Gerard Butler

A beautiful open loft in a converted manufacturing warehouse, in Manahattan’s Chealsea neighborhood, designed by architect Alexander Gorlin and film designer Elvis Resaino. The living space looks on the Empire State Building.

Patricia Heaton & David Hunt

Actress Patricia Heaton and her husband David Hunt share with their four sons a 192s house in Los Angeles’s Hancock Parrk area. House is being designed by Babe Johnson and Ellen Geerer.

Cher

Together with interior designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard Cher created her apartment perched high above Los Angeles.

Sheryl & Rob Lowe

On the California coast, near Santa Barbara, Actor Rob Lowe and his wife with the help of architect Don Nulty built theri dream house.

Joshua Bell

Classical violinist Joshua Bell aparment not only is a linving speace but also a concert hall, this is the idea of the musician when he designed the apartment with the help of architect Charles Rose.

Jennifer Aniston

Located in Beverly Hills is the residence of actress Jennifer Aniston, designed by Stphen Shadley. The house was a 1970 creation of Harol W. Levitt.

Sir Elton John & David Furnish

Martyn Lawrence designed this apartment in L.A 70s style for Sir Elton John and his partner filmmaker David Furnish.

Kimberly & Dennis Quaid

Dennis Quaid shares with his wife and their twins a 15-room house in Los Angeles’s Rustic Canyon. The living room was designed by John and Krista Everage.

Demi Moore & Ashton Kutcher

Demi Moore and Ashton Lutcher renovated this 1950s canyonside house in Beverly Hills, interiors were designed by decorator Brad Dunning.

Anjelica Huston

Actress and Director Anjelica Huston decorated this this ranch in California’s Central Valley and she has furnished the living room with an assortment of pieces from movies locations and at swamp meets.

Diane Keaton

Actress, director and producer Diane Keaton’s Spanish Colonial Revival home in Beverly Hills was renovated by  designer Stephen Shadley. This house was built in the 1920s by architect Ralph Flewelling.

Sting & Trudie Styler

Lee F. Mindel, and restoration architect Anthony Close-Smith renovated this early 18th-century townhouse in London for Sting and his wife, actress and producer Trudie Styler.

1. Finding a reputable builder

Ask friends and family for references for reputable builders they have worked with or of whose work they recommend. Search out homes with styles you like and ask the homeowners who completed the construction.

2. Verifying the qualifications

Verifying that your prospective builder has a valid company address, and is a member of a trade association indicates that they are competent and reliable in the construction industry. Just because a builder claims that they are a member or hands you a “certificate”, you should verify the qualifications by contacting the trade association to ensure that the membership is legitimate. You do not want to be misled into paying for the shoddy workmanship of a “rogue” builder that will only need fixing later.

Additionally, ask for proof of insurance covering property damage as well as liability for injury.

3. Asking for references

Once you find a builder, ask to contact two or three references of clients with whom they have done building projects previously. Preferably, you would get references of not only recent clients, but also ones from the more distant past. The latter will give you an opportunity to see how the builder’s work has held up over time. Ask those clients what they liked about the builder, but also inquire about any difficulties that they experienced. You may even want to request to see their homes and take the time to inspect the finished product.

4. Communicating openly

Make sure that you can communicate well with your potential builder from the very early stages. Constructing a home is an involved process and you want to feel like you are on the same team. Work together and communicate about concerns so that you and your builder can avoid future mistakes. Be open about money and costs, and get all financial agreements in writing.

5. Getting multiple quotes

Once you have a short list of potential builders, ask for quotes of what the building project will entail financially as well as time-wise. You should get it in writing, and it should include exactly what is included and what is not. That is to say, you want to have in writing ALL the specifics: cost of materials and labor, estimated start and completion times, whether or not they will need to apply for planning permissions to fit with building codes, conditionals covering who is responsible for building delays, etc.  The more details, the better, so that you and your potential builder are on the same page from the start!

Core Architect is a associated with a network of long-term, experienced building and decorating companies across the UK. Get a FREE QUOTE on your project here.

Keep In Mind

Remember that you can actually hang wall paper over nearly any surface, including brick or tile. It involves a few additional steps like applying a thick, blank layering called a bridging material, which smooths over uneven surfaces. Before you begin, ask yourself a few questions to help simplify the process: What end result are you going for? Are you planning to do all the walls, or feature only one? Covering stained walls may involve a different approach than going for a completely new color scheme. What size is the room you plan to wallpaper? Very small, detailed wallpaper can get lost in a large, spacious room. And  big, bold print can overwhelm a small room. What style is your home and your room’s furniture? If the room you want to wallpaper already has furniture from a distinct period style, like Victorian or Contemporary, you want the wallpaper to complement, not compete or confuse.

Inspirational Wallpaper Images

Bold Patterns

Mellow Patterns

Floral Patterns

Wild Prints

More Creative Design Ideas

The above is a watercolor wallpaper (see more diy ideas at Design*Sponge).

Other Uses for Wallpaper

For further reading, check out The Dos and Don’ts of Choosing Wallpaper.

Side Tables Which Double As Stools

Many side tables double as stools, and make for a stylishly efficient use of space. As opposed to bulky dresser-type side table, they can be moved around the room easily, and are perfect additions to any room. Slide them next to a sofa for a perfect beverage perch or extra seat for a guest. In a smaller room, a functional piece of furniture is always convenient.

A painted tree stump is an earth-friendly example of a such a side table:

Getting Creative

A side table that stands out doesn’t have to be pricey. This do-it-yourself project is made from a collection of books, belts, wood and paint. As it is made from re-purposed material, it is an earth-friendly example of how you can recycle the items you already have in your home. While it has the storage space of many ordinary side tables, this colorful stand also has artistic flair.

A creative way to have an inside garden is to situate an antique side table (maybe one on its last legs) near some windows, and fill it with your favorite greenery.

Function First

In this rustic interior, the steps from one room to another function as a perfect side table where there is enough room to place a beverage, a remote, or the book you’re reading while lounging on the sofa. A separate side table doesn’t fit, unless it were crowded awkwardly into some other part of the room, out of reach.

Side tables can also function as room partitions, as in this children’s room wherein the bed is creatively partitioned from the play area.

When another piece of furniture would only add clutter to the room, and yet the storage space is necessary, a wall-mount serves as a functional side table. It doesn’t consume any extra floor space and yet acts as a useful decorative detail.

A Final Angle

How important is a side table? Ask someone who has wandered around a sparse room looking for a spot to place their beverage or seat themselves (when the traditional chairs are occupied), and ended up standing awkwardly shifting their drink from hand to hand. They are important, and the good news is with such versatile options suited for any home, its fun to give them the attention they deserve!

Pricing it up

It’s important to work out an early estimate of the cost of building your home. You can use a free online building cost estimator or research local builders whose work resembles the size and quality of your ideal home. Most builders can give you an approximate idea of what your budget should be. Don’t forget to let them know from the get-go about any must-have features or additions, because the unknowns are what end up busting the budget in the end.

Evaluate the lot you are choosing to build upon. Maybe the lot is comparably cheaper to other property you are considering, but that may be a result of expensive building obstacles: trees that need to be cleared, drainage systems needing to be built, or layers of rock that must be destroyed. As a note, a remote lot may be cheaper than one more centrally located, however in the end, the most budget-friendly lots are those with access to public water lines, electricity and gas.

Simplicity equals cost effective

Opting for simplicity in the shape of your home is another way to cut costs. Square and rectangular floor plans are easier on the budget than building complex shapes with involved roof-lines. Consider how much simpler a dome home is to build in comparison to a triangle shape with numerous vaulted ceilings.

You will generally get more bang for your buck if you build tall rather than wide, meaning a single story house spread out over a property is less cost-effective than building a taller, more compact multi-story home. For one, the tall home has equivalent living space but with less roof and foundation. Also, plumbing and heating/cooling systems are more efficient in a more compact space.

Choosing Materials

Major budget-savers come when choosing the building materials for your home. Nowadays, there are many high-quality imitations of the pricier traditional material. You can still create the look you want without draining your entire budget on one room. For example, real hardwood floors are beautiful but you may consider less expensive alternatives like engineered wood, prefabricated floors or bamboo flooring. Instead of solid wood cabinets, consider that open shelves use less material and can make your kitchen, bathroom or home office feel more spacious.

(photo of engineered wood flooring)

Using recycled and re-purposed construction and decorating materials is not only an environmentally-friendly way to build on a budget, but the items you find may become some of your favorite finishing touches. Ask your local hardware store for recycled materials like steel or sawdust composites and browse architectural salvage warehouses for various architectural details like doors, windows, light and plumbing fixtures, ironwork, etc. Scout your area for a flooring outlet that may have great deals for bulk materials. Search eBay for specific items and take advantage of discounts and promotions from your local building-supply stores.

Keep in mind the difference between details that you are willing to economize on now which can easily be upgraded in the future, as opposed to features that cannot easily be changed. Invest in the latter as they will be the foundation of your home.

The Red Tape

Finally, part of building on a budget is taking care of the legal aspects so you don’t end up with penalties and major fees later. Get the right site insurance and any building warranties necessary before you launch into production.

Building on a budget means planning ahead; know the steps you need to take and the materials you will require so you can get resourceful about maintaining that budget. Then, you will walk through the front doors of your dream home!

The above is an example of a loft conversion into a no-frills spare bedroom. The white walls and linens combined with wooden floors and furniture create a neutral space. Choosing a streamlined interior design instantly makes converting your attic more affordable while maintaining a clean aesthetic.

This luxurious loft conversion feels extremely spacious by virtue of the ceiling-to-floor windows and french doors. Large amounts of light flood in and reflect against light wooden floors, giving the room an airy quality. Installing windows is the most effective way to incorporate the natural world into your home, and because many loft spaces are small, large windows and glass doors immediately expand the room.

The bright orange color scheme and large skylights make the above loft conversion feel vibrant and inviting. A plush area rug, numerous pillows and a large plant give the spacious room a cozier feel. The loft almost has a “retreat” feel, where you could comfortably gather with friends for a movie, or simply to curl up and a take a nap.

Reclaiming your attic as an office is another useful loft conversion idea, and can give working from home a whole new appeal. The attic is isolated enough from distraction to allow you to focus on the tasks at hand, while still providing the comfort of being in your own home. In the above office loft conversions, the use of skylights and light interior color brighten the room.

Converting your loft into a kitchen/dining room is a more involved project than the more common bedroom/living room option. However, if all building code regulations are met, it is a delightful idea for creating an alternative entertaining area.

Often a large percentage of a property’s potential space is in the attic, and converting it into a wide variety of usable living quarters can add significant value to your home.

This fascinating case study of a project in a listed historical building shows a great work around and solution for not being able to get planning permission.

This staircase is a true carpenter’s masterpiece.

Here you can see one of the best work-around for building in a historical building. All internal modifications were done as a single piece of “furniture” which conforms with all laws relating to building and modifying a historical, listed building.

The fire surround and cornice, by law, has to remain but this was not a problem. Due to the flexibility of building custom pieces which makes up the entire home interior, all “protected” sections of the property were left intact.

As structural changes or even damage to the ceilings and walls was not permitted, the existing space was split into three separate rooms with a false ceiling while the new interior design was aimed to restore the space back to its original proportions, which would have been as one room.

Even with a few extra metres to build, your house extension can be contemporary and appear to give a huge amount of extra space.

Patio dining area with external lighting, and electric glass doors which allows for a completely open air kitchen and dining area. Ideal for warm, summer nights.

Smart use of an L-shaped extension with sliding glass doors. Perfect for a romantic drink and a view of the sunset.

Most planning for extensions will restrict you to a certain sq meterage. However, with a clever design, you can seamlessly blend your extension to your patio and then even to your garden to make it look like they are all one.

This is a good way to design your home extension; Try not to constrict yourself by building as many rooms as you can get. Opt towards making it a place where you can relax and not feel squashed.

Other beautiful bedroom design can be found here:

Amazing Black and White Room Refurbishments

Pink Bedroom Decorating Ideas

Bedroom with tub

A view from the same bedroom (but from the other side)

Cream coloured bedroom

Artistic, with Wall Art

Modern Bedroom

Very Modern, check out how the lighting shows up the details on the wall surface at the back.

Purple Bedroom

Distinctly Feminine, Purple (Unusual?)

Abstract painting

The focus is the painting here. Very overpowering.

White Bedrooms

Soft, Fresh & Classic.

Modern, but still with an oriental flavour.

An ordinary room, brought to life by huge wall prints.

A surreal bedroom with great view.

Getting planning permission on a piece of land, or for a renovation opportunity, not only transforms the value of that plot, but also gives you the chance to create development opportunities.

Unfortunately, the planning process can be drawn out, confusing and riddled with doubt and problems — but what you stand to gain should make it all worthwhile.

It is quite possible to buy a building plot that already has planning permission, as many on the market do. However, this is not always as good an idea as it may at first seem, as the most desirable plots rarely get beyond the estate agent’s door before being snapped up by developers. Another factor to watch out for is that the planning permission in place may not be all it seems; for example, there may be no details about the size of the house.

The rules of planning are unpredictable, open to interpretation and often easily bent — and this is something that can work both for and against you. It is vital to have an understanding of the planning process because, put simply, ending up with the right permission is the only way you will end up being able to build the house of your dreams. Whatever your circumstances, there is often a way to negotiate and come up with a satisfactory solution, as the case studies that are linked below demonstrate.

Planning Permission Education

Probably the easiest way to understand planning is to hear it from the horses mouth. The UK Planning Portal provide an interesting 3D demonstration of a home, its’ parts and a clear statement of what does or doesn’t need planning – or what may need looking into.

INTERACTIVE HOUSE

If your property is Semi Detached please click on the link below to open the interactive model and find out everything you need to know about your Planning Permission requirements:

Launch the guide »

INTERACTIVE TERRACE

If your property is a Terrace please click on the link below and find out everything you need to know about your Planning Permission and Building Regulation requirements:

Launch the guide »

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• You don’t have to own a piece of land in order to make a planning application on it.
• It should take no longer than eight weeks from the point of application until you get a decision.
• The objections of neighbours and local residents will not necessarily have any impact on the decision.
• It is possible to withdraw an application — if you suspect you might get a refusal, you can withdraw at any time you wish and resubmit free of charge.
• You can submit however many applications you like for any one site — and then choose which one you want to use most. As long as it is current, you don’t have to use the most recent.

Planning: Our Top Tips for Success

UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM

Planning permission has a particularly unpredictable set of rules — open to interpretation and often capable of being bent. Unlike the Building Regulations, planning regulations differ from one area of the country to the next, while the scope for inconsistencies between planners – even within one authority – is huge. So if you want to self-build, renovate or extend, a flexible and pragmatic approach to achieving what you want is vital.

BUY LAND SUBJECT TO PLANNING

It is perfectly legal to make a planning application on land you do not own — you don’t even need permission from the landowner, as permission goes with the land rather than the applicant. It is common practice to make a purchase subject to satisfactory planning permission — which is then legally secured by exchanging contracts with completion conditional upon getting the permission you want, or by entering into an ‘optional agreement’, whereby you have the legal option to buy if you’re successful or to walk away if you’re not.

GET PRE-APPLICATION ADVICE

First find your local planning department. Your local planning department and its website is a free source of information that can help you to exploit opportunities. But you need to know how to use it and this is where it is extremely helpful to talk to a planning officer from your local authority. Try to achieve a good rapport rather than approaching them as an enemy, and aim to gain an understanding of the key issues you will have to deal with in order to get permission.

MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE ENEMY

Most objections from neighbours etc stem from a fear that their own properties will be devalued — and also often from a worry about the change that a new house will mean for them. Perhaps the best way to avoid objections, therefore, is to talk to neighbours and the parish council prior to making your application and try to accommodate in your design any specific concerns they have. If you can accommodate what might be trivial issues it could make the difference between a delegated approval and a planning committee refusal.

UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS

If and when you do get permission, it will be subject to certain conditions. This will include a time limit during which the application has to be started — now three years. Any conditions on your application are extremely important and a failure to comply with them can result in a ‘breach of condition notice’ (BCN) to which there is no right of appeal and which can be enforced through the courts by prosecution.

TRADE UP

If you come across a piece of land that comes complete with planning permission, don’t be put off if the nature of the approved house design does not quite meet your requirements. Just because permission already exists for, say, a bungalow, this does not mean that this is what you will have to build.

KNOW THE RULES

The rules of the planning game are not simple. They are produced by local authorities and referred to as ‘development plan policies’. They are supposed to be a guide as to where new housing is located and what kind of developments are built in that area.

These rules are not hard and fast, and it is really all about how well you can sell what it is you are applying for to the local planning authorities in relation to the policies in their particular development plan.

The development plan policies set out – often not particularly clearly – criteria for what will and won’t be acceptable. Villages and towns will normally have been given a development boundary – also known as a settlement boundary – and it is within this boundary that the principle of new development is allowed. Outside of these boundaries, land is usually grouped together as countryside and is extremely difficult to gain planning permission on.

Trying to comply with any of these vaguely worded policies can be very difficult — particularly if you are aiming to do so without the help of a good designer or planning consultant who is able to interpret exactly what the local authorities are trying to say.

TRY AN INCREMENTAL APPROACH

By submitting parts of a controversial scheme incrementally, planners are less likely to countenance refusal because they are always duty bound to compare it to what has already been approved — meaning that big leaps forward can prove too controversial for consumption, but incremental amendments to approved schemes are difficult to resist.

PRESENT YOUR IDEAS CLEARLY

Finally, spend money on presentation drawings of your development — planning authorities grant permissions for what is really only a picture at that stage.

HAS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO ALREADY BEEN REJECTED?

Check the planning office for records relating to the site you have in mind and investigate whether the plot has suffered any rejections or other forms of adverse planning history. What has gone on in the past will be the starting point that planning officers will base their new decisions on.

Planning Jargon: The Terms Explained

• Outline Planning Permission: A general approval to enable construction. This may simply be for one dwelling; it might also specify whether the new house is to be a bungalow, but will give little more detail. On plan, it merely constitutes a red line around a plot.
• Detailed Planning Permission: Specific approval for an individual design to be built, based on a set of drawings indicating details on elevations and even facing materials.
• Full Planning Permission: Another term for detailed planning permission. Some plot developers bypass general outline approval and go straight for ‘full’ permission.
• Permitted Development Rights: Developments that can be carried out without planning approval. They relate to existing houses and cover small-scale improvements, such as modest extensions, loft conversions and so on.

A loft conversion can include a mansard window or dormer, even though a very large loft may not require this and instead has skylights inserted flush with the roof.

Loft Conversion Inspiration

We have collected these websites to give you as much inspiration as possible for your loft conversion. The websites include very useful information and galleries to get you ahead of the game.

channel4.com

Good gallery of loft conversions to get some ideas of just what could be possible in your roof space.

absolutelofts.com

Absolute Lofts are building contractors based in South East England that worked for over 10 years. They have now completed over 1,500 works, a vast majority being loft conversions.

charlesgrosvenor.co.uk

An established family run company that offer a professional service. They have a good gallery of loft conversions.

bespokelofts.co.uk

Essex based, family run company with over 20 years experience in the building industry, including Loft Conversion.

armadillolofts.co.uk

Their motto is “Don’t move out, move up”. Look at the image gallery of their works.

Budget

First of all you have to work out your maximum and minimum budget, is really bad to leave the work uncompleted. This article can help you out: Building and Renovation Costs in UK.

Planning permission

A loft conversion can proceed without planning permission under certain circumstances.

The Planning Portal is the Government’s official planning website, where is explained everything you need to know about planning permission for a lot conversion. This is what it says:

Under the regulations of 1 October 2008 a loft conversion for your home is considered to be permitted development, not requiring an application for planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:

1. A volume allowance of 40 m³ additional roof space for terraced houses.
2. A volume allowance of 50 m³ additional roof space for detached and semi-detached houses, keep in mind that any previous roof space additions must be included within the volume allowances listed above. Although you may not have created additional space a previous owner may have done so. Calculate the area and volume of your works using the Volume Calculator.
3. No extension beyond the plane of the existing roof slope of the principal elevation that fronts the highway.
4. No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof.
5. Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing home. Use the Brick Visualization Tool for help in select the correct brick to use.
6. No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
7. Side-facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7m above the floor.
8. Roof extensions not to be permitted development in designated areas (Designated areas include national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites).
9. Roof extensions, apart from hip to gable ones, to be set back, as far as practicable, at least 20cm from the eaves.

You can see a 3D presentation of all of this rules here: Loft Conversions – Mini Guide

You can read the full article at planningportal.gov.uk here: Planning permission for a Loft Conversion

Building regulations

All loft conversions will have to meet the latest building regulations and be certified by the local Building Control Officer. This is because the loft is being converted into ‘habitable space’ which must thus have appropriate levels of health and safety. With this in mind, the following rules are particularly important:

1. The structural strength of the new floor has to be sufficient to support people and furnitures.
2. The stability of the structure (including the existing roof) must not be endangered.
3. Your loft must have a safe escape from fire.
4. The stairs must be safely designed to bring you to the new floor.
5. A reasonable sound insulation between the conversion and the rooms below has to be present.
6. Adequate ventilation must be provided to loft room, this can be done with one or more windows.
7. All electrics and plumbing must be safely installed.

The Party Wall Act

What is a party wall?

The Party Wall Act came into force in 1997, so it is now law and gives you rights and responsibilities whichever the side of the ‘wall’ you are on that is whether you are planning a work on a relevant structure or if your neighbour is.

The Party Wall Act does not affect any requirement for Planning Permission or Building Regulation Approval for any work undertaken. Similarly, having Planning Permission and/or Building Regulation Approval does not negate the requirements under the Party Wall Act.

The Party Wall Act comes into effect if someone is want to do work on a relevant structure, for the purposes of the Act ‘party wall’ does not just mean the wall between two semi-detached properties, it covers:

1. A wall forming part of only one building but which is on the boundary line between two (or more) properties.
2. A wall which is common to two (or more) properties, this includes where someone built a wall and a neighbour subsequent built something butting up to it.
3. A garden wall, where the wall is astride the boundary line (or butts up against it) and is used to separate the properties but is not part of any building.
4. Floors and ceilings of flats etc.
5. Excavation near to a neighbouring property.

For a full explanation of the works that can be done and all the regulations read this article: The Party Wall Act Explained

Finding an architect for your loft conversion

For your work of course you want someone who will provide the best technical expertise and creative skills – at a reasonable cost – to help you to remodel your loft. Ask friends, neighbors, and co-workers about their architects. Find the names of architects who designed projects similar to the one you want.

You can even search through online directories. You can find – for example – al lot of architect to choose from at this links: List of UK Architect and Architects index.

Create a listo f all the architects in your area, and call them by phone and find out whether they would be interested in your project. Remember to ask if there is a fee for an interview. When this is done meet with several prospective architects and ensure that the architect you are meeting is the person who will actually work on your project. Is really important to ask how long the project will take and find out fees and anticipated construction costs.

Before hiring anyone verify their architect’s licensing and other credentials.

Finding a Builder for your Loft Conversion

Like above, personal recommendation is the best route because if you know someone who’s happy with a job and they’ve referred a builder then that builder won’t want to let them down, just as they won’t want to let you down. But if you don’t know anybody who’s had any renovation done recently, check out some impartial websites for advice, for example you can use this websites: findabuilder.co.uk, mybuilder.com, findagoodone.com. Make a list and then call them for a quote. Check all the credentials before hiring them, use this website to do it www.builders.org.uk.

Creating house plans that incorporate a variety of different factors including the actual land restrictions, the homeowners living considerations and individual style, the cost of the construction materials and work needed, can be a nightmare.

There are a number of different steps a person can take to make home building a much smoother and more enjoyable process.

How many entertaining rooms will you need?

Households often place extra emphasis on the number of family rooms required as a lot of time is spent in these areas. A separate entertaining room can be handy for both young children and teenagers or as a formal lounge for adults. The location and style of these rooms in relation to the rest of the house is important for families, couples and individuals alike.

How many bedrooms will you need?

Regarding the purpose of your new house planning, additional bedrooms may be useful for family members or guests. Depending on the style of home you plan on building, consideration will also need to be given to where the bedrooms will be placed, for instance you may design a two story home with all the bedrooms upstairs or perhaps just the master bedroom.

Do you need an office room?

A common feature in many new house plans includes an office room. This is a great inclusion for those people who work from home, or whom prefer a separate room for their computer, desk and filing cabinets etc.

How many bathrooms do you need?

Have you considered how many bathrooms your new house plans will need to allow for? Do you want to have a separate toilet and basin for guests to access? If you have a big family or guests that stay often, having an en-suite off the master bedroom or guestroom can be useful in freeing up another bathroom for the rest of the household to use.

How many garage compartments will you need?

If your household has many vehicles then a two plus garage may be necessary. Do you have other vehicles such as boats and bikes that will benefit from garage storage? Is it important for you to have internal access from the garage?

Having answers to these questions will help you find or create an online house plan yourself or with an architectural design firm who can accommodate all your requirements.

Online Resources for House planning:

House Extension Inspiration

If you are planning on extending your home to make more space. Read our article House Extension Inspiration and Planning Guides for exact guidlines on how to go about your house extension planning. See also, a wide range of inspirational galleries and posts on house extensions.

floorplanner.com

With a free registration you can start to create a 3D and a 2D plan for your house.

http://www.homeplanner3d.com/

Free web based 3D house creator. You create the image in 2D and then send the 3D image to your email address

sweethome3d.eu

Sweet Home 3D is a free interior design application that helps you place your furniture on a house 2D plan, with a 3D preview. Has to be download but work either in Windows and Mac OS.

Good luck on your house extension project!

HOUSE EXTENSION IDEAS – CASE STUDIES & GALLERIES

channel4.com

Modern Extension Designs. Looking to extend your home but want to add style to your home? Here are just some looks to inspire you. All you need now is a building company to make it real…

Archinspire.com

Provide home design ideas, including house extension, contemporary room space design, such as living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom design, and garden landscape ideas. Also provide home improvement tips and tricks.

Blogcatalog.com – House Extension section

House extension blog post collection from around the web including house extension ideas, lofts and more.

Shomera.ie

A House extension gallery. Creative inspiration

freshome.com

Interior Design & Architecture wesite with a lot of Home Extension posts and images to give you some ideas for your own extension.

chriswarrenconstruction.co.uk

Chris Warren and his team are well known in the Great Missenden and surrounding area for quality building including house extension.

coolboom.net

CoolBoom is a blog launched in January 2007 to collect and share a “personal taste” in architecture and interior design ideas. All the house extension you find in CoolBoom have gone through a selection process to create a nice, and functional blog.

busyboo.com

Their motto is “Rediscovering the power of simple design”. This site has a good home extension gallery.

conservatoryinfo.co.uk

Take a tour of conservatories, a beautiful type of house extension, and view a small sample of quality bespoke hand crafted hardwood conservatories by various hardwood conservatory specialists from England and Scotland.

redbrookconservatories.com

This is a conservatory gallery which is continually updated with new photographs as and when we acquire them.

You can use the filter selection within the site to view your preferred styles and click on each conservatory picture to view a larger version of the image.

PLANNING YOUR EXTENSION AT HOME

Let’s start from the beginning with the subject of house extensions.

1. Your house extension should look similar to your original home: Use the Brick Visualization Tool for help in select the correct brick to use.

2. Decide where is the correct place for the extension, take a look to this interactive house extension page for all the law about it.

3. Work out your maximum and minimum budget, this article can help you out: Building and Renovation Costs UK.

4. Create the plans for your extension.If you don’t know how to do it look at this article for more information: House Extension – Designing, Drawing and Submiting your own Planning Application.

5. Run the plans past your neighbours, read why in this article: Keeping in With The Neighbours.

6. Apply for planning permission and building regulations approval. Do you feel confused over what everyone means by plans? Take a look at this article: Planning permission for house extension?

7. The next steps are common sense logistics, fine-tuning and anything else which comes up including:

• Make any required changes to the plans.
• Appoint contractors or sub-contractors.
• Agree with neighbours any times during the day you can start and finish the build.
• Organise your current space to provide easy access for builders and less disruption for yourself (for example, if you have a spare bedroom, consider making it a temporary sitting room away from the mess).

USEFUL PAGES FROM THE PLANNING PORTAL UK

What is planning permission?

Planning Permission, in simple terms, is like asking if you can do a certain piece of building work. It will be granted or refused. Certain types of work are ‘permitted development’. This means that they can be carried out without any planning permission, so long as they comply with the rules and restrictions explained in the laws. Read more

Permitted Development

You can make certain types of minor changes to your home without needing to apply for planning permission. These are called “permitted development rights“. Certain development is granted an automatic planning permission by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, as amended, i.e. is classed as ‘permitted development’.

Planning application

If your building work does not qualify as permitted development your remaining option is to apply for planning permission. Keep in mind that while a proposal may not meet permitted development criteria that does not mean it cannot be done. An application for planning permission allows the local planning authority to assess your proposal against a range of criteria and decide whether or not to approve it. You will have to pay a fee. Read more

How do I apply for planning permission?

The Planning Portal is the Government’s official planning website. Every local authority in England and Wales accepts planning applications via the Planning Portal.

There are many benefits to creating and submitting applications online. It can be used to complete applications for consents including:

• planning permission
• lawful development certificates
• listed building consent
• conservation area consent

How do I contact my local planning authority?

To view information for a Local Planning Authority (LPA), go on the page and fill the form.

Download Building Regulations an explanatory booklet

PARTY WALL ACT

What is a party wall?

If you live in a semi-detached or terraced building, you share a wall or walls with your neighbour.  Such walls are known as party walls.  Party walls separate buildings belonging to different owners.

Where a wall separates two different sized buildings, only the part that is used by both properties is considered to be a party wall.  The rest of the wall belongs to the person on whose land it stands.

Your neighbours agreement must be gotten before starting any building works such as extensions, damp proofing works, structural alterations and some internal refurbishment.

In many cases, excavation or constructing foundations for a new building within 3 or 6 metres of neighbouring properties also needs written agreement. Read the full article at walthamforest.gov.uk

Read this article for a full explanation: The Party Wall Act 1996 explained

FINDING AN ARCHITECT

Selecting an architect is one of the most important decisions you will make when you have to start a project. You may use this selection methods:

Qualifications-based selection (QBS) (sometimes called “quality-based selection”) is one of the most common methods of selecting the best architect for the project. In particular, institutions, corporations or public agencies (sometimes represented by a committee) use this method. QBS is a system that chooses an architect on the basis of professional qualifications and proven competence. This procedure will provide your project with the best-qualified architect with whom you can develop a professional relationship. Such a relationship is very important for the kind of in-depth discussion which allows the architect and the engineers to deal effectively with issues on your behalf.

To achieve an objective comparison, QBS uses predetermined, value-based criteria that may include such factors as:

• the architect’s history and ability to perform required services;
• related experience such as past performance on similar projects;
• familiarity with local geography and facilities;
• experience and skills in project management; and
• design approach/methodology.

You can find al lot of architect to choose from at this links: List of UK Architect and Architects index

FINDING A BUILDER

Of course, a good way to start to find a good bilder is to get a recommendation from friends and family. But one good way is to check them out with Registry Trust, where all county court judgments (CCJs) against businesses and individuals are recorded. A CCJ is a judgment issued by a court when someone has failed to pay money they owe. This can be done online at its new website – www.trustonline.org.uk. You can find out whether the tradesman has ever been sued by unhappy customers or has CCJs, High Court judgments, fines or court orders taken out against them. Records are kept for six years.

You can use this websites to find builders: findabuilder.co.uk, mybuilder.com, findagoodone.com

Ask your friendly Core Architect Admin :)

This website is fueled by experience project managers and architects. Why not drop us an email and we will find you the best architect or builder in your area.

Here are some images of loft conversion design ideas we found on the net of late which may assist in your planning for a new loft. Take the time to browse through our many articles and inspirational loft conversion galleries to fully understand what you want before calling in an architect or builder.

There is a pre-conceived idea that lofts can only be this way or that way, and conform with the general loft design styles: Mansard Loft, Dormer Loft, Velux Loft and Terrace House Loft Conversions.

Keeping in mind that the most scrutinized part of getting planning permission for a loft is simply the exterior rendition of it from the street and making it look like the other lofts in your area, there are many ways you can smartly avoid having a boring addition. This includes focus on the internal structuring, interior design for your loft and and usage of windows and terraces.

“We knew we would have lots of work to do, but we didn’t care, because we fell in love with its shape, the land, the view,” Roseline Glazer says of the shingled cottage on Martha’s Vineyard that she shares with her husband, Bill. Originally built by Roger Allen in 1930, architect Joseph W. Dick helped with the renovation. A brick courtyard wraps around the entrance to the kitchen, at the rear of the house. “The chokecherry tree over the cottage is nature’s umbrella,” Glazer remarks. June 2008