I have renovated two houses and one apartment, and I wish I could say that it had all been stress free and that I hadn’t been ripped off. I can’t say either of those things. Good builders that you can trust are hard to find. I’m not saying that your builder has to be your best buddy but he should be treated like a friend rather than an enemy. It is important to enjoy a good relationship with your builder as it will help make the building work go through much smoother. That’s not to say you can’t still get stung because you can, but it lessens the odds.

First Steps

If you are considering refurbishing a property, you may need to obtain planning consents before any work can be undertaken.

Planning Permission

If you are replacing ‘like with like’, such as a new conservatory which is equal in size to the old one, planning permission needn’t be sought. If you are considering building an extension that is in excess of 40 cubic metres, you may well need planning permission. If you build anything without planning permission, you could be served with an enforcement order from the Local Planning Office. They will make you take it down, or force you to rebuild it within existing planning consents. If you build an extension or anything similar without planning permission, you could have a problem selling the property as the purchaser’s solicitor will want to see copies of planning consents.

Conservation Areas

If your house is in a conservation area you will need planning consent before you can alter anything externally. The aim of a conservation area is to ‘conserve’ anything that could be considered of architectural significance. I live in a conservation area and I am baffled about what they are trying to conserve. The local planners are quite arbitrary in their decision making about what is acceptable and what isn’t.

I have recently watched a whole building being systematically gutted directly opposite me, yet while living in the same style house I am unable to replace my front wall because it is deemed to be of architectural significance. Conservationists will differ in their opinions and there are no hard and fast rules. It could just be a matter of who gets to decide your case on the day, whether they will be sympathetic to your requests or not. I obviously caught one on a bad day!

Building Regulations

There are two levels of building regulation requirements and both applications are obtainable from you Local Planning Office.

• Building notice. This is only required for minor works such as the relocation of a bathroom or kitchen. This will involve a site visit by the building inspector to check that the correct regulations are being followed.
• Full plans application. This will involve sending copies of the working plans to the building inspector for their approval. They will consider all aspects of the proposed plans and whether they comply with fire regulations.
• In a leasehold property check that the freeholder will grant permission before you undertake any changes.

What Are You Renovating The Property For?

If you are going to renovate a property, you will need to consider what you are renovating it for. Is it to live in, sell on or renovate for rental? Once you have made this decision, you will have to think about your budget and how much you want to spend, as each category will require a different spending plan.

Renovating The Property To Live In Yourself

If you are choosing to live in the property, you may not want to, or be able to afford to do all the renovation work at the same time. As you are not doing the renovation for immediate profit, this shouldn’t be a problem nor should the time scale. It will be directly governed by you. What gets done when and in which order of priority is up to you.