The planning system can be complex, and understanding reasons for refusal can be frustrating. We took a look at this in depth at the planning process and its various stages.

Making a loft into a comfortable and usable living area is a one of the best and cost-effective ways to develop your house and avoid using any additional space from your garden (as in a home extension). Loft conversions are by far the first choice of most homeowners to create another bedroom, office or bathroom. [...]

Find over 40 useful websites for house extension planning and inspiration. galleries, advice, planning permission, how-to’s and more

Having swimming pool in your own house will be very great thing. But there are some important factors that you have to consider before building it. Some of the factors are the location, design, construction, landscaping, lighting and the most important thing is the safety factor. The main thing in building it is the design. [...]

Here are some of the prices we have collected on building costs here in the UK. The prices are based upon user input and personal experience and are guides to the rough pricing rather than exact figures that you will pay. If you have any of your own data to feedback to us then please [...]

Good design will enhance your quality of life – and your property’s value. If you need more space, it’s well worth investing time and money exploring all the possibilities. Many inspired extensions evolve in response to a site’s characteristics: its strengths and its limitations, and the planning system. The ideas on these pages have evolved [...]

In the article, “Can I build a swimming pool in my house?” I covered many points to consider in installing a swimming pool in your home including how to get planning permission for a swimming pool, pool safety & inspiration. The fitting of a swimming pool into a home is a the dream of many [...]

Loft Conversions have remained fairly popular since I first started designing property & is perhaps even more in demand now than ever before – especially in dense urban areas where the alternative choices for that fourth bedroom are somewhat limited. Note: (22 July 10) For inspiration for Loft Conversions and Planning, we have just added [...]

Conservatories: A guide through the corridors of local authority’s conservatory planning requirements. The fact is that home improvement is one of the largest growth areas in our economy today. Many people today are improving there home as opposed to moving because it’s cheaper. The most common home improvement are conservatories followed by extensions and loft [...]

  Loft conversions in the United Kingdom are very heavily regulated like most other types of building renovations. Permissions must be grated and regulation met before any work can commence on a loft conversion project. Whether or not you are granted these permissions, and whether you meet the necessary regulations depends very much on the [...]