Converting a garage into a bedroom

[virgo]

Hiya

I need an additional bedroom for my youngest boy...i have a garage 36sqm and the ceiling is 3m high ...never use it and it has a sum total of one table tennis table plus 1 mower plus 1 Christmas tree...i have plenty of parking (4 cars) on the concrete in front of my house...

I have just received the following quotes:

a) DA cost with council plans and document: 4K
b) garage conversion: with new bathroom, toilet and small wet bar, flooring, insulation, new brick wall (to replace roller door), door, glass windows, termite proof, painting, plumbing, electricity the works 25K

c) carport (council need me to replace garage): 15K


What do you guys think? surely c) is a little excessive? also on a sidenote can my handyman erect a carport? thanks!

 

[Propertunity]

Hi Jen,

Single carport usually $2.5K max
Double maybe $4K

Lots of handymen could erect it for you, I'm sure.

Methinks that this teenage sleepout is turning into a granny flat by default

 

[virgo]

Hi Alan

ATM for my youngest son as he is too afraid to sleep upstairs on his own

Then it will be for my eldest when he first gets married and can't afford his own place yet...(always thinking)

Later on, who knows? Missionaries in training who need cheap city accomodation?

 

[virgo]

Costs

Hiya

Anyone wants to comment on reasonableness of a) and b) costs?

From Jen-who-can't-change-a-lightbulb (seriously)

 

[MsAli]

c) carport (council need me to replace garage): 15K


What do you guys think? surely c) is a little excessive? also on a sidenote can my handyman erect a carport? thanks!

Interesting - goes back to my question to remove the garage, if the council will let one to begin with?

 

[wylie]

b) garage conversion: with new bathroom, toilet and small wet bar, flooring, insulation, new brick wall (to replace roller door), door, glass windows, termite proof, painting, plumbing, electricity the works 25K...

We plan on doing this in an IP to give an extra bedroom. We won't get approval because it could always be turned back into a garage. We will replace the roller door with a wall (with windows), install a set of windows in the side wall. Hubby will do this in a couple of days for the cost of his time. We have the windows, but if not, that part would cost a couple of hundred.

So, for just that part (converting a garage to a bedroom) it should cost you next to nothing (unless you pay a builder to replace the roller door and install windows).

I reckon it is the plumbing you are wanting that will make the difference. Perhaps that needs approval (costly) but also that pushes prices out considerably more if you get a plumber involved.

If you just need a bedroom now, why not just do that small job and worry about adding water and/or bar/bathroom/whatever until you actually need it down the track.

 

[kristaje]

Hi Alan

ATM for my youngest son as he is too afraid to sleep upstairs on his own

Then it will be for my eldest when he first gets married and can't afford his own place yet...(always thinking)

Later on, who knows? Missionaries in training who need cheap city accomodation?

Considering what you're thinking as potential usage of the space, I think it's a reasonable investment

It does sounds like a granny flat. If you could get it up and running with 25k fully approved by council, I think it's a steal! We're going through a garage conversion to gf at the moment, and spending upwards of 40k (35k + approval cost). this is for a garage that already has a bathroom in it. size is 60sqm though, but still 25k incl. bathroom is not bad methinks.

my first thoughts were more around how old is your son, and how his having his own 'pad' away from the main house will affect his and your own lifestyle, and the family dynamics. it'd be quite different if it's just a bedroom, compared to one with ensuite, wet bar, and maybe his own cooktop too. just a thought....

 

[virgo]

Renovating a garage

Interesting - goes back to my question to remove the garage, if the council will let one to begin with?

This i think is council dependent


Also would love to hear from anyone who has done a garage conversion into a bedroom recently in Sydney and the cost it involved...thanks

 

[moyjos]

We will replace the roller door with a wall (with windows), install a set of windows in the side wall. Hubby will do this in a couple of days for the cost of his time.

Have you considered NOT doing this bit, rather just put a wall 900-1200 inside the existing roller door. Turns the roller door into a useful storage space( great for bikes, bins, mowers etc) and keeps the street view of the house as if nothing has changed.

Use the windows for the side or back of the garage space instead.

 

[wylie]

I read this on my iPhone and thought I'd wait to get on the computer at home to reply, and then got into something else and forgot to reply... but what a great idea, and thanks for posting it Moyjos .

I'm going to speak to hubby about this. There will be storage between the back of this bedroom and the existing laundry, but that would entail taking anything to be stored through the laundry. Mowers and bikes etc could be stored in this narrow storage behind the roller door, as you suggest. Brilliant!

Whether hubby goes for it is another matter. One plus for replacing the roller with windows is to let in plenty of light and this room could be used as a "rumpus" but that can still happen with french doors or windows to the side yard, so it is something I'm going to put on the table for discussion.

 

[moyjos]

You are welcome Wylie. . I have seen this work really well. Built in garages just always seem to look .....well built in

 

[jim1964]

put a wall 900-1200 inside the existing roller door. Turns the roller door into a useful storage space( great for bikes, bins, mowers etc) and keeps the street view of the house as if nothing has changed

I did exactly this to a house in Melrose Park 15 years ago.My son now lives in it.Works a treat,use syylights if lack of light becomes a problem.

 

[RetireRich101]

Hiya

Anyone wants to comment on reasonableness of a) and b) costs?

From Jen-who-can't-change-a-lightbulb (seriously)

I have a same sized 36m2 garage, though bit warned down inside/outside but structurally sound ok.
I got few quotes for the "Granny Flat style" conversion to a 1 bed self contained, all come back approx $50-60K total including approval fees. This is nearly the cost of building a 1 bedder GF, so I gave up on this idea. Mind you these quotes are from the GF builder/specialist.

This is approx double what you quoted. This large difference is probably dependable on existing state of garage. Things like extra concrete slab height for plumbing/water/flood etc. It also takes care of the Basix requirement as well...etc

 

[travelbug]

Also if a granny flat the joining wall needs to be fire rated. That adds a fair bit to the cost.


How do they make the floor comply? ie if it doesn't have the waterproof membrane.
And do you have to line the walls? Most garages only have single layer of bricks.