Table of Content
Because they’re produced individually rather than available off the shelf, they’re more expensive to manufacture, or might involve the skills of an individual artisan. Thus they can be subject to delays, holding up your building project. However, it’s worth paying the premium since they can add massive appeal to an extension, both practically and visually.
Eaves and ridge heights on extension are no higher than the host property. The best way to compare mortgage costs and find the right deal for you is to speak to a good broker. While an extension should add value to your house, it's not automatically the case.
Can I extend the front of my house?
When setting out floor levels for an extension, it is important to work backwards from the finished floor level in the existing property to ensure they will be identical once they’re linked. It's always best to pick a designer with a style or track record of projects that match up to what you're trying to achieve. Ideally, a local firm is a better choice than one that's distant, since they will be more familiar with the local vernacular and the local council's foibles. For a major project such as an extension, it makes sense to get your design approved with the former before you start work, otherwise you could run into trouble if your project doesn’t comply with the regulations. A solar panel can be added to a roof under permissive development, provided that it does not extend beyond 200mm from the roof or wall and that the panel’s highest point does not exceed the roof’s highest part.

For example, you might need approval under the building regulations from the local council. The new planning laws announced by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick will allow families to add two storeys to their homes WITHOUT full planning permission. It’s likely that you will need a team of design professionals to help you prepare your planning application. The first step is usually to hire an architect, who can then help you hire other necessary professionals and ensure you meet the appropriate statutory obligations.
Basement conversions
These exceptions are set-out in the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 to 2021. You do not need planning permission for this type of garage or shed as long as the floor area on its own or in conjunction with any similar structures is limited to 25 square metres. I found that many homeowners search online to find an architect and discover well established or high-end practices (it makes sense – these companies have bigger marketing budgets with stylish websites).

This is important to factor into your extension planning routine. Features such as upper-floor balconies can be contentious if they overlook the neighbours. For windows, you can use obscure frosted glass, install them at a high level, or fit skylights.
For loft conversions
If your home is in a sensitive location, for example, it might be worth getting a site appraisal by a planning consultant, too, who can advise on potential development with a site survey and feasibility studies. Try out our Extension Cost Calculator for an accurate estimate for your build project. You can alter your garden or yard to include car parking spaces, garden paths, ponds and other items. If the porch has a tiled or slated pitched roof, it must not be higher than 4 metres, or 3 metres for any other type of roof. Change how the land is used, like converting a garage to a place of business. This is the deadline to take advantage of the more generous allowance for extensions .
Extension Architecture is one of the leading Architect & Planning Consultant practices in London. We specialise in Planning Applications, Building Regulation Drawings, Architectural Design and Project Management. However you are planning to improve your home, we at Extension Architecture are here to help. The materials used must be in line with the property’s current look, the obvious exception is a conservatory. ‘Decide if you want to use a larger, faster but more expensive firm that may be more flexible, or a smaller firm that will be less expensive,’ says Marta de Sousa of property developers Lux Reality.
You can use an online plan drawing service, or to use a building firm that offers a ‘design and build’ service. There’s also the Party Wall Act to consider – even if your project falls under Permitted Development. If your plans will involve building against or excavating within 3-6m of a party wall you share with a neighbour, you might have to give them two months notice. A party wall is one that forms the structure of both your properties, but could also be a garden wall that divides your plots. By building an extension on a house, even by a few metres, you can truly make it your own and get the space you have working harder to support your lifestyle. We expect so much more from our properties now, preferring to cook and eat together, entertain, work and exercise at home.

You can only cover half the area of land that is around the original house with an extension or any other type of build. Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor writing for websites, national newspapers, and magazines. She loves testing the latest home appliances, revealing the trends in furnishings and fittings for every room, and investigating the benefits, costs and practicalities of home improvement. It's no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house revamper. For Realhomes.com, Sarah reviews coffee machines and vacuum cleaners, taking them through their paces at home to give us an honest, real life review and comparison of every model. If a joined extension is out of the question, you might want to add a detached extension in the form of an annexe or a garden outbuilding.
To determine whether planning permission or other consents are required, seek professional advice or clarification from your local authority before starting works. One of the main benefits of building without planning permission is time saving. Planning applications can take up to 12 weeks to get permission . A Commencement Notice adds more weeks to the time before you can start to build. The need to get planning permission can be off-putting for many home renovators so considering a build within the permissible 40sqm is very worthwhile.
You may also need to get planning permission if you are renting your property for short-term lets. You must get full planning permission for a satellite dish on the front of the house. The new garage or shed should not reduce the open space at the back or side of the house to less than 25 square metres. Also, the extension must not reduce the open space at the back of the house to less than 25 square metres. For more information on applying for planning permission and the different types of planning permission, see Planning permission. Generally, you do not need planning permission for minor changes to your house.
It is possible to design and build extensions for every budget, so putting in work at this stage can pay off later in the project. It may be that you can split the responsibilities between yourself and your contractor. Every project is different, so the key to managing your extension effectively is to come up with a strategy that maximises your skills, the expertise of the professionals you employ, and your budget. You do not need to get planning permission to fit solar panels to the roof of your house. On 7 October 2022, restrictions on the number of rooftop solar panels you could install were removed and you can now cover your whole roof without needing planning permission. You can build capped walls , railings and wooden fences up to 1.2 metres in height at the front of the house, or 2 metres at the side or rear of the house.
With a listed building the planners will always regard the existing property as more important than what you are proposing to add to it. Any extension will therefore have to respect the flavour, appearance and historic material used in the construction of the original house. Timber stud partition walls are typically non-structural and should be a realistic project for the average DIYer to get to grips with. However, there’s usually time pressure to get them built so the electricians can start running first fix cabling. Installing door liners in the interior walls can also be worth doing, although these normally need to be in place before plasterboarding and plastering walls. Cutting and fixing skirting boards and architraves is reasonably straightforward, and can be left until the later stages, along with hanging interior doors and boxing in pipework.
How big can I build an extension without planning permission?
Permitted development rights are an excellent alternative for anyone living in an area with a high rate of planning refusals because they operate outside of the council’s own standards. Start by sorting out adequate access to the site and protecting spaces that are going to be lived in during the project and setting up alternative kitchen/bathroom arrangements if necessary. For example, roof tiles differ to suit different roof pitches.

A garage conversion can bring you lots of new living space at a fraction of the cost of a single storey extension. A project manager, often the architect or lead builder, will oversee the project to ensure it runs smoothly, on budget and to schedule. Or, you may wish to save money by running the extension project yourself. Use our guide to how to project manage an extension to find out what you need to know about the process. And, either way, checking our week-by-week extension planner will give you an understanding of the extension process and help yours be built to schedule. If you want to add an extension to your house, you should first check if you need to apply for planning permission.
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