A Converted Garage

When David Innes was growing up in his parents house near Hull he never imagined that one day he would end up living in their garage. But when he returned from Newcastle University in 1995 and started looking around for a house to buy, he couldn't find anything bigger than a shoebox at a price he could afford. "All the houses I saw felt very closed in and had little character," he says. "I wanted a home with plenty of light and space."

He began to wonder whether the former coach house-turned-family garage might be an option. A few years previously his sister, Michelle, had gained planning permission for a one storey conversion which would have created a loft-style apartment over the garage. Instead of going ahead with the project, Michelle decided to travel the world, so David considered the possibility of turning it into a two storey conversion.

"As we already had planning permission on the property, it would go a long way towards the success of a second planning application," says David. "It also made financial and practical sense. I would end up with all the space and light I wanted."

David estimated that for around £45,000 he could use the existing footprint and convert the detached 100-year-old building and adjoining shed into a modern, two storey living space. By managing the project himself he could make further savings, and by living at home he could oversee its development on a daily basis. What should have been a simple renovation, however, turned into a first-timers nightmare involving incompetent workmen, soaring costs and threats of court action.

"I was a bit wet behind the ears, but I wasn't daft," says David. "I think people saw how young I was and tried to take advantage of my inexperience, but I knew when something wasn't right and I wasn't afraid to insist that it was done properly."

The first hurdle was to get further planning permission to raise the roof height of the tall, single storey building to allow him to create two floors inside. The first set of plans, drawn by an architectural firm who are no longer in business, reduced the building to a set of box-like rooms which was exactly what David was trying to avoid. A second architect was much more in tune with David's line of thinking and created an open plan ground floor with a kitchen overlooking views of the River Humber where the original shed had been.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Planning Department were all set to oppose the revised plans on the grounds that neighbours had objected to the potential breach of their privacy, but when planning representatives visited the site they agreed that these concerns were unfounded and permission was granted. "They stipulated that I had to follow the original footprint and that the building had to be in keeping with its surroundings, which meant re-rendering outside and reusing the original roof tiles where possible or buying matching replacements," explains David.

The next challenge was to find a builder. Most of the larger firms quoted way beyond David's budget, so he employed a friends husband to take it on - little realising that it would end in tears.

"It was supposed to have taken six months but it took almost two years in total and, in the end, we had to fire him because he just wasn't getting the job done," says David. "I don't think he had tackled anything on such a large scale before."

One of the biggest problems he faced was the repair of damage caused by the weak design of the timber roof structure. Over the years the timbers had created a natural lateral thrust at eaves level, which had pushed two of the walls out of line by up to 100mm.

"To be honest, the building was falling to bits, but it's not until you start work that you realise the condition they are in," admits David. The answer was to install a system of steel portal frames, which would also support the first floor, then take the walls back to head height and rebuild them.

"The original oak trusses were too heavy to reuse and I considered buying reclaimed beams and having the roof space open, but it was too costly and it would have altered the shape of the roof externally," says David. "I went for the more cost-effective option. Twenty eight individual trusses now hold the roof in place and the 225mm walls have been dry-lined with an Isowool cavity wall system. All the roof tiles that could be salvaged from the original building were placed at the front of the house and matching new ones laid at the back."

The shed which leant against the building at the back was moved down the garden, all the external render removed and the garage openings were filled with blockwork. Foundations were dug for the kitchen extension on the site of the old shed and a small gable extension at the front to house the staircase.

The ground floor of the property was considerably lower than the ground outside, so it was built up by around a metre with breeze-blocks to bring it up to the same level, insulated with combat floor shield 50mm polystyrene and batoned to take an American white oak floor, which was sanded and sealed.

The next major problem was with the windows. The supplier made the first floor windows too large for the openings. Remaking them would have meant a six week delay, so instead the brick cills had to be cut to enlarge the openings. One of the downstairs windows fell out because it was so badly fitted and after four attempts to correct his poor workmanship, the supplier still hadn't managed to get the windows right. To add insult to injury, he threatened to take David to court for non-payment.

"I wasn't going to pay in full until he did the job right," says David. "In the end I took legal advice and was told to bring in an independent surveyor." The surveyor wrote a report in David's favour but the supplier refused to come back so, on the surveyor's advice, David employed someone else to finish the job and knocked the cost of the corrective work off the first bill.

The quotes for the staircase varied enormously. David was quoted £3,500 for a staircase of oak runners and softwood treads which, when the costings were broken down, included several hundred pounds just for measuring up the job. A quote from a second company came in at a more realistic £700.

"It made me realise that some people just try it on. You have to question everything otherwise you could end up paying a fortune," warns David. "On the other hand, you often get what you pay for. If I built again, I would wait for the most reputable tradesmen and pay the extra because you know you'll get the job done right and to a high standard. If you hire people to meet a low budget, you will probably end up paying more in the long run."

Inexperience also could have cost David some of the finest details of his home. "I wanted to save as many of the original features from the garage as possible, such as some of the wooden doors, but the builder told me they wouldn't fit. Basically he wanted to make life as easy as possible for himself, but I knew he could change the door openings to make them work. When I said I wanted to introduce glass blocks into the sitting room wall, staircase and in the bathroom, I was told I would have problems with condensation. I discovered that wasn't true either and insisted that they go in."

One aspect he couldn't avoid was changing the position of the bathroom and en suite. Originally planned to go at one end of the house, they eventually had to be positioned in the middle to get enough fall through the pipes.

"In spite of all the hassle, it was worth it to get the house I really wanted," says David. "Fortunately my dad and a family friend called Peter Dale, an architect, were on hand to advise me along the way so I had their backing when things went pear-shaped. Dad also helped me to achieve the right amount - and the right sort - of light in the place. He is a professional photographer so he knows all about light and the way it works, which has made a huge impact on the atmosphere of the house.

"Its a great house to live in. Although it's not huge, it contains everything I wanted - including plenty of natural light, open spaces and a combination of very modern and original details. I've learned from my mistakes, but my wife Becky and I would like to stay put for a few years. I don't think I would want to go through all that again just yet!"

Further reading:

• How to spot the best conversion opportunities
• Transforming a Georgian warehouse
• Converting an old mill into a green home