Home Extensions, Retrofits & Renovations
Every household is different. We’ll work with you to analyse what it is about your home that stops it from working well, what are the good bits that you like best. Our concept designs will have your household’s needs as the central focus and will be an honest appraisal of what we think you can achieve.
We’re passionate advocates for the creative reuse, retrofit and adaption of existing buildings such as barn conversions, not least because of the carbon implications of demolishing and starting again. Our clients are often surprised by how much the energy performance of their existing building can be improved by some fairly simple fixes – we use Passivhaus software to help us to find the best solution.
Sometimes our clients love where they live, but their house is no longer fit for purpose, perhaps because of a growing family or poor accessibility. Again, we’re firm believers that creative spatial tweaks can unlock and improve an existing building, and we love the problem-solving process.
Home Extension, Retrofit & Renovation projects
Home Extension, Retrofit & Renovation FAQs
There are a few questions that often come up when we discuss home extension, retrofit and renovation projects with our clients; we’ve answered a few below:
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In UK planning law, permitted development refers to certain types of building work and changes of use that do not require a full planning application because they are granted automatic planning permission by the government. These rights are set out in legislation and apply nationally, although they can be restricted in specific areas or circumstances.
You can find out more on the Planning Portal. -
Quite possibly, although in many cases permitted development (PD) rights mean you don't need planning permission for a single storey extension in the UK. However, there are specific conditions and limitations you must adhere to:
Size and Height: The extension must not cover more than half the area of land around the "original house" (as it was in July 1948, or when first built thereafter) and must not be higher than 4 meters. For a detached house, the extension can extend up to 4 meters beyond the rear wall of the original house, and for other houses, it can extend up to 3 meters
Location: The extension must not be closer to the highway than the original house. If the extension is within 2 meters of the boundary, the height at the eaves must not exceed 3 meters.
Materials: The materials used must be similar in appearance to those on the exterior of the existing house.
Designated Land: If your property is on designated land (e.g., conservation areas, national parks), further restrictions apply broadly limiting permitted development to modest rear extensions and small porches.
Flats and Maisonettes: Permitted development rights do not apply to flats and maisonettes, so you will need planning permission for any extension.
Do always check with either your local planning authority, or a specialist planning consultant, to confirm whether your proposed extension falls within PD, or if you need planning permission.
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In many cases, your garden building is likely to be permitted development if it’s fairly modest in size, but there are various restrictions to this, such as:
It is single-storey, and the eaves height is no more than 2.5 metres.
The overall height is no more than 4 metres for a dual-pitched roof, 3 metres for any other roof.
It is not within 2 metres of a boundary unless it is no taller than 2.5 metres.
It is not located forward of the principal elevation (i.e., not in front of your house), and it does not cover more than 50% of the land around the original house (as it stood on 1 July 1948).
It is not used as a separate living accommodation.
Your property is not a listed building. Check the Planning Permission Portal.
Some further restrictions apply if you’re located in a ‘designated area’ (e.g. Conservation Area, National Park, AONB etc) however there some permitted development rights still exist.
If the outbuilding you’d like to build doesn’t fall within these PD restrictions don’t worry, you can apply for Planning Consent instead. Indeed, it can be useful in making a planning application to refer to the amount you would theoretically get on and build under PD if you wanted to, to show that what you’d like to achieve is comparatively modest in light of this.
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It's always a good idea to check with your local planning authority to ensure your project complies with all regulations and to confirm whether you need planning permission, but in many cases your permitted development rights could mean your porch doesn’t need planning consent. However, there are specific conditions you must meet:
The ground floor area (measured externally) must not exceed three square meters.
No part of the porch should be more than three meters above ground level.
No part of the porch should be within two meters of any boundary of the dwellinghouse and the highway.
If your porch meets these conditions, it may fall within your permitted development rights. However, if your property is on designated land (e.g., conservation areas, national parks) further restrictions may apply that could mean you would need planning permission anyway, so do check this with your LPA or a planning specialist.
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There are quite a number of building works you’re allowed to do without needing planning consent, from installing solar panels or air source heat pumps, fitting rooflights, garden walls and even some loft conversions. The Planning Portal has a useful interactive guide, as well as the full legislative detail; in most instances there are certain limitations, and further restrictions n designated land. It’s worth carefully checking before you carry out building work, and you can apply for a Certificate of Lawful Development from your local planning authority to have the comfort of a formal agreement that your work is permitted.