When converting the garage is the smarter buy, and when it costs you more than it gains.
A garage conversion uses a structure you already own; an extension builds a new one. That single difference drives almost every other comparison between them.
This guide sets out where each makes sense, including the situations where converting the garage is a decision people regret.
The foundations, walls and roof already exist. What a conversion typically needs is:
Floor level is the common one: garage slabs are often lower than the house floor, and correcting that eats into head height and budget.
The other is storage. Losing the garage means the contents go somewhere, and 'somewhere' is sometimes a new garden building that erodes the saving.
If you need the parking, need the storage, or need a room larger than the garage footprint allows, extending is the honest answer even though it costs more. A cramped converted garage rarely gets used the way it was imagined.
We'll survey the floor level, damp and structure before quoting, so the price you get is the price it costs.
Internal conversions often fall under permitted development, but changing the external appearance or living in a conservation area can change that. Building regulations approval is normally required regardless.
Not if it's insulated and heated properly. The damp-proofing and insulation are the parts worth spending on.
Yes, and integral garages are often the easiest to convert well because they're already within the thermal envelope on several sides.