I'm looking to buy a house that has a detached brick-built triple garage that we don't need, and I'd like to convert it to a home cinema room. The garage sits within a concrete-covered section of the back garden.
Is anyone aware of any regulations or planning requirement that might cause me problems in doing this?
Cheers, Chris
You'll almost certainly have to get planning permission for "Change of Use".
Since you are effectively converting it into living space, you'll also have to satisfy the building regs with regard to thermal efficiency etc.
Spend a couple of hours at your local council offices - talking both to a Planner and to a Building Control Officer. They are usually very helpful, and will make you aware of all the issues to be considered. Take with you some photos of the garage as it now is and some rough plans of what you want to achieve.
Roger
That's great, thanks Roger.
Regards, Chris
If it is a hobby room and not equipped for living (ie no loo or plumbing or beds) then I don't think that you do need change of use so long and it is for your own personal enjoyment and not commercial - so no selling tickets or ices at the intermission !
Andrew
Assuming it is in good structural order, the most important and expensive part of converting it is likely to be insulation, which shouldn't be too difficult. Lining the walls and ceilings with suitable quantities of Celotex and installing a new floor, with DPM and Jablite is likely to be requested, as is double glazing. A mains powerered smoke detector might be needed. All these changes are well worth having, you want to be nice and cosy when watching the films, after all. The difference between a single skin concrete garage and one with 75mm of Celotex all round is quite startling.
Christian.
Cheers Christian, it's maybe unrealistic but I'd thought about not having a Window at all so I could avoid distraction.
Thanks for the tips though, the insulation sounds good!
Mmm, I was hoping the publicity in this newsgroup could generate a few customers;-)
Seriously though, thanks for the tips; what a helpful group this is!
Regards, Chris
Just have a blackout curtain/blind and then you may be able to use the room for other stuff as well. You get dead cheap plain blinds for kids rooms, designed to eliminate all light during the late summer sunsets.
Hi: you might want to look at this before planning your glazing.
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