Permitted Development Rights are a great way of adding to or extending your home under the original terms of the build. There are a number of requirements to fulfil, however as long as you stick to some of the rules laid out it’s likely that you’ll be able to dramatically transform the overall look and feel of your property.
Creating your dream home need not necessarily be about a total remodelling – there are a number of subtle changes you can implement which will make a huge difference. In this blog post we look at 10 ways to improve your home under Permitted Development Rights, and hopefully inspire some creativity and confidence to go ahead and make the changes you’ve always been dreaming of.
Single Story Extensions & Conservatories.
As long as your development will sit within 2 metres of the boundary wall and be no more than 4 metres high – you should be fine building a single story extension without the need for planning permission.
http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/completedprojects/folded-house
As this property in London demonstrates, there are no bounds to creativity when it comes to building an extension for your house. It can dramatically improve your home’s sense of space and add immeasurably to its value.
Sheds and Outbuildings
Providing your shed or outhouse development does not fill more than 50% of the total area of your plot, building a small outbuilding or shed more multiple uses can be a great way of saving space inside your house and add a new and exciting dimension to your garden. Offices, studios, separate living rooms and summer houses are all popular. Alex Johnson’s Shedworking blog is a popular place to start.
If you're interested specifically in permitted development rules for outbuildings, our article is another good place to start exploring the topic.
Decking and Outdoor Space
Whether it’s decking, a patio, creating a courtyard or simply making space to sit outside – as long as it abides by certain criteria you should be able to do this through Permitted Development Rights. It can add a lot to a property’s appeal and value, especially in urban areas.
Innovative Basements
In the crowded, built up areas we live and work today, it’s a simple fact that some of us don’t have the space to build extensions or outhouses. By going underground and building basements however, you can be creative and innovative about the way you improve your home, and as long as it doesn’t need engineering works to surrounding areas you should be able to do this under Permitted Development Rights. Elegant and innovative lighting situations also help create the ambience.
Welcome the Light: Add Windows and Doors
If you’re adding windows and doors to the original walls of your home, you do not need planning permission. It can dramatically improve the look of the house as well as how it feels to live in it – larger windows can transform a space and also make it feel a lot bigger. Having more light to play with can also change how the way you see the decorations in the room, and prompt an interior renovation.
So there way have five ways to improve your house, rain or shine, planning permission or no planning permission. Permitted Development Rights are highly useful and allow actionable improvements on your home with minimum cost or stress. In the UK there are many planning lawyers and solicitors such as Kinglsey Smith LLP, based in Kent, who deal with Permitted Development Rights and the certificate of lawful use. Contact them for more information via their website.