Got big ideas for your property?
Let’s make them happen.
Planning applications, building control applications and architectural plans for home and land owners.
- FREE quotes
- RICS regulated Chartered Surveyors
- Extensions, loft conversions and new builds covered
Know where you stand
Making changes to your home? The first step is making sure your plans are achievable.
Unfortunately, they aren’t always – due to height restrictions and other factors specific to your home. But if your idea isn’t achievable, don’t worry, we’ll suggest other options that are.
This stage is completely FREE and is advised before you get quotes from builders.
What changes are you looking to make?
Loft conversions
There are lots of things to consider with loft conversions:
- Where will your staircase go?
- How can you maximise your space?
- Do you have enough room?
After your FREE assessment, you’ll soon know what your options are.
If you need planning permission – We’ll guide you through the whole process and use our experience to get it as quick as possible.
If you don’t need planning permission –. This process is a lot easier, but there are still rules to follow. We’ll make sure your loft conversion falls within the requirements for ‘permitted development’.
From here, we’ll draw up detailed plans for you to get accurate quotes from builders.
Extensions
Need extra bedrooms? A bigger kitchen? Both? We will help.
Whether you need planning permission or your plans fall under permitted development, there are rules and regulations you must follow:
- Feasibility
- Extension plans
- Planning permission
- Building regulation
- Permitted development application
We know these like the back of our hands. We’ll maximise your space, within regulation, so you don’t have to tear it down when a neighbour or planning officer complains.
New property
Got space to build a new property? We’ll help you with the whole process.
First, we’ll visit your land to make sure your idea is achievable. This quote is FREE.
If your idea isn’t achievable, we’ll suggest alternative options. Once you’re happy and we move forward, we’ll do an accurate survey of the area.
Then we’ll get planning permission and building control before we draw up detailed plans so you can get quotes from builders.
How does it all work? And how long does it take?
1 - Feasibility
This part is FREE.
You’ll tell us your ideas. We’ll advise if they’re achievable and if they’re not, suggest alternative ways forward that are.
2. Pre-application advice
Before we officially submit a planning permission request, I’ll speak to a local planning officer on your behalf. They’ll tell us about anything important we need to know.
This means we know what’s possible and makes the next stage of the process as quick as possible.
3 - Planning application
(8 weeks+)
Once we have an idea of what we’d like to do, we’ll apply for planning permission.
This part of the process can be a headache. The council needs to check your extension, loft conversion or new build won’t negatively impact your neighbours, local area, or local wildlife and that it provides adequate parking etc.
The relevant local authority departments all need to ok the work from their end, meaning this stage generally takes the longest.
4 - Building control / Structural and Detailed Design (5 weeks+)
During this part of the process, the local authorities specify technical details such as foundations, insulation, structural timbers, steel and how it all goes together. This is to make sure the project complies with current building regulations.
I liaise with a structural engineer to sort this for you.
Once approved, these will be your official architectural drawings, and you’ll enter the construction stage. You can take these plans to builders to get accurate quotes.
5 – Work with your builder
Now you have your drawings, builders can give you an accurate quote.
They cannot do this without our detailed drawings, because they don’t know what materials you’ll need or the size of your project.
Once you find a builder you’re happy with, they take it from there.
If required, and for extra peace of mind, we can assist you throughout the construction stage and provide further advice with contracts and monitoring the works.
Got a question?
Ask away…
FAQs
If you don’t have a trusted builder, we can put you in touch with a few who’ve been good in the past in your area. We always recommend you do your own research.
The initial quote is FREE.
Included in this free quote is a breakdown of all the potential costs so there aren’t any hidden surprises – things like all the local authority and consultant fees (so you know what the expected design stage fees are).
From 8-9 weeks as a minimum.
Don’t worry – we’ll keep you updated as much as we can and because we know the process, we’ll get sorted ASAP.
From five weeks for a full plans application but we may be able to speed this up using a ‘building notice’. This depends on the complexity of your project.
Don’t worry – we’ll keep you updated as much as we can and because we know the process, we’ll get sorted ASAP.
