'I spent £15k and transformed my parents garage into a one-bedroom flat and moved in'

A 21-year-old landscaper who was struggling to get on the property market instead decided to convert his parents' garage into a one-bedroom apartment for just £15k.

Struggling to climb onto the property ladder, Josh Jones persuaded his mum and dad to let him transform the garage attached to their four-bedroom family home. With £4,000 saved up, he opted to invest in creating his own space rather than using it as a deposit for a house.

Josh embarked on the project in January 2023, dedicating eight months to the task, learning construction tips from YouTube along the way. He single-handedly overhauled the garage, including replacing the roof, levelling the floor, installing drainage, and fitting out a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.

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The materials cost him £14,700, and by May 2024, he and his girlfriend moved in. Josh, from Tunbridge Wells, said: "Renting is ridiculously expensive.

"I was living with my mum at dad and I knew renting could never be an option." Explaining his decision, he said, "As I was still living at home it was a no-brainer really.

"I learned to do it all on YouTube, as I have been in the building trade since I was 16."

He added: "I knew what to do with most bits but I used YouTube for anything I didn't know about." In December 2022, he pitched the garage conversion idea to his parents - and admits it took some convincing.

He explained: "Initially, they were not on board. I kept going on and on about it.

"The garage was full of crap from over the years and I think dad realised that it was a serious situation when I started to take stuff out of the garage."

The ambitious project began in January 2023, with Josh clearing out the space and tackling the roof repairs. He detailed the process: "I had to completely strip the garage roof, repair it and then insulate it."

Further improvements included levelling the floor, installing drainage, and damp-proofing.

Walls went up, and a kitchen, bathroom, and living room were installed. Josh said: "I levelled out the garage floor, we damp-proofed it and added drainage.

"I added walls, a kitchen, bathroom and living room."

Drainage proved to be the most difficult task, as Josh recalled: "We had to dig a six-foot deep hole and I dug too far down and broke a pipe that I didn't need to so I had to replace that."

He described the drainage work as "The most challenging part of the project was the drainage - it is very complicated."

However, the installation of the kitchen was a highlight for Josh. He said, "I love my kitchen, it was second-hand from Facebook Marketplace and so cheap - costing £500."

The addition of windows and doors also marked an exciting milestone: "The most exciting part of the build was when I put in the window and doors. It felt like I was getting somewhere."

With the rental market in its current state, Josh plans to stay in his newly built home for the next decade. He added: "Renting is ridiculously expensive and never an option for me as I didn't want to be paying someone else's mortgage."

"I can see myself living here for the next 10 years - I don't see why not. When I told my friends what I was doing, they were gobsmacked - they are super impressed."

Following his triumph with the garage transformation, Josh is now looking to enter into a business venture with his brother and father, focusing on garage conversions and property development.

The breakdown of Josh's spending includes architect fees and building control at £850, raising the garage roof costing £1150, drainage works for £450, expenses for door, window, timber, and brickwork at £470, constructing a stud wall for £240, plumbing services totalling £750, roof repairs at £500, plasterboards for £650, plastering materials and labour coming to £1350, electrics at £3750, bathroom installation at £570, kitchen costs at £500, flooring at £520, decorating charges at £700, miscellaneous screws and bits at £300, insulation at £1450, and skip hire at £500.