Robs Renovation - Part 3!!! The Plans are in!

November 17, 2014 by Rob Kahl

Slowly but surely things seem to be moving. The architect has drawn up some plans and we have been through them and like pretty much everything that he has done. It looks huge, complicated and expensive but naturally my wife loves it!

We didn’t have any intention of converting the loft but thought that whilst we were going to the trouble of getting plans approved we might as well get the drawings done for a master bedroom with en suite in case we wanted (or could afford) to do it in the future.

We explained all of this to the architect and he drew up the plans accordingly. The only problem was that in the drawings he increased the size of the roof by bringing the gable out in line with the side wall. This is something that we know was turned down by the council for both our neighbour next door in an upstairs flat and somebody over the road.

As we had no intention of doing the work in the roof, we didn’t want the ground and first floor plans to be held up if the whole scheme was turned down because of the roof so we called a meeting with the architect.

Much to my dismay and my wife’s delight the architect was delighted to tell us that the roof extension as he drew it would be fine and wouldn’t even need planning permission.
Our neighbours that got turned down were both flats and as such they do not benefit from something called 'Permitted Development Rights’. Basically every house (but not flats) has a right to extend a certain amount without going to the trouble of getting full planning permission. So we can extend out loft under these “Permitted Development Rights’ and get planning permission for the ground and first floor extensions. This we know will be fine because other neighbours have already done similar ground and first floor extensions.

Confused?

Anyway, the plans have now been drawn up for the planning permission required and by the time you read this may already be on a desk somewhere at the council offices! Scary stuff!

Now we just need to decide whether we can afford or go to the trouble of doing extensive work to all three floors of the house at the same time. As you can probably guess by now I am petrified. Whilst my wife  cant wait and is just thinking about the en suite in the top floor master bedroom, I am thinking about the mess, upheaval and cost.

The thing that we have to decide is that if we do not do the loft now there are some works, like plumbing and structural stuff, that we might as well get done with the ground floor alterations to save us money in the future. If we are doing all that work, surely we might as well go the whole hog and get everything done at the same time?... goodness my wife has done a good job on persuading me....

There is one spanner that may go in to the works. COST! I have had a brief chat with a local builder and I am waiting for another quote from somebody else I deal with. The numbers that they are quoting seem like telephone numbers they are so long, but I suppose that is to be expected.

So, now it’s time to wait for planning and really get in to the detail of the builder quotes and try and pin them down as best we can. 

One way or another, it seems like I will be living in a building site next year at some point!

FYI the architects I am using is Tim Knight at Knight Gratrix architects based in Leigh Broadway.

This Article is by Rob Kahl at Scott & Stapleton
To discuss your propoerty, please call Rob on 01702 471155