If you are currently considering having an extension to your North London house and live in N8, N10 or NW3, you need to consider Design, Build, Planning Permission and Building Regulations right the way through to the finishing touches. Here we outline some of the areas your need to consider. We can help you through this process.

This information can guide you into making the right choices along the way.

Many people in today's housing market are frightened by the big difference in value between their current property and the next step up. Maybe it is the difference between a 2 and 3 bedroomed house, or maybe one of the owners now works from home and is in need of a study, and a house with a study downstairs can be a considerable amount of money more than one without.

Finance

Consider Finance before going ahead with talking to planners etc. Check that the finance is available. New products are always coming on to the market so it is probably best to seek out professional advice before taking on any further financial commitment.

Planning Permission

Most house extensions, though not all, involve getting Planning Permission and Building Regulations approval from your local council. Always remember though that councils may have different views on planning applications depending on where you live. An architect will be helpful here as they deal with councils planning departments all the time.

Why Planning Permission ?

Planning Permission is required to protect the public interest with regards to the local environment. Development by corporations and the public need to be allowed in some cases to ensure that towns prosper and grow. However, strict control of this development must be maintained to ensure that the character and amenity of the area is not adversely affected. Not all development needs planning permission - changes that do not affect the external appearance of a building do not require official permission. Also small changes to the outside of a building may not need permission. This ensures that house owners maintain a certain amount of freedom when making improvements to their property.

Before Starting your project

Before embarking on any form of extension to your property speak to your neighbours. There are two main reasons for this: ensuring that disagreements do not occur between you and your neighbours with regards loss of light etc, and also to ensure that your neighbours are agreeable to any access that may be required via their property during the building works. If your planned extension does require planning permission, your neighbours will be informed by the council, and therefore it is advisable to give them prior notice.

Try looking at your local councils website, some of them are very informative. Please visit our Council Links page for links to all Local Council websites.

Do I Need Planning Permission

The first stage is to check whether or not you actually need planning permission. Read through the "Is Permission Needed?" page for some general guidelines as given by the Office of the Deputy Primeminister.

Application

The "Planning Application" page takes you through the process of applying for planning permission, what plans are needed, the council process and what to do if planning permission is refused.
Building Regulations

Building Regulations is an extra permission that you need that a lot of people don't actually know about. Have a look at the "Building Regulations" page to see exactly what they are and how to get permission.
Listed Buildings

People who live in Listed Buildings or in areas of conservation often need extra permissions before building an extension. If you are one of these people, click on the "Listed Buildings" section to find out more.

Use an Architect

If you are considering producing the building plans yourself, you will need help from an architect. You can use our Architect to help you along the way or we can work along-side your architect. We recommend Alan Crawford at The Crawford Partnership