Divorce/Converting garage into playroom/dining room looking like a school room!

[nipper]

I am fed up of my dining room (which is on the front and side of my house) looking like a school room and am considering redecorating to make it look less so, including less 'in your face' furniture. I currently have the Ikea stuva units but am now favouring more subtle (grown up) modular storage so that I could just remove toy baskets and replace with my own ornaments at the weekend. My own two children age 9 and 6 hardly go in there now, that and the fact that my stbxh are divorcing and I was at one point considering moving out to rent. I have had a serious change of heart (not about the divorce though!), including whether to really make a go of my business and even contemplate taking on an assistant as it seems there isn't enough of me to go around at the moment. The stbx is still paying the mortgage and is desperate for me to take it over and having thought long and hard about it, I have thought to myself you know what maybe I can really do this and make it work. I have also started to hate the fact that the downstairs of my house gets a reasonable battering everyday when I have three/sometimes four little ones running around, wiping finger prints off walls, tatty carpets, having to mop and clean and clean and mop.

So really this is just to ask your advice about a garage conversion. My double garage is across my back garden at the rear of my house and not attached, although it does attach to the house behind me and there is a courtyard allowing access to our and two neighbours. Ideally I would like to retain the garage doors, incase we ever did sell the house. Here's the crunch though, I would like it to be completely self-contained ideally with a toilet, because there is no way I would be traipsing back through the house to use my downstairs toilet which is in the hall. I suppose I would still have to retain the use of the kitchen for providing meals, unless someone has a better idea?

Would seriously appreciate your thoughts and views.

[rickysmiths]

I doubt you would be allowed by planning to put a toilet in it. What about converting it into a playroom for your children/storage for your childminding?

Then you could de clutter your downstairs and allow the children to go with your to select what they want for the day. Or photo everything and have a 'choice' book for them. Then continue to use your home.

Personally I don't let the children wipe fingers on the wall and generally trash the place so to speak. Yes we have messy play etc but they also learn to respect my home.

[Katiekoo]

Could you make a temporary loo? YOu can get a fairly reasonable chemical type toilet (porta potti), that has a proper seat and everything. I've never had one personally so don't don't know how practical they are. It makes life a bit easier although does need emptying! :panic: :laughing: Maybe only for using in an emergency!
Might be an option? You could even have a little 'loo shed'!!! Like an out house!

[hectors house]

We converted 2/3 of our garage into playroom / toy store - the front of the garage still has garage doors and small workshop area for hubby then throw a door into my playroom (which is obviously bolted). I can access playroom through my porch which is a pain - so may be knocking a door way through from lounge or under stairs from hall. I thought a separate playroom would be the answer but I found I couldn't get on with little jobs like today when children doing playdough at dining room table I managed to peel potatoes for tea. So still find it easier to play in lounge and dining room and tidy toys up in evening.

A friend had a garage conversion for childminding and it had a conservatory on the back with a toilet in the old garage part - no problem with planning permission (you can put a toilet in your cupboard under the stairs if you have a Saniflow)- think you only need building regs for garage conversion anyway.

[bindy]

Why don't you have one of those loos fitted that needs no planning permission, called sennie something?? seen it advertised on TV but can't remember the name. I don't understand why you would not get planning permission anyway for a toilet. My friend had a laundry room put into her garage,( only part of the garage) running water just the same?? Very easy to lay the pipes, I had an extra loo put into a house once, easy done!

[hectors house]

Why don't you have one of those loos fitted that needs no planning permission, called sennie something?? seen it advertised on TV but can't remember the name. I don't understand why you would not get planning permission anyway for a toilet. My friend had a laundry room put into her garage,( only part of the garage) running water just the same?? Very easy to lay the pipes, I had an extra loo put into a house once, easy done!

Quote from Saniflo website "If you are looking to install an ensuite bathroom or a shower cubicle in a loft extension or basement, the Saniflo Macerator pumping systems enable you to add facilities almost anywhere. All you need is a water and electric power supply.

They're easy, quick and economic to install and you can add a new toilet under the stairs, in a garage, a loft conversion, cloakroom, shower room or bathroom - even a complete kitchen or utility room with dishwasher and washing machine."

We have an ensuite shower that uses a Saniflo pump - the water is pumped up into the attic and then across attic and down into the "stink" pipe that goes through the bathroom, as we do not have a drain on our bedroom side of the house. A Saniflo toilet pump would work the same way but (not for the faint hearted), it chops up the contents and then pumps them through the nearest sewage pipe!