Garage Conversion in Wokingham — Double Garage to Home Office & Utility Room
A detached property in Wokingham, RG41 with an integral double garage that hadn't housed a car in years. The space was being used for storage. The client needed a proper home office — working from home four days a week — and a utility room. We converted the double garage into a home office and adjoining utility room in five weeks. No extension, no planning permission required — just a smart conversion of existing space.
Project Summary
- Location
- Wokingham, RG41
- Property type
- Detached with integral double garage
- Service
- Garage Conversion
- Garage type
- Double integral garage
- Build duration
- 5 weeks on site
- New rooms
- Home office + utility room
- Floor treatment
- Insulated screed over DPM
- Structural
- Front wall rebuilt in brick
- Planning
- Permitted development
- Building regulations
- Approved
Build Documentation
From Groundworks to Completion
Stage 1
Garage Door Removal & Front Wall
The garage door frames and doors were removed. The two openings were bricked up — outer leaf in brick matching existing, inner block leaf. One window frame was set into the smaller bricked-up opening.
Stage 2
Floor & Wall Insulation
Insulation layer to floor: DPM on existing concrete, then 25mm PIR, then liquid screed. This brought the floor level up by approximately 90mm — checked against the house internal floor level to ensure no step at the connecting door. Wall insulation: independent stud frame 50mm off all external walls, 75mm PIR within stud, plasterboard face.
Stage 3 — Completed
Fit-Out
Partition wall, plasterboard and skim to all walls and ceiling, skirting, architrave. Utility room plumbing (washing machine and tumble dryer connections, basin supply, waste to existing drain). Electrical first-fix then second-fix. Radiator on existing circuit extension.
The Brief
Working from home full-time in a kitchen-table setup. The garage was full of boxes. The brief: make it a proper office. Insulated, warm, plastered, with power and broadband. A utility room at the side for the washing machine and tumble dryer that were currently in the kitchen.
What We Built
Conversion of an integral double garage (approximately 5.5m × 5.5m) into a home office (3.8m × 5.5m) and utility room (1.6m × 5.5m), with a new partition wall dividing the two spaces. The garage door was removed and the opening bricked up — outer brick leaf to match the existing house, inner dense block leaf. New window in the front elevation. New insulated floor: 25mm PIR insulation over a DPM on the existing concrete slab, with 65mm liquid screed. 75mm PIR insulation to all walls via independent stud framing. First-fix electrics: 8× double sockets, 2× USB charging points, dedicated Cat6 ethernet spur to the office desk position.
Why Berkshire Bespoke Builders
- ✓Owner-managed — Pindi on site, personally
- ✓32 years experience — time-served builder
- ✓Fixed-price quotes — itemised, written, no extras
- ✓Building regs managed — submissions + inspections
- ✓Based in Berkshire — Binfield, RG42
FAQ
Garage Conversions Questions Answered
Does a garage conversion need planning permission?
In most cases, no. Converting an integral garage within the existing building envelope is permitted development provided the building does not become a separate dwelling. Building regulations approval IS required — for structural, thermal, and drainage compliance. We submitted and managed all building regs for this project.
How is a concrete garage floor made warm and comfortable?
The original concrete slab is typically cold and uninsulated. The standard approach is to lay a DPM on the existing concrete, then rigid PIR insulation (25–50mm), then a liquid screed (65–75mm). The screed provides a flat, hardwearing surface. The resulting floor is warm, level, and fully building-regs compliant.
Can a garage conversion add more value than an extension?
A well-executed garage conversion adds more value per pound spent than most extensions, because the structural envelope already exists. A double garage conversion costs £20,000–£35,000 and can add £30,000–£60,000 in value. A single-storey extension of equivalent floor area costs £40,000–£70,000.
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