Shed Conversion

[Gredawarha]

Yeah I'm going to get a contractor in to take a look and give me a quote and go from there.

Make sure you get your advice from a qualified person.

So planning from a planner, building regs from an inspector. On more than one occsasion I have been out to site where a home owner has taken planning advice from an architect who had badly advised them. Also remember that planning does not overide building regs and building regs does not override planning. Again on too many occasions I havbe been out on site where someone has breached their planning permission and the response is "the building inspector told me to change it" he may well have done but it doesn't override their planning permission.

 

[Gredawarha]

To make them legal living space may well prove challenging as you will have to comply with building regulations for insulation and the like as they are not currently part of the house. It could prove cheaper to knock them down and start over.

First step for me would be to sort planning even if you are convinced it’s permitted development draw it up and submit it to be sure. You can do the drawings yourself they don’t need to be amazing do all it will cost is the submission.

Then get some builders round to quote and be ready for it to cost significantly more than you think in your head it invariably will.

Good advice here. If after looking at the legislation you think the work you intend to do benefits from permisison by virtue of the legislation then you can (but you are not required to) submit your plans showing your intentions and apply for a lawfu ldevelopment certificate. This is effecitvely an application to an LPA to lawfully determine that the proposed (or existing) work is lawful. Land owner will often choose to do this as it provide them with peace of mind that if the certificate is granted the applicant can proceed under the knowledge that subject to following the submitted the plans the development is lawful. A certificate can also be helpful when selling in cases where the buying solicitor questions the lawfulness of the devleopment.

 

[a1ex2001]

A certificate can also be helpful when selling in cases where the buying solicitor questions the lawfulness of the devleopment.

I bet there is an insurance you can buy for that! House conveyancing seems to just be a proxy for commission backed insurance brokerage!

 

[Gredawarha]

I bet there is an insurance you can buy for that! House conveyancing seems to just be a proxy for commission backed insurance brokerage!

Probably. However no insurance will prevent the demolition of unauthorised development if the LPA considers it expedient to do so.

For example last year as part of one of my cases an individual purchased a property with an extant enforcement notice requiring the demolition of a garage. He assumed that the developer was going to "sort it out" and that "it was all fine". As you can probably imainge he was a little upset when I advised him that the appeal was unssuceful, the compliance period of the notice had expired and that if the building was not demolished the LPA would take direct action to demolish it and prosecute him for non compliance.

Suffice to say within a week the building was demolished.

I presume he pursued the developer as he did have some sort of compensation clause in the sale, I guess he was financially compensated.

 

[smallzz]

Make sure you get your advice from a qualified person.

So planning from a planner, building regs from an inspector. On more than one occsasion I have been out to site where a home owner has taken planning advice from an architect who had badly advised them. Also remember that planning does not overide building regs and building regs does not override planning. Again on too many occasions I havbe been out on site where someone has breached their planning permission and the response is "the building inspector told me to change it" he may well have done but it doesn't override their planning permission.

Will go to both of these. Thanks again for the advice!