Great news for detached homeowners looking to extend

If you’re considering different ways to add value or space to your detached home, you may well have investigated the possibility of an extension in the past but were perhaps put off by planning regulations. The current Permitted Development Rights (what you can add to your home without Planning Permission) restrict property owners to building just a single-storey extension. This has worked well for many homeowners, as it has offered a much easier management process for opening up the kitchen and dining space into the garden, or perhaps adding a study or a downstairs wc.  Ideal in bungalows of course, where there tends to be plenty of land thanks to the generous plots most sit on. However, for family homes, the expense, the loss of garden space, and the mess and disruption of adding just a single-storey extension can feel harder to justify just for the sake of adding an extra room downstairs. When it comes to funding an extension too, in an economy of scale, building two storeys in one go is more friendly on the finances. The great news is, the Planning Laws are about to change.

The case for two-storey extensions

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced a new law this September that allows private homeowners and developers to add two-storey extensions to their property without Planning Permission. The law is reportedly due to be applied to blocks of flats in January, and will be rolled out to cover detached homes later in 2020.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced a new law this September that allows private homeowners and developers to add not just one but two-storey extensions to their property without Planning Permission. The law is currently only applied to blocks of flats, and will be rolled out to cover detached homes in 2020.

This means that any small developers who own a block of flats can potentially add 2 new homes, or add extra bedrooms to existing units, thus creating much needed extra housing in local areas. There was some reference that the law would help “Small Businesses” i.e developers and property portfolio owners by easing admin and giving them a chance to generate more income from their investments.

When the law is rolled out to cover detached homes too, it is envisaged that it will help growing families to stay where they are, or perhaps become multi-generational homes to save elderly parents going into care. But it does also open up an interesting opportunity for property developers too, as there is now more scope to add value to a detached property when renovating it. The new law should certainly help to add more interesting property stock to the market, and we are keen to see how block owners and investors take advantage of the new ruling.

If you’re looking for advice about Planning Permission, adding value to a home for resale, or are looking for an investment property or land, please do get in touch, our team of 40 have hundreds of years of experience in property between us.