Homeowners make various improvements to their homes for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you are looking to improve your home to make it a nicer place for you to live, or you’re planning on expanding your family and would like to add extra room to your property. Another reason why many homeowners improve their properties is so that they can add value to the home in order to sell it for a better price. Whatever the reason you’re thinking of improving your home, you may be worried about whether or not you will need to apply for planning permission. Thanks to permitted development (PD), there are a number of improvements that you can make with no planning permission needed. We’ve put together a list of just a few.
Internal Remodelling
If you are planning on remodelling your home but do not want to extend the overall footprint of the building, you can do so without having to obtain full planning permission. Planning permission may be needed if you are proposing to extend the building also, for example adding a conservatory or extra room to the back of the property. If you are planning to remodel the interior of your home you will need to follow building regulations for certain aspects, such as the electrical system or structure.
Moving Windows and Doors
You will not normally need planning permission in order to move windows and doors in the original walls of your home, unless conditions were attached to the original permission. PD allows you to add double glazing provided that the building is not listed, and bigger windows and doors can be installed provided that building regulations are followed. Bear in mind however that if you wish to add a bay window, this is classed as an extension and planning permission may be required.
Roof Lights
Under PD, alterations can be made to the roof of a property. However, if you are planning to add a roof light that extends forward of the roof pane on the elevation fronting a highway, you will need planning permission. Providing that the roof light does not project more than 15cm from the roof slope, they are permitted without the need to apply for planning permission. Roof lights are energy efficient and let the natural light in, meaning that installing one means you’ll save money on your energy bills.
Loft Conversions
Loft conversions are a great way to add additional space to your home, and do not always require planning permission. Dormer windows provide additional headroom within a converted loft or attic, and are included in permitted development. However, there are conditions of this – they must not sit higher than the highest part of your roof and they cannot extend forward of the roof pane on the elevation. If you’re looking for steel reinforcement in order to carry out a loft conversion, visit cannonsteelsltd.co.uk.
Have you made improvements to your home that did not require you to apply for planning permission? We’d love to hear your story in the comments.