Detached garage workshop conversion

[ChristmasBoots]

Hi!

 

We currently have a large, detached outbuilding that we are looking at potential options for.

 

Background information

It is approximately 8m wide by 6m deep.

It is square with an internal wall front to back diving it into 2 sides (garage and workshop).

It has a double garage shutter and a single door and window on the front elevation.

The other 3 walls are facing the boundaries.

It is single skin block and brick construction.

It is on a concrete pad.

There is no DPM.

There are gulleys in the floor for drainage.

There is currently water ingress on the back wall and the concrete gets damp towards the back. There are large trees and a 30cm or so gap behind the building where there is a retaining wall so a great area for leaves and the like to get stuck and cause damp!

 

What we would like to do ideally

Invert the front left corner, creating an L shape.

This would make the internal space around 28sqm.

It would give us space for an outside seating area (as the current building is most of the usable garden space).

The new space would be a garden room and storage.

 

My questions

1. The building is a "controlled" building due to its current size. Once the walls have been moved, before insulation, wall studs and plasterboard etc it will be more than 30sqm but the intended conversion will not be over the 30sqm to require building regulations. Is this correct that we will then not require regs sign off?

2. What building regs would be applicable when moving the walls? Will they want us to dig down into the foundation to ensure its deep enough where the new walls will be?

3. The building is practically AT the boundary on 2 sides. It is made of brick/block and will have a metal sheet roof. There will be no toilet or kitchen facilities and no sleeping. This does not require building regulations approval, correct?

 

Thank you if you got this far! I have so many questions about the actual build but this is already too long!

 

[Conor]

I'd demolish, start with a blank canvas, move walls in from boundaries, proper dpc etc. reuse the slab. Construction with non-combustable materials, under 30m², no living spaces, ridge height under 2.5m, and you won't need planning or building control.

[ChristmasBoots]

Thanks for replying! My reason for trying to keep as much of the building as possible was cost. It'll cost for demolition, waste removal and then the rebuild and I think that's going to be way out of our budget (although we're happy to do the donkey work, I'm not sure bricklaying is my thing!).

 

Any thoughts of a ballpark figure for rebuilding?

[Conor]

Can't comment on the total cost without more details. My rational for suggesting  the demolition is because, if I'm interpreting your intentions correctly, you're going to have to demolish most of the existing building anyway. All front walls, remove roof etc. if you have issues with the rear and side walls, then you may as well remove these, set them back a bit, install dpc, insulation etc. if you've photos or more details on the final spec, that would help.

 

Demolition is a digger for an afternoon and a grab lorry. £1k. Or take it down by hand and reuse / recycle the materials for minimal cost.