FAQ

This is a report fully outlining the design and build work to be undertaken. Details such as the necessary materials, structural works, beams, joists and rafters will all be included.

Yes, as forgoing them would be violating building regulations, potentially leading the local authority to insist on you rectifying your non-compliant building work – or leaving them to rectify that work.

Only a qualified structural engineer will be able to do this, as they will use specific formulas to make the calculations, while only this engineer’s signature on your report would validate it.

The former is much simpler in structure – and, as a result, is safer. It will also be cheaper to build, especially due to the relatively low expense of the foundations and steelwork over the openings.

A single-storey extension fitted to a home’s rear must not extend beyond the original house’s rear wall by over three metres if that home is semi-detached or four metres if it is detached.

Not necessarily, as long as the extension falls within particular parameters. Our planning consultants can educate you on these limitations that would apply in your particular case.

To do this, you can simply contact your local planning department. In the meantime, though, our planning consultants can educate you on many planning permission regulations.

Yes – in general, three years after the date this permission was granted. However, a different expiry date could be attached to the particular permission you receive.

With one of our planning consultants at hand, you can help to ensure that your application contains all of the documents, fees and other details it needs before you submit that application.

This is a notice you would legally need to serve your neighbour if you want to carry out building work affecting a wall shared with that neighbour.

At least two months before you are set to start the building work in question – unless that work is an excavation, in which case, the answer would be at least one month.

When you contact us, we can specify all of these boxes your notice would need to tick. However, the details must include your name and address and a description of the proposed building work.

This is a property that has genuinely only just been built and never lived in or otherwise used. Nonetheless, the term is sometimes used for fairly new, albeit previously owned or used, properties.

One simple reason why is that, at least initially, that property is less likely to need the same amount of maintenance as an older property, while its energy bills could be cheaper as well.

These are matters your local planning authority will take into account when assessing whether it should grant you planning permission to assemble a new build.

This would typically be 210 centimetres – though, in some instances, a conversion of a loft measuring 200 centimetres in head height might work if you are really pushing it.

Normally not, as a loft conversion would often constitute permitted development. However, your conversion work would still need to adhere to particular limits and conditions.

Sadly not, as these are all included in the exceptions to the permitted development rule. Other exceptions include using materials dissimilar in look to those used elsewhere in the home.

Interior design is concerned with the structure or layout of an internal property or space – and does not, contrary to belief in some quarters, include interior decoration.

The former involves how decorative elements like materials and furnishings are utilised to complete an interior’s colour scheme, though this work is included in our interior design service.

Those drawings will include all of the project’s main structural details as well as further details, such as specification of all finishes and furniture.

As a general rule, yes – but the exact increase in value will depend on various factors, such as the construction quality of the extension and the type of room housed within.

Converting a residential space such as a garage or loft is usually cheaper than extending a home, and you can explore the conversion possibilities with help from an Eazyplans planning consultant.

No, not always, as this can depend on the nature of the extension. We can consult with you on whether you would need that consent in your case.

This could be the case if you lack residential space and your garage just contains the likes of junk and gardening tools rather than a car.

You could do, but it’s not very likely, as it is estimated that only roughly 10% of garage conversions require full planning permission; others would count as permitted development.

This is likely to happen in many instances. According to estimates made by property experts, the resulting increase in value could reach the region of 10% to 15%.

While the upper storey would be well-suited to accommodating a growing child’s large bedroom, you could use the lower storey for a living room, kitchen and dining area.

While you would probably have to add about 50-75% to the bill for that extra storey, the overall extension will remain cheaper per square metre, making this question tricky to answer.

Not quite, as the foundations and roofing can be the same in either case – meaning that you would not have to pay to have more of either put in place.

This will depend on what types are popular in the rental market in your particular part of London. We suggest that you ask local letting agencies which types seem especially popular.

Planning permission would not be available for this work, but one alternative is turning the house into a house of multiple occupation (HMO), work for which planning consent would be possible.

You can garner an insight into this by checking how many other houses locally have been converted in this way. A high number would suggest your application is unlikely to meet many objections.

This is where the owner of a property repurposes it, a process which would require an official change in the building’s “use class”. However, this change is likely to need planning permission.

You can find out by simply getting in touch with the local planning authority, though our experts can also advise you on the rules and regulations pertaining to change of use.

Generally, you would not need planning consent in this instance – though, if the change will call for building work, that in itself could need planning permission.

These are minimum standards put in place to safeguard quality in the design, construction and alterations of virtually all buildings throughout London, where our services are available.

This is approval that you could need to obtain before you can proceed with constructing or changing a building. A building control body can inform you whether your project requires this approval.

Yes, as the planning permission and building regulations regimes run separate application processes where the same proposed projects can be vetted on distinctly different criteria.

This will depend on your particular situation, but you should keep in mind that basement conversions are often costlier and not granted planning permission as often as loft conversions.

While your basement could effectively serve as an extra bedroom or home cinema, your subterranean space would not work well as a kitchen or dining room due to the lack of natural light.

There are various means, including adding a terrace to that basement as well as installing a glazed staircase and balustrade through which the space could be accessed internally.

The former are more photorealistic, as they can more accurately simulate real-life materials and textures. 3D visualisations can also be multiplied more easily.

We will convert 2D drawings into corresponding 3D models and apply simulated colours, materials, textures and lighting conditions to make for photorealistic imagery.

We can provide you with high-resolution 3D images in JPEG format, enabling you to print out the images through any imaging software of your choice.