House extension to most people means architects, impressive CAD drawings, confusing Council Planning Departments and a whole world of complexity that is beyond them. Consequently, almost from the moment of deciding an extension would be a great addition to the home, they hand the project over to the professionals, and the money starts flowing out of their account. If your proposed extension is likely to be unconventional, huge or you have no inclination or time to spend on the project, that is exactly the right thing to do.
However, if your extension is fairly ordinary (most are), you wish to save money and/or you like a challenge and feel you are pretty handy, then you, just like I did, are probably wondering if you couldn’t tackle some or all of the project yourself.
The best way to address apparent complexity is to break it down into manageable chunks and not try to deal with everything at once.
Designing
Chances are, that you have a pretty good idea of how you want to extend your home. Rarely do people think a new bedroom over the garage would be perfect for little Johnny now he’s no longer so little, only to be convinced by an architect that a new south wing with swimming pool and study is really what they need. My point is that you tend to know what you want, all your architect does is to turn your ideas into CAD drawings and submit them to the Council. Of course, a good architect may well have some great ideas to tweak your concept for the better, but, given time and research, maybe you could have come up with those ideas yourself.
Checking out other peoples extension designs is great research. Fortunately, all planning applications are in the public domain and with the advent of the Internet, you don’t even have to make the journey down to the Council offices. With all plans online, it is really no hardship to make yourself a cuppa and trawl through some planning applications. Unless you are planning the next Pomadou Centre, you will undoubtedly find plenty of detailed plans that are similar to your dream extension ideas. And there is no reason you only need to check your own Local Council, check any Council’s website. At this stage you are just looking for ideas and to see how architects designed and dealt with certain issues. Spend some time, you’ll be amazed what inspiration you find.
Armed with a strong idea of what you want, the key is to push yourself beyond chats with your spouse. At worst, you’ll decide not to self design but will go to an architect with much stronger notions of what you want.
Drawing
It’s increasingly common to draw plans using computer CAD software instead of unwieldy drawing boards and set squares. This is great news for the self designer. Though programmes like Autocad are hugely expensive and mind numbingly complex, don’t let that put you off. There are cheap or free alternatives perfectly capable of doing the job. And for what you have planned, you don’t need to be the slickest and fastest user of the software, knowing every shortcut and nuance. Turbocad is a sensibly priced alternative to Autocad (particularly from ebay) that is more than capable of doing the job.
Your first task is to measure up your existing building then draw it out to scale in the CAD programme(and even if you are old school, make your life easy and do all measurements in metric – it’s what the planners will expect) Remember, this costs you nothing and you are committed to nothing at this stage.
Unsure about layout? take a look at all those planning applications you checked out for design inspiration, you will soon see what layout and level of detail is expected. Your Council website will also offer guidance on scales (usually 1:50 or 1:100) etc. In my experience, the Council sites have loads of good information. After all, it is in their interest not to receive unsuitable applications.
Your job is not to become a CAD guru but just to learn enough to achieve your goal. As you draw out your existing property, you will be getting the hang of the few basics tools you need in the CAD software – drawing lines, trimming and extending will do 90% of what you need. If you get stuck, get yourself on Google and you will find a plethora of websites and Youtube videos to help you learn your chosen software.
Once you have your existing property drawn up it’s time to have fun and draw up your proposed property. Use your existing drawing and do a ’save as’ to create a new file. As you draw, your extension, questions will pop into your mind – ‘will the garage foundations be strong enough to support the extra height?’ - ’Am I permitted to have a window overlooking my neighbour?’ Make a note of these concerns, and try to find the answers before you commit to too many hours drawing. All questions can be answered, of course. The difficulty you will face is where to go for the answer.
Answering Queries
Google will be your friend again here. There are many online websites, it may take a little searching, but as time goes on you will find favoured and useful websites that help out. You can post a question on a forum. These can be very useful but please remember ‘caveat lector’ (reader beware). Anyone can post an answer, and though they are trying to be helpful, they may not always be correct.
Product manufacturers have fantastic websites with loads of information. If you have a query about roof tiles and what roof pitch they may be suitable for, the product manufacturers websites will undoubtedly have plenty of information. It is also well worth attending one of the many self build shows that pop up all over the country. They are really useful and there are many experts on hand to deal with your queries. Product manufacturers want you to use their product so will be only too happy to answer your relevant queries.
If you have a technical query, it’s worth knowing that all of the current building regulations are published on the governments planning portal and can be downloaded.
Don’ t forget your Local Council, their website will have plenty of information, and provided you appear professional, the Council planning department will be happy to take a phone call and even arrange a short meeting to discuss your application prior to submission.
And lastly, provided you are planning to employ a builder once you have planning permission, feel free to ask for a quote from your drawings. A builder may well come round, check out the plans and raise a few design concerns that arise, often offering good advice and a sensible solution.
Submitting a Planning Application
I really do suggest that you take your plans to show your neighbours prior to official submission. It is a general courtesy and often concerns can be discussed and ironed out amicably before things escalate.
(Note) You may find that your spouse or neighbours have trouble interpreting technical 2D plans. Though they are great for layout, they are pretty lousy at illustrating space and how a building will really look. Google Sketchup 3D modeling software is great help here and not as daunting as you may think. Check it out, but I will write another article to cover Google Sketchup. You can watch my getting started videos on my website at Home Extension Design & Build
Planners, I was assured, are a funny lot, knowing the ins and outs was essential, and only architects used to planning departments could handle this. Though there are things you should know, in retrospect, I think this is mostly nonsense. I found that planners are happy to help. I suggest, once you have plans together, you phone and request a brief meeting with a planner. I sat down with a planner, they looked over the plans and were open about what aspects they felt were unsuitable. If you have drawn something that is blatantly unacceptable, they will pick up on it and give you chance to make changes prior to submission. For example, I thought it was very clever of me to design my extension to perfectly match my existing period property. Once built, it would be almost impossible to distinguish old from new – who wouldn’t like that? Unfortunately, the planners. Though fashions will change, I learnt that present planning demands that a building’s development be obvious to the viewer (ie) if there is an extension to an original dwelling, they want it to look as such, thus demonstrating the historical progression of the building. Two common methods of achieving this goal are 1) Lowered roof ridge. Take a look at some recent extensions and you may well notice that the extension has a roof ridge set a few inches lower than the main roof. 2) Break in the wall line. Again notice how many extensions have the wall stepped in by a small amount to break the line. Different regional areas and property types will demand different sensibilities, but, the point is that this is not a closely guraded secret, planners are happy to discuss relevant issues if you ask.
Whatever concerns the planners have with your design, this will hopefully become apparent at an informal meeting. And remember, if your heart sinks as the list goes on, you can always throw the towel in and go the architect route – it’s cost you nothing to get this far.
If things look good, you can now gather together all the forms you need and make your submission. The cost of submitting an application is around £150, so not really the end of the world even if you fail and ditch the self design idea.
Plans can be submitted online via the Planning Portal. The system is straight forward, it saves you having to make lots of expensive large printouts and you can save the submission part way through and return to it later if needs be. The site informs you of everything you will need to submit, and for items such as block plans, you are directed to a website where these can be purchased for around £11.
Planning Decision
From acceptance of your application, the Council are allowed eight weeks consideration prior to permitting or refusing your application. Keep an eye on the planning website. Your application will be listed and any letters or comments received will be posted for all to see. If you do get a complaint you may be able to contact the Council and deal with it straight away or if it is evident that permission is unlikely, you are entitled to withdraw your application.
If you are refused (I was), DON’T PANIC!
As most people know, you do have the right to appeal for free via the Planning Inspectorate. However, the appeal inspector will work to the same criteria as the planners, so unless the planners have been negligent, or blatantly unfair, there is a good chance you won’t win the appeal. If you really feel it’s your only option, the appeal process is there for you. However, it is worth remembering that for your £150 you do get two applications, so once you have cooled down, I suggest you request another meeting with the planners to discuss the matter. They can clearly explain their reasons for refusal and you can discuss a way forward. Always be professional and courteous even if you disagree with them. Feel free to ask for suggestions as to how they think the design could be changed to meet their demands. Often, a little compromise goes a long way. If you think that you can reach a compromise, go back to the drawing board and make the necessary changes. You will then need to resubmit, so unfortunately, you’ll have another eight week wait but at least it shouldn’t cost you anything.
Conclusion
Designing, drawing and submitting your own extension plans can be very rewarding but I recommend you keep the following in mind.
1) Don’t be daunted. A little courage goes a long way. Take things one step at a time – you can always pull out without spending a penny if it all seems to hard.
2) Don’t go this route if your primary goal is speed. An architect will do the job faster than you.
3) The more conventional your extension, the greater the likelihood of you successfully designing and drawing your plans.
4) What’s to lose? Even if you go through the whole process and get refused, your total cost will be under £200 – a small percentage of the whole project.
5) Be prepared to take your time and think about many design options. I thought I had considered every possible design option for my extension – then, one day after much thinking, a new idea came along.
6) When designing, try to minimise transition spaces such as corridors.
7) Don’t forget about light! (Sketchup helps with this)
If it’s not fun, don’t do it. Employ an architect and do something you find fun.