modern car. Car parking can be a problem on modern developments like this, fortunately I managed to widen my driveway to allow 3 cars to park easily on the front. I showed potential buyers around yesterday, they were impressed with the parking facilities and commented about converting the integral garage to extra downstairs space as many gave done locally. I had to agree with their thinking because they wanted plenty if living space, even though I personally like a decent garage, but I would still have concerns about future saleability. As it stands my house is ripe for such a conversion but still has a garage, as a seller I’m happier with that.

As for storing crap, a good- sized garden shed and a boarded loft will hold plenty of crap, so the garage doesn’t need to be a crap- store. Generally, the more space you have the more stuff you hoard, I’m guilty in that score.

[snowman]

I guess it says something about our priorities these days when people are turning garages into home cinemas, games rooms and bars.

I don't need or want a 78" TV, snooker table or a bar (I can drink a beer on the sofa), but it seems many do.

M

Sent from my ASUS_X00PD using Tapatalk

[Ethos]

You're right - and it is also a number of other social / demographic changes. For example, people living longer (elder care), children leaving the house much later (needing more space), hobbies like 'working on your car' becoming more niche than they used to be (wanting to do more with that garage space than just storage).

[Kingstepper]

I’m currently selling my house, a typical modern 4 bed detached on an estate with integral garage that’s too small for a typical modern car. Car parking can be a problem on modern developments like this, fortunately I managed to widen my driveway to allow 3 cars to park easily on the front. I showed potential buyers around yesterday, they were impressed with the parking facilities and commented about converting the integral garage to extra downstairs space as many gave done locally. I had to agree with their thinking because they wanted plenty if living space, even though I personally like a decent garage, but I would still have concerns about future saleability. As it stands my house is ripe for such a conversion but still has a garage, as a seller I’m happier with that.

As for storing crap, a good- sized garden shed and a boarded loft will hold plenty of crap, so the garage doesn’t need to be a crap- store. Generally, the more space you have the more stuff you hoard, I’m guilty in that score.

A garden shed is likely to be damp so no place to store tools, hardware, timber and such like.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ernestrome]

A damp shed is not properly constructed or maintained. Possibly sheds are more likely to be either or both of these than most other buildings.