Living in garage while doing a self-build?

andsoitshould9

Hey I was just wondering has anyone ever done this? I'm not talking about a fancy apartment more so a bedset. Small kitchenette, coach/tv and bed.
We are keen to do something like this as the garage is currently been roofed.
Any tip or hint s would be great?

Peregrinus

andsoitshould9 wrote: »

Hey I was just wondering has anyone ever done this? I'm not talking about a fancy apartment more so a bedset. Small kitchenette, coach/tv and bed.
We are keen to do something like this as the garage is currently been roofed.

And wired and plumbed? And connected to electricity, water supply and sewage? (I'm assuming that, as well as a kitchenette, your garage is going to have a shower and toilet.)

If the answer to all these question is "yes" then living in the garage is cold and draughty and probably not very clean, but basically OK.

If the answer to any of them is "no", then you're not so much living in the garage as camping in it. It's not that different from camping in a tent, really, except that you've got a very spacious and solid tent. On the downside, your tent is not pitched in a campsite with water supply, toilets, ablution facilities and barbecues; it's pitched in a building site.

It's down to you how long you fancy camping for. You can make life more tolerable by prioritising the connection of mains water and sewage. For power, if necessary you can run a diesel generator, which makes connecting to mains electricity slightly less urgent.

andsoitshould9

Peregrinus wrote: »

And wired and plumbed? And connected to electricity, water supply and sewage? (I'm assuming that, as well as a kitchenette, your garage is going to have a shower and toilet.)

If the answer to all these question is "yes" then living in the garage is cold and draughty and probably not very clean, but basically OK.

If the answer to any of them is "no", then you're not so much living in the garage as camping in it. It's not that different from camping in a tent, really, except that you've got a very spacious and solid tent. On the downside, your tent is not pitched in a campsite with water supply, toilets, ablution facilities and barbecues; it's pitched in a building site.

It's down to you how long you fancy camping for. You can make life more tolerable by prioritising the connection of mains water and sewage. For power, if necessary you can run a diesel generator, which makes connecting to mains electricity slightly less urgent.

Thanks for the reply! Yes to all the above. We are upto wallplate level with the house. OH is doing all the work, should be in it by the end of the year. In the meantime and with a change of circumstances we were wondering would this be a good idea... or is a mobile home easier?
It would be liveable and prob cheaper for us seen as he can do most of the above himself. It will be insulated but of course not to the extend of the house so would it be too cold...

Bonzo Delaney

Unless you have planning permission for it as a habitable space which encompasses all the building and planning regs for such a space.
Unfortunately you coukd be in violation of your planning conditions
Which if reported an enforcement notice could be put on your build by the local council

Bascially the permission for the grage was granted for storage and your house was granted for habitation.

Peregrinus

If the garage has a kitchenette with mains water supply, and a shower and toilet plumbed into sewage, then that's probably a more attractive option than a mobile home, which won't have the sewage. Myself, I'd put up with a lot to have main drainage. If your garage includes a laundry, once you get that plumbed in that's another big plus.

A garage will be draughtier than a mobile home in all likelihood, but you may be able to seal up the main garage door and so reduce draughtiness. (I'm assuming there's a side door you can use for ingress and egress.) It will be cold, but so would a mobile home. And the garage will be more spacious.

One drawback could be that the garage may have no natural light, which can get fairly depressing. Also if the garage is connected to the house under construction, rather than freestanding, that could be less awkward, since ingress and egress will be through construction works in progress. There are both convenience and safety aspects to that.

Del2005

Bonzo Delaney wrote: »

Unless you have planning permission for it as a habitable space which encompasses all the building and planning regs for such a space.
Unfortunately you coukd be in violation of your planning conditions
Which if reported an enforcement notice could be put on your build by the local council

Bascially the permission for the grage was granted for storage and your house was granted for habitation.

Planning permission would also be required if you bring a mobile home on site. Since you are building then you will be inspected and living on site in a garage or mobile home will have consequences.

Paullimerick

Hi will you live away there. Cost you less. Depending where you are building you may have no visit from the council. Either way I would work away. Heading into the better have the year soon. Just get a toilet and shower and basics sorted and work away