Planning a house extension is no easy task and if you want to get it right then you need to make sure that you are getting advice from the right sources. Planning permission is an essential part of building a house extension and overlooking it may result in disaster. Why not put your mind at ease by having a look over our planning permission guide below?

House Extension – The Benefits

Everybody seems to be doing home improvements nowadays and the house extension is at the top of the most popular home improvements list. It’s no wonder when you consider the amount of benefits you receive when you decide to build a house extension. Not only do you get extra space but when successfully completed you also add value to your house. Which means that a house extension can provide you with a great return on investment. However, ignoring planning permission may actually result in you having to undo all your hard work and return your property back to its original state. So, why not have a look at our guide found below.

House Extension - A Guide to Planning Permission

Over the last decade planning permission requirements have become stricter in an attempt to curtail the amount of home improvements which do little to enhance the general style of the houses in the area. People are objecting to living next to an eyesore which potentially decreases the price of their property and as a result it is estimated that a growing number of house extensions will require planning permission. This is something that you should consider very carefully as failure to get planning permission for your new house extension may result in future problems in selling your property or enforcement to actually remove the house extension.

The following planning permission regulations apply:

·         For detached, semi-detached and terraced houses you require planning permission should the house extension cover more than 70m² or 115% of the total volume of the dwelling.

• You will also need planning permission if the house extension is higher than the highest point of the original house.

·         All Grade II listed buildings will need planning permission.

·         Planning permission is always required for all apartments or maisonettes.

·         You will require planning permission should the house extension mean that the volume of the house is increased by more than 115 cubic meters or if you build within two meters of the boundary line.

·         Even though you may not need planning permission to demolish an existing building, you will probably need permission to build on this newly available land.

However, it is highly recommended that you contact your local planning office which will be able to best advise you as to whether you may need planning permission for your house extension.

The first step in your project is to hire the right builder. Use www.findalocal-builder.co.uk to get a list of builders in your area, and then look at our other advice articles to see how to make sure you choose the best builder for you.