Garage Conversion

neil mitchell · Post by **neil mitchell** » Sat 21 May 2016 13:36

Hey.

I've been trying to research this but I got myself very confused. I wondered if anyone had recent experience.

Earlier this year I converted a garage/cave on the ground floor of the house into an additional en-suite bedroom. The work was all internal and had no effect outside the house so, after researching, I concluded that no permission was necessary.

I now suspect that the work needs to be reported because it increases the habitable surface and hence the Taxe Habitation and Fonciere (which makes sense).

Does anyone know that this is the case and, if so, how would one go about it.

Many Thanks.

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Sat 21 May 2016 16:05

neil mitchell wrote:Hey.

I've been trying to research this but I got myself very confused. I wondered if anyone had recent experience.

Earlier this year I converted a garage/cave on the ground floor of the house into an additional en-suite bedroom. The work was all internal and had no effect outside the house so, after researching, I concluded that no permission was necessary.

I now suspect that the work needs to be reported because it increases the habitable surface and hence the Taxe Habitation and Fonciere (which makes sense).

Does anyone know that this is the case and, if so, how would one go about it.

Many Thanks.

You say that the work was all internal. Does that mean that you still have a garage door in front of your bedroom? Changing the external aspect can need permission, sometimes. There is a brief summary of the rules here
http://tendance-travaux.fr/renovation/a ... ece-de-vie

It doesn't seem to give any guidance about the tax consequences. Why not go to your mairie and ask? It is the standard advice about almost any issue in France, and it has worked for me. Though you are not guaranteed to be happy with the answer.

neil mitchell · Post by **neil mitchell** » Sat 21 May 2016 17:23

Well yes, actually it is. The garage doors were (still are) a pair of outward opening bi-fold doors which are pretty much exactly the same as a pair of shutters but just more robust. All I did was put a large sliding patio door behind it. With the shutters shut it looks exactly the same (and not really any different with them open.

Thank you for that link. I think I should have had permission because it is over 20sqm and also the mairie have details of the original sq meterage upon which I guess they calculate the taxes.

You're right, I need to go and fess up and be apologetic, I'm sure it will be taken care of, they always seem a decent lot at the Mairie in Vernet.

Thanks.

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Sun 22 May 2016 11:32

neil mitchell wrote:Well yes, actually it is. The garage doors were (still are) a pair of outward opening bi-fold doors which are pretty much exactly the same as a pair of shutters but just more robust. All I did was put a large sliding patio door behind it. With the shutters shut it looks exactly the same (and not really any different with them open.

Thank you for that link. I think I should have had permission because it is over 20sqm and also the mairie have details of the original sq meterage upon which I guess they calculate the taxes.

You're right, I need to go and fess up and be apologetic, I'm sure it will be taken care of, they always seem a decent lot at the Mairie in Vernet.

Thanks.

I must confess that I didn't read the link that I gave you very carefully, beyond identifying that it was relevant. I was struck, on revisiting it, that you need to use an architect for works on a dwelling bigger than (nowadays) 150 m2: that's a decent-sized house but not huge. My own scrapes in by a few m2, but I self-evidently needed an architect, so it wasn't an issue.

I don't know exactly how you would correct for not having used an architect in the first place (if that is relevant: the threshold was probably 170m2 at the time your work was done). But I don't imagine that it will have to be knocked down.

It's still something worth remembering for others contemplating works on their home. I am torn about the merits: it is obviously an example of the vested interests which clog up French life; but on the other hand, I am entirely happy that I used one.

The other interesting thing is that artisans don't seem to give a damn whether the work they do has been duly authorised: I don't know whether that's so in the UK, because I've never had serious building work done there. But again it may be worth remembering.

neil mitchell · Post by **neil mitchell** » Sun 22 May 2016 11:43

I fell into the trap of thinking what I would do (or not do) in UK and applying it to France. Silly really because I have owned two homes in France over 15 years although, in my defence, my French neighbour said to just do it, no need to tell the Mairie. I'm sure that the Mairie will deal with it, they seem very reasonable people.

martyn94 · Post by **martyn94** » Sun 22 May 2016 11:57

neil mitchell wrote:I fell into the trap of thinking what I would do (or not do) in UK and applying it to France. Silly really because I have owned two homes in France over 15 years although, in my defence, my French neighbour said to just do it, no need to tell the Mairie. I'm sure that the Mairie will deal with it, they seem very reasonable people.

My "non-compiant" works were done on my first place, in Normandy, where I am about 1 km from the nearest metalled road, and about 2 km from the nearest neighbour, or about 1 km if you go over the fields. But then again, my neighbour is the maire, but I've still had no grief. I wouldn't worry, as evidently you're not doing.

It would be interesting to know what proportion of works are strictly compliant. In rural France, not above low single figures would be my guess.

Sus · Post by **Sus** » Sun 22 May 2016 19:04

I would tend to think that you need at least a works declaration for change of use but it is somewhat murky. I would agree with Martyn to just ask at the mairie or you can just wait until somebody asks you

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