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Basement Specialists 25 years experience Restoration Experts Award Winning Basement Specialists Extensions
When embarking on a house extension project in London, where we mainly operate, we often get asked by our clients if they need a party wall agreement? Many don’t even know what a party wall is or what a party wall agreement is… just that it’s something they need.
So, we thought we’d start at the very beginning …
What is a Party Wall?
A party wall is the shared wall, usually between a terrace or semi-detached house, and divides the homes of two separate owners. It may also include garden walls built over a boundary and excavations close to a neighbour’s property (within three or six meters, depending on the depth of the new foundations). Party wall Awards or Agreements are most commonly needed for building projects that involve loft conversions, basement excavations, internal renovation and extensions.
What is a Party Wall Agreement?
The Party Wall Award or Agreement is a legal document that is drawn up by the two-party wall surveyors or by a single surveyor (if he/she is are acting on behalf of both the Building Owner and the Adjoining Owner or the neighbour). The aim of the Party Wall Award is to resolve any disputes between neighbours as a result of a building project of the one of the neighbours.
The Party Wall Award essentially consists of three parts:
- The Award or Agreement that states how and when the building works are going to be carried out.
- The Schedule of Conditions – This is an important part of the Award. It is a detailed record of the current condition of the adjoining property. This will include recording existing issues such as cracks, staining, holes, decay, discolouration, leaks and other defects, disrepair or deterioration along with accompanying photographs. The party wall surveyors will then undertake a re-inspectionof the building after building works have been completed to determine whether any damage has occurred as a result of the building work and whether any repairs need to be carried out.
- Structural drawings of the proposed works.
The Award must also clearly state the names and address of the Building Owner or Owners and the Adjoining Owner/s names and addresses as listed in the land registry or Company House records in the case of a UK listed company along with details of the surveyor or surveyors.
What else should be included in the Award?
Working hours – e.g. 9:00am – 5:00pm
Proof of the builder/contractor’s public liability insurance
Any indemnities for the Adjoining Owner or neighbour
Clarification of any damage and the steps that will be required to rectify them
Access arrangements to the adjoining owner’s property
Adjoining Owner’s or neighbour’s surveyor’s fees
Costs to be paid by an Adjoining Owner or neighbour for contributing towards the cost of repair to a party structure.
Agreed compensation to paid to the Adjoining Owner or neighbour
Security arrangements
Noise considerations
Usually, the Award is initially written out in a draft format and made final once both parties have agreed on the details. There is a 14 day right to appeal if either owner feels something is amiss, however, this is usually rare, as most of the issues are likely to have been ironed out before the Award is finally drawn up and legally signed and witnessed by the appointed surveyor(s).
How long is a Party Wall Award valid?
A Party Wall Award is valid for 12 months from the date of its service. This would mean that the building owner must commence the proposed works within 12 months of the date of the Party Wall Award.
Do you need a party wall agreement?
If you share a wall with your neighbour i.e. your property is a semi-detached or a terraced property, you will need to draw up a party wall agreement with your neighbour. If your property is detached, you may still need a party wall agreement if your property is within three to six metres of your neighbour’s external wall. This is also dependent on the depth of your foundation. Party wall Awards are important to avoid from unnecessary disputes and conflict between neighbours.
What happens if a neighbour reports damage to his or her property because of my extension?
The first step is to appoint a party wall surveyor… You may have already done this if you appointed a party wall company to draw up your agreement.
Once the appointed party wall surveyor(s) have been notified there are three possible routes to go down, all at the choice of the neighbour.
- Perhaps the most amicable route is when the building owner and the adjoining owner discuss and agree on a course of action without engaging the appointed party wall surveyor(s). In this scenario you and your neighbour agree between yourselves on arrangements for the damage to be made good or for a financial compensation to be made.
- The appointed surveyor(s) identifies the scope of the repair works by cross-referencing the pre-works condition report and a written schedule of repair works is drawn up and agreed between them. Your neighbour agrees for your contractors to undertake the repair work scoped by the appointed surveyor(s). Your neighbour may also request that the appointed party wall surveyor(s) confirm that repairs have been carried out satisfactorily on completion.
- The third route is as point 2 however instead of carrying the repairs you agree to pay your neighbour a financial compensation based on determination made by the appointed surveyor(s). Your neighbour can then choose to appoint their own contractor to carry out the works at their convenience.
The SDA Build London team know that this is a complicated area. We work closely with reputed party wall professionals who will be able to advise you on the best way forward for your particular home extension project. Given that most of our projects are in Chelsea, Kensington, Battersea, Fulham and surrounding areas where the majority of homes are semi-detached or terraced, we understand the importance of Party Wall Agreements.
Give us a call on 0208 191 7595 or email us at enquiries@sdabuildlondon.co.uk to discuss how we can help.
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The first step to getting your house extension underway is to get planning permission from your local council. No work can or should commence before this has been received. In West London, where we primarily operate, in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham and Westminster, typically planning applications take anywhere between 8-13 weeks depending on their complexity.
|
Type of Extension |
Time in weeks |
|
Simple Extension |
8 |
|
Large or Complex Extensions |
13 |
|
Environmental Impact Assessment Applications |
16 |
We thought we’d answer some of your Frequently Asked Questions…
Do I need planning permission for my house extension?
You will need to submit a planning application if:
- You are building something new
- You are making a major change to the building by adding an extension
- You are changing the use of the building
- You are merging houses or flats that will reduce the overall number of homes
But the answer is not a simple yes or no. Lately, planning guidelines have been relaxed so now many extensions come under permitted development. Check the list below to find out if yours does.
What is permitted development?
According to the Planning Portal, “You can perform certain types of work without needing to apply for planning permission. These are called “permitted development rights”.
They derive from a general planning permission granted not by the local authority but by Parliament. Bear in mind that the permitted development rights which apply to many common projects for houses do not apply to flats, maisonettes or other buildings. Similarly, commercial properties have different permitted development rights to dwellings.”
You do not need planning permission if…
- No more than half the area of land around the original house would be covered by additions or other buildings.
- No extension forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway.
- No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof.
- Single-storey rear extensions must not extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by more than eight metres if a detached house; or more than six metres for any other house.
- If the house is in Article 2(3) designated land* or a Site of Special Scientific Interest, this limit is reduced to four metres if a detached house; or three metres for any other house. These limits are now permanent and subject to the neighbour consultation scheme. This requires that the relevant Local Planning Authority is informed of the proposed work via a prior approval application.
- Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres.
- Extensions of more than one storey must not extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by more than three metres.
- Maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres.
- Maximum eaves and ridge height of extension no higher than existing house.
- Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original house.
- Two-storey extensions no closer than seven metres to rear boundary.
- Roof pitch of extensions higher than one storey to match existing house.
- Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing house.
- No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
- Upper-floor, side-facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7m above the floor.
We know this sounds extremely confusing for anyone not part of the building industry. But if you appoint a qualified architect and building company, they should be aware of the latest rules and regulations.
There are lots of ‘buts’ and ‘ifs’ on whether you need planning permission or not. If your property is in one of the following areas, chances are that you will definitely need an OK from your local council to proceed with any house extensions.
These are:
- a conservation area; or
- an area of outstanding natural beauty; or
- an area specified by the Secretary of State for the purposes of enhancement and protection of the natural beauty and amenity of the countryside; or
the Broads; or - a National Park; or
- a World Heritage Site
** We recommend that you make an appointment with the planning officer at your local council to understand their specific requirements as each council has different standards.
How do I start the planning process?
The first step to any home renovation process is to appoint an architect. In most cases, it is your architect who will submit your plans to the council. If you need help finding an Architect, why not download our FREE Architect Guide.
What documents do I need when submitting a planning application?
In addition to the application form, you will need to submit a number of supporting documents along with the appropriate fee. We have compiled a list of links to “Local Validation Checklists” for some of the main West London Boroughs we operate in. This is a detailed list of documents you and your architect will need to submit to your council to obtain planning permission.
- London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
- London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
- London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames
- Wandsworth Borough Council
- City of Westminster
- Camden Council
How much does a planning application cost?
Planning fees in England are set nationally by the government.
Costs for planning permission differ, depending on where you are in the UK. For a house extension, fees are:
£206 within England
£190 in Wales
£202 in Scotland
These costs apply to alterations / extensions to existing dwellings, and only for one household. So, whether you’re going for a classic rear extension, or converting your loft, these are the fees you’ll be paying.
At SDA Build London, we know how stressful and complex planning applications can be. Applications that are rejected often have to be revised over and over again and can cause delays to your extension project.
As we have been working in the West London area for several years, we are well-versed with the do’s and don’ts in the area with regards to what the council will allow and what they won’t. We suggest you give us a call ☺ if you have any doubts or need to discuss whether your extension ideas… will get through planning. We can be contacted on 0208 191 7595 or email us at enquiries@sdabuildlondon.co.uk to discuss how we can help.
To have a look at the kind of work we have done, why not download our free brochure? And if you need any help with managing your building project, our free project management checklist has been hugely popular.
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London has seen a surge in house extensions, basement conversions and loft conversions in the last five years. With soaring stamp duty costs and the high overall cost of moving, homeowners with growing families who need the extra space are increasingly choosing to increase the area in their existing properties rather than up sticks and move home.
Setting out on a house extension project requires, amongst other things a healthy amount of patience [Symbol]. There are several details to consider and decisions to make.
We suggest that you begin by creating a project management spreadsheet (we’ve created one for you) even if you have a dedicated project manager so that you are both on the same page with regards to costs, timelines, delivery schedules and communication with various suppliers.
The first step is to appoint an architect. Your architect is probably the most important person in your project. Make sure you appoint an architect that understands your needs and your vision and is able to marry the two with a plan and solution that your local council will approve.
SDA’S FREE GUIDE TO
The Top London Residential
Arhictects 2019
The SDA Build team have meticulously curated a list of talented architects serving the London and Greater London areas. All the architects on our list are RIBA certified and have vetted by Houzz.
Whether or not you need planning permission will depend on the scope of your plans. Do you want a single storey extension or a double storey extension? How far do you intend going out? What are the current rules with regards to planning in your local council? All these will determine whether you need to apply for planning permission or whether your works fall under permitted development guidelines. Your architect should know this.
This process usually takes about 8 weeks. You can either sit back and relax or start researching on the various other decisions you will have to make such as:
- Rental property if you are moving out
- Flooring and carpets
- Heating
- Windows
- Internal Doors and door fittings
- External Doors
- Electrics and lighting
- Tiles
- Bathroom furniture and sanitaryware
- Kitchen furniture and appliances
- Blinds
- Fitted furniture in bedrooms
- Patio or decking
- Paint colours
- Home alarm & entertainment system
The list can go on depending on your house extension project, whether it’s a kitchen extension, a bedroom with an en-suite, a guest room, a playroom or games room, a home office or even a gym.
Types of extensions
Single Storey rear extension
If you have a good-sized garden at the back of the house, you could extend the back of the house out (subject to planning rules) and create a more intimate experience with your garden. Large sliding or bifold doors along with an open plan space, can give you an added sense of light and air and almost brings the outdoor, indoors.
Double Storey rear extension
If you feel you need more living space upstairs, perhaps larger bedrooms or an en-suite bathroom or a home office, you could build additional space on top of your single storey extension. In some of the properties we have worked on, we have created luxurious bedrooms with walk-in closets, fitted wardrobes, children’s studies and guest rooms… the possibilities are limitless.
Side extension
Several homes have space between the side of their homes and the fence. Why not think about extending the house into this space? For many home owners this is the perfect opportunity to open up the kitchen, create a home gym a guest room or a room for ageing parents or even a home office with perhaps a separate entrance.
Wrap around extension
As the name suggests, a wrap-around extension is a side and back extension around the existing home. You are effectively changing the layout of the house in totality, allowing you to re configure and re plan how you use the area. You could open up the downstairs completely (this is currently what’s on trend in London.), to give yourself an open plan kitchen-living space or create a games room or even a state of the art cinema room.
As a company that provides a complete design and build service, we have worked with a number of clients in the South East of the country to help them through the entire process of building their house extension, right from the start with architectural design and planning permission, through to the finished product.
If you are planning a house extension and need some guidance on how to go about it, give us a call on 0208 191 7595 or email us at enquiries@sdabuildlondon.co.uk to discuss your project.
To have a look at the kind of work we have done, why not download our free brochure? And if you need any help with managing your building project, our free project management checklist has been hugely popular.
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If you could do just one project to renovate your home what would it be?
YouGov survey recently polled the most popular renovation among British homeowners. Can you guess what came out on top?
Find out here in this eye-opening article in Ideal Home.
If you’d like some guidance on your home improvement project, give us a call on 02081917595. Or better still, book a FREE consultation with us and we’ll visit your property, discuss your ideas and share some of our recommendations with no obligation.
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Considering a loft conversion or an extension, and confused on how to bring in the maximum natural light? Spend a few minutes reading through this comprehensive guide in Houzz on just how to do that with roof windows, rooflights and skylights.
If you’d like some guidance on the best way to add a rooflight or skylight to your extension or conversion, give us a call on 02081917595. Or better still, book a FREE consultation with us and we’ll visit your property, discuss your ideas and share some of our recommendations with no obligation.
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