In the current economic climate  many of our clients are considering whether it is more practical to extend or improve their dwellings rather than relocate.

Improving or extending your current property can be straightforward however householders need to ensure that  the costs of any improvements ultimately add at least the same or greater value to their property.

improve your dwelling

The provision of additional or extended living space generally provided the best return on investment although increasingly  energy saving improvements or renewable energy installations are showing good returns. Generally refurbishing bathrooms or kitchens are expensive and rarely increase the value of that expended.

Although there is certainly a downturn in the construction sector at the moment, domestic building work is still very buoyant and this is reflected in current tender prices. There is a need to shop around for contractors and suppliers sometimes out of your area to get the best deals or as is becoming increasingly common, for the home owner to project manage all or part of of a project.  

We are often asked by clients :

Can we start building work straight away?  or: 

Do we need planning permission?

The general answer is yes and no ……… it depends what you want to do.

Technical guidance on what is permitted development  is available from Communities and Local Government (CLG).  It is designed to help understand the changes made to the Town and Country Planning  Orders 1995 & 2008

PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT FOR HOUSHOLDERS- TECHNICAL GUIDANCE

 The new guidance is designed to be used by anyone who wants to understand more about the detailed rules on permitted development and the terms used in those rules. However, anyone who has no previous knowledge of permitted development issues will find it useful to look at the basic information on the Planning Portal .

The guidance gives an explanation of the rules on permitted development for householders, what these mean and how they should be applied in particular sets of circumstances. Given the very substantial variations in the design of individual houses, this guide cannot cover all possible situations that may arise.

Where there is any doubt as to whether a development would be permitted development, advice should be sought from design professionals or  the local planning authority.

To be certain that a proposed development is lawful and does not require an application for planning permission, it is possible to apply for a ‘Lawful Development Certificate’ from the local authority. This is cheaper, simpler and quicker than a Planning Application and will give you the peace of mind if you intend to sell your property at a future date. (Further information on this can also be found on the Planning Portal)

FOB Live can assist  you in understanding the planning process and in quickly and efficiently developing your aspirations and requirements into reality.