We convert integral and attached garages in Hunts Cross, L25, where post-war and later estate houses commonly have the garage built into or onto the house. With an integral garage, the room already sits inside the footprint, so the work centres on the floor level, insulation, fire safety and the old door opening. Building control checks each stage and signs the job off.
The four issues that come up in almost every Hunts Cross integral garage
1. The step down
The garage floor is often lower than the hall. That step is usually removed or reduced by laying a damp-proof membrane, rigid insulation and a screed or timber floor. The new membrane has to lap with the damp-proof course in the walls, or damp can creep in at the edges. Read more on our floor insulation and levelling page.
2. Fire separation
Before conversion, the wall and door between an integral garage and the house keep a garage fire away from the living space. After conversion, the space becomes part of the house, and the fire arrangement for the ground floor is looked at again with building control. That can affect doors, alarms and the escape route.
3. Escape from the new room
If the new room is an inner room, reached only through another room, an escape window is normally needed. We plan the window in the infill wall with this in mind, rather than leaving it to chance.
4. Electrics and power
Garages often have a single light and one socket on an old spur. A habitable room needs proper circuits, and that work is notifiable. Our electrics for conversions page explains what a registered electrician does and the certificate you receive.
Estate housing and planning conditions
Hunts Cross has a fair amount of estate housing from the post-war period onward. On some estates around Liverpool, planning permission for the original houses included conditions that removed permitted development rights or required off-street parking. We cannot tell you whether that applies to your house without the council’s records, so we suggest checking your planning history with Liverpool City Council at the start.
A conversion done without building control approval can delay a sale later. Keep every certificate together, and if you have bought a house with an unapproved conversion, ask your solicitor about the options.
Rooms that suit an integral garage
Because an integral garage opens off the hall, it suits a bedroom, home office or utility room, which frees space in a busy kitchen. For a fuller look at the construction side, see our integral garage conversion page. If you want to understand how scope affects the overall budget, our garage conversion cost guide sets out the factors.
After you call
We ask about the garage, the age of the house and what you want the room for, then visit to measure and inspect. You get a written quote, drawings where needed and a clear idea of the approvals route. To see how this fits into our wider service, read about garage conversions for Liverpool homes.
Areas next to Hunts Cross
We also cover Woolton to the north and Halewood to the east, which is in Knowsley. Our Merseyside garage conversion service covers the rest of the city region.
Integral garage in Hunts Cross?
Call 07777 659786. Tell us whether the garage is built into the house and what you would like it to become, and we will call you back.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my integral garage floor lower than the house?
Garages attached to houses were often built with the floor set down from the house, partly to stop fuel vapour or spills reaching the living space. When the garage becomes a room, the floor is usually built up with a damp-proof membrane, insulation and a screed or timber floor to reduce or remove the step.
Can I take out the fire door between the garage and the hall?
Please do not remove it yourself. The internal door is normally a fire door because the garage was a fire risk. Once converted, the fire strategy for the whole floor, including doors, escape routes and alarms, is reviewed with building control, and they decide what is needed.
Does my bedroom need an escape window?
If the converted room can only be reached through another room, LABC guidance asks for an escape window with a clear opening of at least 450 mm by 733 mm, with the bottom no higher than 1.1 m above the floor. Building control confirms what applies to your layout.
Is planning permission needed on a Hunts Cross estate?
Internal garage conversions often do not need permission, but some estates had permitted development rights removed by a condition on the original planning permission. Check your property’s planning history with Liverpool City Council before work. We never assume either way.
Can the converted garage have new sockets and lighting?
Yes. New circuits are notifiable under Part P, so a registered electrician does the work, issues an Electrical Installation Certificate to BS 7671 and notifies building control. Keep that certificate with your completion certificate.