Advice centre.

That’s a question we’re often asked. Fortunately we have an expert team of architects and planning permission experts who have prepared this ultimate guide to answer all your questions.

That explains why semi-detached house extensions are so popular.

Introduced into the UK from Italy in the 17th century, orangeries were built for the wealthy to house exotic plants such as citrus fruits. Us using them as living rooms or kitchens would have come as quite a shock!

I’ve always been a fan of mixing traditional with modern architecture, but there are so many other great aspects of barn conversions.

Although that might seem like an easy answer, there are a number of factors and steps to consider to make sure that this time limit applies to your specific project.

They’re the first thing your friends and family will see when they visit your home.

Not only do they look stunning, but there are lots of other benefits too.

With so much information online coupled with lots of technical and legal terms, it can be a complicated process to navigate.

But once your architect has sent you the plans for your dream home, they might mention you need a structural engineer. This comes as a surprise to some people.

Our architects’ favourite part of the design process is working with homeowners to choose incredible new, modern and innovative materials. This means your single storey extension will be truly one of a kind and stand out from the crowd.

Why? Because it gives us the opportunity to get creative with our designs.

I love watching people create those jaw dropping spaces that many of us can only dream of.

Our guests were thankful, as they no longer had to open all the doors on the first floor before finding the bathroom.

He spent most of that time pointing out lots of ways in which we could increase the value of our home.

Only last week, a friend and his wife were kind enough to give me the grand tour of theirs.

Her friend was planning to build a relatively simple single storey rear extension and a loft conversion and had approached four architects to obtain quotes.

It was no fun running around the kitchen while my friends and family were laughing away in the other room, though.

When I took the big step to start working from home it made concentrating on work quite challenging.

The plans were simply stunning but after working out the construction costs I was a little shocked.

There have been lots of big changes to Permitted Development in the past few years.

I almost had a panic attack, as I had no idea what a maisonette was!

After a few days and two skips later, it was completely clear, and I was amazed at how big the space was.

Our planning team receive one or two enquires each week from homeowners asking, ‘Do you need planning permission for a granny annexe’?

To help visualise your options, our architects have designed nine different 3D models of different roof types and shapes.

Wanting to see what information was out there, I typed the question into Google. Over 2 million pages came back covering the same topic! I found it worrying just how much conflicting/incorrect information existed.

The reason is that there are hundreds if not thousands of different building regulations guides online with lots of conflicting and sometimes technical information.

In some cases, permitted development will achieve more space, and in other cases applying for planning permission might be the best route to bring your ideas to life.

This is partly due to the huge number of planning policy documents and guidance notes available online, but also because some local policies can be quite generic, so applying them to your specific circumstances can be challenging.

But that’s the reason why it’s important to have a very clear understanding of the process before you decide to go down that route.

Converting your loft space is a relatively straightforward, inexpensive and quick way to increase the usable space in your home. More importantly, a professionally designed, planned, and executed loft conversion can also significantly boost the value of your property, as a result of the extra square footage of space.

We have worked with many good builders over the years and have some tips on how to find the right one. We hope this will help you to move forward with your project with confidence.

With all these positives comes a dilemma.  Furniture is designed for fixed square and rectangular spaces.  Therefore, planning your interior is a challenge – but one that is quickly resolved and exciting to imagine.  Here is a guide, focused on some of the best advice out there.

You should consider the following points when planning your dream home or extension.  By sharing this vital knowledge we can improve your likelihood of being granted planning permission.