Extensions over a garage in Selkirk
If you live in Selkirk and need more room without moving, an extension over a garage is worth a serious look. We handle the drawings, approvals, structure and build.
The basics for Selkirk at a glance.
- Postcode districts
- TD7
- County / area
- The Scottish Borders, Scotland
- Price region
- Scotland
- Guide price
- £29,500–£43,000 (£1,640–£2,400 per m²)
- Approval route
- Planning permission is usually needed: Class 1B permitted development only applies if every part of the extension is at least 10 m from all boundaries. A building warrant is needed before work starts.
- Nearest towns
- Galashiels (4.8 miles), Hawick (8.9 miles), Innerleithen (10.1 miles)
- Distance to Hawick
- about 8.9 miles
- First visit
- Free, no obligation
About an extension over a garage
An extension over a garage is a new first-floor room built on top of an existing attached garage, usually a bedroom, en-suite or study. It uses a footprint you already have, so it adds floor space without taking any garden. The garage walls and foundations often need strengthening or replacing to carry the new floor.
We cover Selkirk (TD7) and the places around it, including Galashiels (4.8 miles), Hawick (8.9 miles) and Innerleithen.
What it costs in Selkirk
Using our Scotland rates, an extension over a garage with 3 m × 6 m of new first-floor space (18 m²) comes to about £29,500–£43,000, including VAT. Bigger or more glazed designs cost more per m². Professional fees for drawings and the structural engineer are listed separately on our prices page.
| Spec | Per m² | 3 m × 6 m of new first-floor space (18 m²) |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | £1,510–£2,210 per m² | £27,000–£39,500 |
| Standard | £1,640–£2,400 per m² | £29,500–£43,000 |
| Premium | £1,970–£2,880 per m² | £35,500–£52,000 |
Planning and building standards in Selkirk
In Scotland, a room over a garage makes the extension more than one storey, so Class 1B applies, which needs at least 10 m to every boundary for permitted development. Attached garages are rarely that far from the boundary, so expect a householder application (£371, decided within two months) and a building warrant.
Approval in Scotland: Householder planning application: £371. Councils have two months to decide a local planning application.
Building standards: A building warrant from the council's building standards service before work starts, and a completion certificate at the end. Scotland uses its own Technical Handbooks.
Design points for Selkirk homes
Fire separation
If the garage stays a garage, the floor between it and the room above, and any door into the house, must give fire separation under building standards. That usually means fire-resisting plasterboard ceilings, sealed gaps and a fire door, which we design in from the start.
Floor levels and headroom
Garage floors are often lower than the house, and the new first floor may not line up with the existing landing. We set the floor level to avoid awkward steps upstairs, while keeping enough headroom in the garage below for a car or storage.
How we'd run your project
Free site visit
We visit your home in Selkirk, look at the structure, access and boundaries, and talk through what you want the new rooms to do.
Drawings, then consent
We draw the scheme, check it against the rules in Scotland, and take it through the right consent with the council.
Detail and price
Construction drawings, engineer's calculations and building warrant approval, then a written fixed price for the build.
Build
Foundations, walls, floor, roof, windows, then first and second fix. We break through into the house as late as we can.
Questions about extensions over a garage in Selkirk
Do I need planning permission for an extension over a garage in Selkirk?
Selkirk is in Scotland. Planning permission is usually needed: Class 1B permitted development only applies if every part of the extension is at least 10 m from all boundaries. A building warrant is needed before work starts.
Which postcodes do you cover around Selkirk?
We cover Selkirk (TD7) and nearby places including Galashiels, Hawick and Innerleithen, plus the rest of the Scottish Borders. The first site visit is free.
How long does an extension over a garage take?
Allow 4 to 8 weeks for survey and design, then the approval period (councils have two months to decide a local planning application), then 4 to 8 weeks of technical design, which can overlap. The build itself usually takes 14 to 20 weeks, longer for large or complex designs.
Do I need to convert the garage as well?
No. You can keep the garage for parking or storage and build only the room above, as long as the floor between them and any door into the house meet fire separation rules. Converting the garage at the same time is often good value, because the walls and foundations may be upgraded anyway.
How do I get into a room over the garage?
Usually through a new opening off the existing landing or a bedroom, so the stairs stay where they are. If the floor levels do not match, a step or two may be needed inside the new room. Where a landing opening is not practical, a new stair from a converted garage is an option.
Nearby
Nearby towns we cover for extensions over a garage:
Other extensions in Selkirk
- Rear
- Side
- Wraparound
- Part two-storey
- First floor
- Semi-detached
- Detached
- Kitchen and bedrooms
- Bedroom and en-suite
All two-storey extension services in Selkirk · Extensions over a garage across the Scottish Borders
Book a free site visit in Selkirk and we'll tell you what's possible, what approvals you need and what the design stage would cost.