When people purchase a property, they sometimes do so with an aspiration to renovate or change the layout of existing property in the future. Homeowners do this because they cannot afford to renovate straight away for financial reasons, or they cannot find a suitable property of their dreams and believe changing this one to suit their needs is the best alternative.
Expert Planner
It could be a necessity to invite an experienced professional to view the property before you purchase. They will give you an expert opinion on where you can or cannot extend the property and may be a real lifesaver for you.
A planning expert is often called after a problem arises. In some cases that can be much too late, so it will be safer to invite one in the initial stages, before you have decided to buy the property or not.
A planning expert will immediately know whether you can extend your property or not, so their information is vital in understanding planning permission rules and regulations.
Doing it the Right Way
If a potential homeowner is thinking of renovating a property, they need to understand the ramifications of doing so. You will need to apply for planning permission, either now or further down the line. It is best to consider this before signing on the dotted line.
It does not matter how much potential the site has, because if the house has already been extended, or lies on greenbelt land, there could be big problems anyway. Greenbelt land will generally restrict extending your property to only 50%, and that figure is based upon the assumption the house has not been extended already, so be careful.
Keeping Good Relations
When extending your property, you will have to take your neighbours into consideration first. Maybe your plans will infringe upon their privacy or provide obstacles to their views, so it is imperative you have a friendly chat with them beforehand. Side windows to main rooms are affected by law, and you must not infringe upon any light your neighbours’ properties receive.
Be aware if you are planning to build a two-storey extension directly up to the boundaries of your neighbour’s property, the planning permission board will in most cases reject your proposal. If you are wishing for a smooth passage through planning permission, it will be important to be realistic and take in to account your neighbours’ rights.