In the current economic climate, fewer people are buying and moving houses, but many are considering renovating or expanding their homes instead.
So for starters I thought I'd point you to some useful resources if you are thinking of doing some building works on your house. You're probably aware of planning permission and building control. There is often some confusion between the two:
Building Regulations set standards for the design and construction of buildings to ensure the safety and health for people in or about those buildings. They also include requirements to ensure that fuel and power is conserved and facilities are provided for people, including those with disabilities, to access and move around inside buildings.
Planning seeks to guide the way our towns, cities and countryside develop. This includes the use of land & buildings, the appearance of buildings, landscaping considerations, highway access and the impact that the development will have on the general environment.
For many types of building work, separate permission under both regimes (separate processes) will be required. For other building work, such as internal alterations, Buildings Regulations approval will probably be needed, but Planning permission may not be. If you are in any doubt you should contact your Local Planning Authority or a Building Control Body.
There is a useful visual resource which will show you the planning and building control considerations for different projects related to your house, at this address:
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/hhg/houseguide.html
That's all for now, will post again soon. Any suggestions of things you would like to know, please tell me!
