The Brief
Post-pandemic working patterns transformed this Eastleigh client's situation: a senior manager who now works from home four days a week, they needed a proper professional workspace — not a bedroom corner with a laptop, but a genuine office with good acoustics, reliable broadband and the separation from family life that productive work demands. Their detached double garage, used largely for storage, was the obvious candidate.
Our Design Approach
We drew up full conversion drawings for a 28m² home office across the entire footprint of the double garage. The design incorporated a separate WC and small lobby at the entrance — critical for client visits and for avoiding trips back to the main house during long working days. The main office area was planned as a single large room with full-height bookshelving to one wall and a generous desk run beneath the front-facing window.
Acoustic performance was a priority. We specified acoustic mineral wool within the stud walls and ceiling, resilient bars to decouple the ceiling board from the joists, and solid core internal doors. The result is a workspace that effectively absorbs external noise and prevents voice calls from being overheard outside.
Planning and Approvals
The conversion of a detached garage to ancillary accommodation fell within Permitted Development — no planning permission was required. A Lawful Development Certificate was obtained for the client's records. Building Regulations approval covered structural alterations to the garage door opening (replaced with a framed wall and window), insulation to walls, floor and ceiling, drainage connection for the WC, and electrical installation.
Key Design Features
- Acoustic specification: Mineral wool insulation, resilient bars and solid core doors throughout
- Dedicated WC: Small en-suite WC with hand basin — no trips to the main house
- Full-height shelving wall: Built-in bookshelving as a design feature and practical storage
- Fibre broadband: Dedicated line run from the main house with a mesh Wi-Fi access point
- Separate entrance: Independent front door with video entry for professional client reception
The Result
The converted garage has become one of this client's most valued assets. The acoustic quality means conference calls are clear and private. The dedicated WC means the working day runs without interruption. And the physical separation from the family home — ten steps across the drive — provides the psychological boundary between work and personal life that a bedroom office can never quite achieve. Several colleagues who have joined video calls have assumed it is a commercial office. That is perhaps the best measure of its success.
Cost and Package Guidance
For a 28m² garage conversion in Eastleigh, the biggest budget variables are usually structural steelwork, glazing specification, drainage changes, foundation conditions and final kitchen, bathroom or joinery choices. Hampshire Build's fixed-fee design packages give homeowners clear design-cost certainty before construction begins, with Essential, Pre-Build and Premium options depending on how much technical documentation and contractor support is needed. The design fee is separate from builder costs, planning fees, Building Control fees and any third-party specialist reports, so clients can make informed decisions without confusing design work with the wider construction budget.
Local Context and Practical Considerations
Projects in Eastleigh benefit from early attention to neighbouring amenity, overlooking, daylight, access for builders and material choices that sit comfortably with the existing street scene. On this project, the drawings needed to communicate not only the look of the extension but also how it would work technically: roof drainage, insulation build-ups, structural openings, floor levels and practical circulation through the home. That level of detail helps planning officers, Building Control and builders understand the proposal clearly, reducing avoidable questions and giving the homeowner a stronger basis for the next stage of their extension journey.
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