Converting (partial) stand-alone garage into office space: building regs requirements?

[shefflad]

Hello all,

We have a (sort of) stand-alone garage in our back garden that we are considering converting into an office space. I say sort of because although it isn’t attached to our house it is to one of the neighbours: we live on the corner plot of our street and the side of his house faces the back of ours, with the connected garage and then our garden in between.

Just wondering what the situation is with building regulations and whether we would need to seek approval for doing any works? There is already power & lighting in there so the majority of the works would involve just lining out/insulating the space.

First thought was as it technically won’t be a habitable room/used as sleeping accommodation we would be ok. But a friend suggested that because it’s connected to an adjacent house we might need to submit some details to building control showing sound insulation and the like, or at the very least make an application under the party wall act?

Any advice appreciated...

 

[^woody^]

It's a conversion to a habitable room (same as a garage conversion really), so is controlled work and building regs apply. More onerous if the office is a commercial use not just a home office.

 

[shefflad]

Thanks very much for the reply. Didn’t realise an office space would be classified as a habitable room but having seen at least 3 or 4 different definitions of the same thing it’s more than a bit confusing. Probably over-egging it with that description anyway, in reality it’ll be a glorified garden room where the other half can sit when she’s working from home once a week instead of at the kitchen table.

I did some more reading last night after my initial post as well and found some information on the planning portal about garage conversions as well which suggests the same as what you have said. Pretty much all of the advice on there is for attached/integral spaces which our situation isn’t, but as it is still an existing structure assuming we would be OK to use the recommended u-values for extensions rather than the (lower) new build figures?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

It's a habitable room and would need Building Regs.