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Home insurance - Tips & Advice - Home improvements
With the housing market looking somewhat sluggish for the time being, you may be thinking of investing any spare cash you have on improving the home you’re in rather than looking for a new one. After all, it’s a sure-fire way to add value to your property and you can carry out the work according to your taste.
However, unless you check out your position in terms of planning permission and building regulations before you embark on any kind of building work, you could find yourself being forced to put things right after the event or, worse still, having to pull down the extension or building altogether. Read on for tips on how to get all the paperwork sorted in good time.
Will you need planning permission?
The first rule is to err on the side of caution. Whatever work you’re thinking of carrying out on your house or flat, if you’re in any doubt as to whether or not you need planning permission, consult your local planning department (find your local council’s contact details at www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/Localcouncils/index.htm).
To give you an idea, the kinds of work that need planning permission include:
additions or extensions to a flat or maisonette (unless they are internal alterations that don’t affect the external appearance of the building), the creation of a self-contained flat or bedsit within your house, using a building in your garden as a separate residence or dividing off part of your home for business or commercial use.
What the law says about extensions
Whether you need planning permission for an extension depends on a number of factors. Where more than half the area of the land around the original house would be covered by additions or other buildings, or it would mean that the property isn’t at least 20 metres away from any highway (this includes footpaths), you will need to obtain planning permission.
The New Planning Reform Bill, due to become law this autumn, is set to give homeowners more freedom when it comes to extensions, with provisions for bigger loft conversions and extensions at ground level that don’t require planning permission.
The kinds of buildings that don’t need planning permission are sheds, garages, greenhouses, summer houses, swimming pools, sauna cabins and tennis courts. If your house is a listed building you need to get planning permission for any changes whatsoever, as well as listed building consent (see below).
Applying for planning permission
When you contact your local planning department for an application form ask them if they foresee any difficulties which you could sort out by amending your proposal. This will save you time and money further down the line. Another way to save yourself needless work and hassle is to make an outline application before submitting your full proposal with detailed drawings. This will allow you to gauge the council’s reaction to your proposal.
There are other types of consent to consider. If you live in a listed building and want to alter it internally or externally in a way which will affect its character you need listed building consent. It is a criminal offence to make a start on any work that needs listed building consent without acquiring it first.
Complying with building regulations
After you’ve got planning permission (if it was necessary), you’ll need to apply for building regulations. Any building work, such as extensions, conversions of internal living space, even additions such as extra washing facilities, must comply with building regulations. Someone from your local authority building control office or an approved inspector will visit your home to ensure that the work complies.
And last but certainly not least, do tell your neighbours. Even if you don’t need planning permission, they do have a right to know what work you’re going to be carrying out and how it may affect them. Keeping your neighbours onside could come in handy especially if a work schedule runs over and you need to have builders round at the weekend for example.
To make sure your home and its contents are covered in case things go wrong, go to www.directline.com/home/welcome.htm for an online quote today.
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