Renovating Your Houses – Home Extentions

If you love your home, as most of us do, why move just because you want more space? In fact the way house prices have rocketed over the last year it's far more economical and certainly less hassle to stay put and either add on or move up into the loft.

And winter's quite a good time to think about how you would like to expand. You can investigate all the various permutations such as single or two storey extensions or maybe it would be sufficient just to convert the attic. So over the next few months you can plan the way ahead and have everything in place for an early spring start.

Once you've agreed how you would like to extend then you will need to seek professional advice from an architect, architectural technician, building surveyor or a builder. A good builder who is a member of one of the UK's professional organisations such as the Federation of Master Builders or the National House Builders Council, will most certainly have his own design facility so he can provide a complete design and build package.

Also you may need planning permission although many around-the-house Projects present no legal or statutory problems. But it's better to check first and be sure.

Of course, there's nothing to prevent you from submitting your own drawings for planning approval providing they are straightforward and include all the relevant construction details including dimensions and materials. But the local authority will expect your design to show the use of materials, windows, doors and exterior finishes that are sympathetic to the local vernacular.

It's very important to consult your house title deeds (usually held by your building society or bank, if you have a mortgage) or tenancy agreement, to establish whether or not you can make alterations. If you are in a conservation area you may need listed building consent but your local authority will explain how to make the relevant application.

Once it has received your plans, the local planning authority has to make your intentions known to your neighbours either by means of a site notice or by letter.

However, you may find that your plans do not need specific planning permission. For instance, if you live in a non-terrace house outside a conservation area, you may be able to build a back extension of up to 70 cubic metres, or 15% of the size of the original house, without planning permission.

Or, if you live in a terraced house, or any sort of house in a conservation area, your extension can be to 50 cubic metres, or 10% of the size of the original house, before you need to seek planning approval. Unfortunately flats do not have permitted development; also a garage addition within 5 metres of a house counts as an extension.

But in every case you will have to make sure the extension complies with the relevant parts of the Building Regulations, which cover the standards of work, even for loft conversions.

About The Author:

Mark Harris is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.home-n-house-plans.com. The best place to find new home plans, home designs & houseplans is the Internet.