Can you legally have a workshop/ run a business from home?

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goldeneyedmonkey

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Hello all,

I think I know the answer to this, but here goes anyways...

Can you operate a full business from home? As I'm moving into a new house just after New Years, and on the ground floor is a 1 1/2 size normal garage (ish) and then an entrance-way that is another 3/4 of a garage sized long.

I imagine due to legal reasons/ residential area and H&S reasons it's not possible to run a workshop orientated business from home.

It just seems a shame as it's a perfectly usable space, and I don't really want to shell out for a workshop as well as a mortgage unless I have to (which I think I will!) Oh yeah, it's semi-detached as well. But not an end terrace.

Thanks for any input_Dan :)
 
Not to mention planning permission, the fact your mortgage will be residential only, plus a host of other reasons. :roll:
 
I doubt you'd get away with it full time. I (and I suspect I am far from alone) run a small 'shop in my home garage for the odd time I need it. I suspect that for "business" purposes it doesn't get used for more than a couple of weeks a year. Everything else is personal use and, therefore, different.

Cheers

Karl
 
A friend of mine does, from the basement of his converted chapel.

He had to get planning permission

He pays council tax for the living space and business rates for the basement.

I guess it would depend on where you are and what the local councils policy is.


Tom
 
Post subject: Can you legally have a workshop/ run a business from home?

The straight answer is yes - but you must have the appropriate permissions in place - Planning Permission, mortgager's permission, insurer's permission, covenentor's (if any) permission and, most importantly - your wifes's permission.

Richard
 
thomvic":3l1yms3c said:
Post subject: Can you legally have a workshop/ run a business from home?

The straight answer is yes - but you must have the appropriate permissions in place - Planning Permission, mortgager's permission, insurer's permission, covenentor's (if any) permission and, most importantly - your wifes's permission.

Richard
no wife in the picture, just a 2 year old daughter, I doubt she's got much to say about the matter :lol:

Yeah it's as I thought, I could spend months-years waiting around for different permissions from different authorities, no thanks! I might use it for a spray-booth when I get enough orders in (I'm starting up a business proper just after the new year.) I also need somewhere to photograph all my pieces properly, this will do adequately.

Thanks for your input folks. _Dan :)
 
Perfectly legal but you might eventually get asked to apply for planning permission, particularly if it involves converting a space (building regs for fire etc) making noise, generating conspicuous waste or traffic, having visitors, employing people etc.
But if you are just going to be a discrete one man band you may not get bothered. If you do get approached by planners they are usually helpful and give you plenty of time to apply, unless you are doing something seriously anti-social, intrusive etc.
So don't bother asking them first (they will say apply immediately) just wait and see.

PS Most important thing is to not bother the neighbours. If they start complaining the process speeds up!
 
Its another yes from me, i have my offices and workshop built onto the side of my house (house is detached from any other houses). I pay commercial rates for this plus residential rates for the house. Rang H&S for advice and basically said pipper off if your not employing anyone else to work in there.
 
I worked fulltime in my garage for two years making metal sculptures.
At times I was working outside in a communal carpark welding some huge stuff, like 4.5m long ants. Never had any hassles from the neighbours.
Who were the neighbours? only the local council.

I think I was fortunate, not to get any problems, as it could have got very messy.
I think if you are going to start discretely have a chat with the neighbours, be careful regards noise and mess, dont work evenings or weekends if you can avoid it.

Chunko'.
 
There is another thing to think about.

If you are thinking of customers coming to see you at the workshop, they then know where you live.

You will then get people calling by on a Sunday or when you have just sat down for your tea, just wanting to see how their job is going or they are doing some work on their house and can you just cut them abit of wood.

It is sometimes better to have the workshop away from the house, so you can go home at night and not be disturbed.

Also I am exdirectory for the same reason, it is normally the customers who will want it done on the cheap and then not pay you that do this.

Tom
 
I think Jacob has the answer here - just get on with it and worry about planning etc if and when it arises. If you don't cause a nuisance to your neighbours then they probably won't know or care.
If the worst happens you can always claim you're a site chippy and the workshop is just your hobby.
The only thing I would suggest is that you either don't allow visitors into your workshop at all, or you get some public liability insurance.
 
as a freeborn human being, you are blessed with a few inalienable rights.

one of those, which is backed up by every single human rights convention, constitution and other such worthless bits of paper, is your right to earn a living.

claim your right and do it.

by asking for permission, you immeadiately give up those rights.

NB this tactic works best when you own your property.

if you create no nuisance, should have no problem.
 
I agree, just go ahead but consider the neighbours. Regarding paying business rates, this would apply if the business part of the property was totally discrete likle the purpose built office mentioned. It does not apply if the waters are muddied by using a multi-purpose space that is part of the home. If it were a hobbies room/storage shed/workshop, used for only part of the time in your business, for example. If you do treat it as a separate entity, you can apply for a reduction in your council tax. The other consideration is the possibility of capital gains tax if you sell, depending on the value of the work space. I wouldn't go down this route personally and would ensure that the space remained part of the 'home'.

John
 
Well i do and have done for the last 4 years without any problems at all , as others have said just try to be discreet .

I would shy away from having customers call on you for the reasons stated before , imagine a mother with little jonny turn up to talk about a piece and then little jonny sticks his hand into your table saw :shock: .

Im lucky that my workshop is 130 ft away from the house at the bottom of the garden so noise is not really a problem .

Oh and dont forget nothing sweetens the next door neighbours more than a crimbo present made by yourself :wink: :wink:
 
Thanks everyone,

These are all points that I'd dwelled on, apart from a few different observations that you've made.

With he house being semi-detached and the garage space being on the ground floor (the same as the ajoining neighbours) it might be possible. I've not actually moved in yet, so I'll see what, A. The neighbours are like. and B. What the sound levels are like when I've got equipment running.

I've been running a very small workshop in the cellar of my current place and whilst the neighbours have said a few things (they are d***s so I don't really care) they've never asked me to stop, or threatened anything.

The problem is that I'm just starting a new business, and I can see myself spending up to 12hrs a say 5-6 days a week for at least the first 6 months I reckon, so I think I would be pushing it a bit using the 'shop underneath my new house to do that in! I'd hate to live next to someone that's just moved in and is running machinery till 8pm every night.

But I might use it as a spray booth, storage location & maybe even a mock-up of a living room, photographic studio, so that I can get decent pictures of all my stuff in situ, and on it's own like pieces of art for my up and coming website.

Would be nice to have a workshop that I didn't have to pay much in the way of rent for, but like folk have said, I'd rather have it away from home so that I'm not bothered @ home about things. And also constantly being in the same sq 40ft odd all the time, except for when I nip out for materials would be a bit strange I think.

Thanks for all your advice everyone, this forum really is the Bees :lol:

One question I've got is: How loud are compressors? I want to use one in 'said garage for finishing stuff, what type does everyone use, or doesn't it really matter?

Cheers_Dan :)
 
goldeneyedmonkey":kc1cqfem said:
One question I've got is: How loud are compressors? I want to use one in 'said garage for finishing stuff, what type does everyone use, or doesn't it really matter?

Cheers_Dan :)

Don't. Get a HVLP setup, fantastic and just sounds like a loudish vacuum cleaner. Which if you are using in the "space" or the 1.5 garage - I'd be astounded if the neighbours on the other side could even hear it.

HIH

Dibs
 
I personally would follow the advice of those who say just do it and see what happens. However, the original question was

"Can you legally have a workshop/ run a business from home?

The fact is, that to go ahead without the required permissions would be illegal.

Richard
 
thomvic":3fg6pduw said:
.....
The fact is, that to go ahead without the required permissions would be illegal.

Richard
I don't think so.
But it could become illegal if you refused to comply with planning and building reg requirements - if you were told to apply.
 
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