Building a house with a rectangular or square footprint with a simple pitched roof is the best way to reduce the cost of an extension, or to extend a house cheaply in the first place – without compromising on the build’s quality.

If we consider to an average three bedroom house, an extension can add up to 23% to the value of your property.

Under permitted development rights, a rear extension can be added to your existing property without the need for planning permission, provided the following rules are adhered to, which can be summarised as follows:

• the new addition must not extend more than 3 metres from the rear of the existing property (4 metres for a detached property)
• the extra space must not exceed 50% of the area of the existing house
• the extension must not be more than 4 metres in height
• in the case of a double storey rear extension, there must be at least 7 metres remaining of garden from the end of the property

Under new rules introduced in 2021, an extension can be pushed out to 6 metres (8 metres for a detached property) under a neighbourhood consultation scheme.

It is essential that you work with our team who understands the rules relating to rear extension planning and can produce a set of plans which both adhere to these rules and meet your requirements.

Many owners of terraced houses do not have a large rear garden, which makes it impossible to build to the rear of the house. Therefore, in many cases, the only solution is to build a side return extension terraced house.

Whilst planning permission may not be required, it will be necessary to consider any party wall issues. If your building project affects an adjoining property, such as building onto a party wall, then you will need a party wall agreement from your neighbour.

Yes, you will need planning permission for a wrap around extension. Current building regulations allow you to build a rear or side return addition without the need for planning permission as part of the permitted development rules.

However, joining these two extensions together to form a wrap around will need planning permission.

It is essential that you work with our team who understands the rules relating to wrap around extension planning and can produce a set of plans which both adhere to these rules and meet your requirements.

In most cases, planning permission is not required provided that the proposed build falls within permitted development rights.

There are existing rules and restrictions in place which set out what types of additions can be made to your existing home without the need for planning permission, including:

• the new extension can not be higher than the existing house structure
• the roof pitch of the addition should match the pitch of the original house structure
• the materials used should be as similar as possible to those used in the original house
• you are permitted to build out up to a maximum of 3 metres from the original house structure
• there must be at least 7 metres from the rear boundary after the additional structure has been built

Planning permission will always be required if your house is in a conservation area.

The build time will depend on the complexity of the project. For example, a relatively simple three metre addition to the rear of your house will normally take around 3 to 4 months. On the other hand, a more complex project such as a double storey wrap around extension may take as long as 6 to 8 months.

One of the easiest and shortest projects we undertake is converting single storey extension to double. This is because the foundations have already been prepared, and the structure of the ground floor is already in place. In these cases, our team of experts can work quickly and efficiently build the additional storey.