If you’re looking to add more space within your home, chances are you’re looking at a choice between building a conservatory or a garage conversion. Each has their benefits, rules and drawbacks so here we assess the two options to help you choose which would be right for you.

Garage conversion basics

A conversion to an existing garage can be one of the most cost-effective ways to extend your home with a well-planned and executed conversion adding as much as 10% onto the value of your home. Another bonus is that if you are converting the existing garage without adding to the size of it, you don’t normally need planning permission. Always check with your local authority to be certain however, especially if you are in a conservation area or something similar.

You do need to comply with building regulations in order for a garage to be a liveable space. This means a building notice must be submitted to the local council. The building must apply to regulations relating to ventilation, moisture proofing, insulation, fireproofing, structural soundness and fire escape routes.

The natural shape of most garages can make them a little odd for conversion, but often the use of dividing walls can make the space into more useful areas. It will also usually require the garage door to be removed and the space to be covered with bricks or glass and a new, normal style door added if there isn’t already one. We’d recommend checking the Planning Portal website, you can find the regulations here.

Conservatory basics

The conservatory is one of the most popular styles of extension to add to the home and can come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. You did once need planning permission to have a conservatory but under the rule changes in 2008, this has been relaxed and you can sometimes build one without planning permission. Like a garage conversion, you will need to give notice to your local council and building regulations (again found on the Planning Portal website) will need to be met to ensure the conservatory meets the required standards.

Conservatories can be used for a wide range of purposes. They are often used as an extra living room space with sofa and TV or as a dining room. They can be used to extend the adjoining rooms or even to create a home office. Children’s playrooms are another popular option.

One of the biggest problems with conservatories is heat regulation – too cold in the winter and too warm in the summer. But the use of products such as those offered by Metrotile allows the creation of a lightweight steel roof for a conservatory that gives the look of the traditional extension but the temperature control benefits of a solid roof.

Which one is best?

With the changes to the planning permission rules, there isn’t a lot of difference between adding a conservatory and converting a garage in terms of the legal side of things. While there is no ‘best’ option, you can instead think about what you want to add room for and use this as a guide or even look at the cost of both projects to see which best fits your budget.

Metrotile is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of conservatory roof tiles. All of our tiles come with a 40-year weatherproof guarantee and are 7 times lighter than traditional roofing materials. For more information or to talk to one of our team call us on 01249 658514 or fill out our contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.