Coverting a sleepout/garage

We have a building that we would like to convert into a flat: one bedroom, living room, kitchen and shower and toilet.
We have already aquired
sink unit with cupboards
cooker
fridge
freezer

The building is a two car + workshop garage by versatile garages 9m x 6m. The walls have previously been lined and insulated. The two car doors are still there so will obviously need replacing with cladding/windows
The buiding has two doors, one is a glass door which leads out onto a small brick patio.

Obviously it will need a ceiling and insulation putting in. It will need water and sewerage. Water: we have a plumber mate who can help out there.
It will need several new sockets putting in - we have a mate who can advise, though not sign off our handywork.

The question is in this sort of project what specific building regulations do we have to be aware of? Do we need approval to install a ceiling or errect a partition wall?
Anyone done this sort of project and ca you offer any advice to prevent pitfalls

Not sure about the ceiling or partitions but you'll need to talk to your local council to make sure it's OK to change the building from a garage to a dwelling.

Although it was built as a garage, it has never been used as one (you can tell by the squeaky clean concrete floor). I don't know all the uses, the previous owner had it as a studio, we have used it mainly for drying clothes and dumping stuff in. The fact that it is already lined is an odd one, definitely not what you would do just for a garage. I guess the council could verify what it is currently allowed to be used for. We need to get another copy of the LIM report as we have managed to mislay the one we got when buying this place

Check with the council to see whether it is consented as a garage or a dwelling. If it is a garage on the council records you will need a consent for plumbing sewerage power etc.

Seconded for checking with council, esp. if you intend to sell the dwelling down the track....

cheaper to rectify the issues now, than later if you sell and the purchaser and solicitor check the legals down the track....

I am sure if it was a sleep out and flogged to you as such, your legal eagles would have advised a better negotiating position for you...?

We have ourselves called it a sleepout, I can't remember what the terminology was on the contract.
What is the difference between a sleepout and a garage? I thought a sleepout was any building not physically connected to the house. (this building is only 3m from the house and another idea was to join it on)

My understanding Moggy, and I am happy to be corrected, is any outdoor area including a verandah or such like, converted to appear to be an interior room offering long term shelter from the elements....:confused:

Moggy, it also depends on where you are (council-wise) and what you want it for,and whether you mind if you do everything legally, or fly under the radar.

My council (Franklin) allow people to put secondary temporary dwellings on properties for families who are helping out a grandparent or an adult child for example. But the building must be removed when the person moves on.

However, there are lots of those buildings in Franklin that have stayed through many different owners. Many were put up over 20 years ago, the properties have been sold multiple times, but it would seem the council has lost track of some of these second dwellings and not checked to see if they have been removed or not.

I think you're going to need building consent for sewage and power at least, and permission from council (if you can get it) to change the building into a secondary dwelling (if it's not that when you check your LIM).

A certified drainlayer would need to do the outside drainage work, a certified plumber and electrician to do the electrics, then it would have to be inspected (by an electrical inspector). No sign off from any of these (and I doubt any would, because without building consent it would be illegal), means very little responsibility or comeback, and if there is a fire, no insurance either.

All I'm saying is, there are two ways to go about this project - the "right" way, with consent/approval required. Or there's the "wrong" way which means you do it without consent, and if you sell, you tell a new owner that it's not legal and you'll remove it/the fittings etc if they don't want it. I have family members who have done this (I'm not proud[]) but on three occasions, the new owners have never asked for the extra buildings (one a home unit, the others a workshop and barn) to be removed. On the contrary, they've been very pleased, especially with a the bonus of a rental.

Just down one road I know of (not mine I hasten to add), there are four of these "second dwellings" that are now onto their 3rd owners, being used as rental properties. Because they've been there for so long, it's unlikely council will ever know they're not supposed to be there, unless someone dobs the owner in.

You will need to check with council as we have a sleepout where the farm worker(s) used to sleep and we were told, when we purchased the property, that the council wouldnt allow a cooker...

Hi, Just a note of caution our neighbour here in the Manawatu wanted to line out his garage that had a room on it already and had to put a new septic tank in if he applied under building consent, yet the house had a septic tank when built big enough for 3 bedrooms, and because he was putting an extra living area in the garage it meant a new septic tank. So check that side of it out. Cheers.

I am with BB on this one in that my understanding is that if you do not have a wired in cooker, then it is not required to be permitted. I believe many people do this and just have a microwave, benchtop cooker, electric kettle etc and that is fine.

However, once you rent it out you need to be aware of your insurance situation (again!). Was interested that one of the quotes I got on Friday, they asked me if the buildings were permitted/approved by the Local Council. I thought you only needed electrical sign off but maybe not. Better to ask under these differing circumstances.

to clarify, there is already power to the building, butin the caseof making itinto a flat,it would require more sockets.

We are just going through this process with a new building on our land and certainly for Rodney council there are 3 clearly different types of building, a garage which only needs relatively basic construction, a sleepout which needs higher stadards of concrete base and construction and can have septic water bathroom etc but no kitchen, and finally a dwelling which is anything you can use as a house basically but it has a kitchen. They will only allow one dwelling per property and i think a lot of councils are the same with that.

First thing i think is you need to check what it is currently p[ermitted as and what your council will allow.

the council here will allow a second dwelling but needs a resource consent, not just a building permit, which you will need as well, which will result in a building code of compliance certificate, which is needed to get insurance.
oh, by the way, was there building paper on the outsiude of the frame before it was lined? if not, (and the council inspectors see that it has been lined) the cladding will may have to be removed and builders paper put up or the lining removed regardless of wether you do anything else.
there is also something about the height of the concrete pad above the ground level (they want me to alter my foundations of my shed!) and then you need to know if there is a waterproof barrier under the concrete pad. it will be a lot easier if the owners that built the place had thought ahead and done those things.
good luck mate, my place is a nightmare because the previous owners did not do things by the books, so i at least have learnt from them that you involve council and seek their advise. it turns out that the building inspectors here are actually reasonable people and are willing to help.
so, quietly see where the building is at as far as its compliance is concerened first, and then go see them about what is required to do the next step.

The council up here is very strict. I need resource consent and building permit just to line a garage to house cats. I didn't need to add sockets/cooker/toilet/shower or anything like that. I guess I could have done it without but these things always come back and bit you on the bum if you don't do them right.