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| FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
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| Note: All the following information is offered in good faith - it is not comprehensive but is designed to help give an overall picture of the processes involved. Each project is unique and needs assessing individually. Richard Twinch RIBA, Richard Twinch Design Associates nor Richard Twinch Design Ltd. take no responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information supplied on this website. | ||
| Will an extension require planning? | ||
| Unless an extension is small and out of sight of the road, then in all likelihood it will need Full Planning Approval. The DOE publish a very useful 'Planning a Guide to Householders' which your local planning office will send you for free. There are Permitted Development rights which allow you to add an extension up to a certain volume or % volume of your house - but note any post 1948 extensions are already included in the permitted volume. Off-street car-parking is becoming more severe - a 4 bedroom house in Oxford now requires 2 off-street car-parking spaces. Planning requirements will be looked at during the Feasibility Process. | ||
| How much will it cost? | ||
| Work out what you want to do and calculate the required floor space on all stories. A 2 storey extension allow approximately £1250 per square metre to build at present (Nov 04) and £1500 psm for a single storey extension. High quality extensions in conservation areas using hand made bricks etc. can cost up to £1900 psm. Refurbishment can work out at up to 50% of the cost of new building. Larger jobs have a lower cost psm. Then add VAT at 17.5% and the same amount again to cover fees, Building Regulations etc. Also you will need to make a generous allowance for landscaping and fitting out (tiles, carpets, sanitary ware, curtains). Kitchens can cost anywhere between £3000 and £30,000 - depending on what you want. These costs will all be budgeted during a Feasibility Study. | ||
| What about Building Regulations? | ||
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| All new developments come under Building Regulations - many of which are being updated on a regular basis- including all the energy-saving requirements (Part L) and sound insulation (Part E). Small conservatories and porches are currently exempt. The main areas that Inspectors are concerned with are foundations, drainage, primary structure, fire escape and protection (all new bedrooms now need an escape window on the first floor), energy saving and ventilation. On small jobs a Building Notice can be used to tell the Inspectors when work is commencing and the work is passed on a stage- by-stage basis. On larger, or complex jobs, detailed plans and specifications also need to be submitted a month or more ahead of starting on site. Fee information is available from the local authority - but currently (Nov 04) are: £352.50 for small works between 10 and 20 square metres; £387.75 for loft conversions up to 40 square metres; £505.25 for works between 40 and 60 square metres. | ||
| How long will it take? | ||
| A small job (up to £60K), if it all goes smoothly, can be completed in 9 months including fitting out - a year is more likely particularly if builders are hard to get. Larger projects can to take up 2 years - particularly if there are complex planning issues to deal with. Planning applications themselves take 2 months minimum. | ||
| What about the neighbours? | ||
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| The rule is to expect that neighbours will object, as nobody likes change very much and building work is messy and disruptive to daily life. If your neighbours are supportive throughout then you have been very lucky. The most important thing to do is to get your neighbours 'on side' as early as possible - by letting them know your plans. It is the fear of the unknown which is foremost. Neighbours' misgivings and fears tend to dissolve with time. The planners deal with issues such as rights of light and privacy. Structural issues are dealt with under the Party Wall Act of 1996 which allows work to continue even if your neighbours refuse to talk! | ||
| Can I convert my loft? | ||
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| It
is easy to stick a velux roof window in and put down some chipboard and
create what will remain as an 'illegal loft conversion' - but difficult
to meet the Building Regulations which require: (a) stringent Fire Escape requirements - both through the house and from the loft. (b) Upgrading the fire resistance of ceilings below the loft and to the landings etc. (c) Upgrading of the floor structure (d) Adequate access (e) Upgrading insulation & ventilation of roof The planners are concerned with any volumetric increase - such as dormers and/or view from the road. This is particularly so in conservation areas. In addition you must identify the space you are going to lose on the first floor to get in the stair. All this is very disruptive on the house as a whole as every level is involved. Converting your loft is only worthwhile if you have no other options and the space in the roof is large enough to make the effort and cost worthwhile. |
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| What about Listed Buildings? | ||
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| Anything you do to a Listed Building, or to buildings immediately surrounding it, are subject to Listed Building Consent. This includes basic repairs to rotten timber etc. Conservation Planners are knowledgeable people who are helpful in working out what is valuable to keep and how to best integrate the new with the old. Their advice is free, as is Listed Building Consent which must be applied for - either in conjunction with a planning application or by itself. | ||
| Can I save VAT on Listed Building? | ||
| As it currently stands repairs are VAT-rated and conversions and extensions are VAT exempt. This seems back to front - but is the way things work at present. The VAT levied is a matter between the contractor and Inland Revenue. The contractor will allocate a reasonable proportion of the development as 'repair' and a proportion to 'development'. Development items included on the listed building consent (even including kitchens - but not cookers/fridges) tend to be VAT exempt. | ||
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