Newbie seeks with house improvement type questions, e.g. can I build this type of extension

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Hi

DH and I are planning a move to Bucks - finally biding farewell to the big smoke. Yours truly is tasked with doing most of the research as DH is snowed under. I've sorted the schools - Godstowe or Pipers. Now the house - plenty of fabulous info on MN regarding location and relative merits of HW, Downley, Hazlemere, Marlow, etc. Rather my queries relate to building options. OK here goes - please be gentle as have very little house buying/building knowledge - still living in first house!

1. Seeking a non-extended property - option to add value. Rear extension - any planning restrictions stopping a 2 storey build? Or simply a financial issue?

1. Side extension - I see houses on Rightmove built incredibly close to next door's house. How close can one build to the neighbour? Or is more to do with your own land/property deeds, i.e. build 10cm away from boundary is OK!

1. Have spotted houses with side extension built above an existing attached garage where (i) garage remains, & (ii) garage converted to living accommodation. Is this easy to do - within your rights and just a matter of submitting plans/drawings? Or at the mercy of the planners?

1. Building plots seem either rare or too expensive. Is one allowed to buy a house then demolish or is that frowned upon?

1. Existing external garage - could we build upwards & convert to a self contained annex?

1. Could we add a porch to front of the house, either (i) enclosed with walls and another door or (ii) open with pillars and somewhere to keep the rain off. Assuming it's in keeping with the house assume planners have to say yes or are they not even consulted?

1. Erect high wooden fence and gate - again can this be done without needing to check with the council?

Thanks so much - have ordered some books from Amazon but understanding the above will be a huge step forward for me :-)

Your council will tell you what's permitted development. It will be on the council planning website.

Single storey rear extension of up 4m (detached property) is permitted development. You need planning permission to build two stories. I haven't looked into it, but I think if you see other neighbours having that type of extension you want, you are more likely to get approval. Where I live, I have not seen anyone having a double storey extension at the back.

Are they houses build close to each other originally? All the new builds are like this. For example, we have one side of our house belong to us, and another our neighbour. We have a right of way to maintain our house on their side. And ditto our neighbour on ours.

Porch. Again see permitted development on council website. There's a certain amount you can build before you need permission. Same as fences and gates.

I'm fairly sure annex and garages will need permission.

Pretty sure fencing is max 6 feet high without planning permission, however there may be restrictive covenants preventing you from fencing around open front gardens, etc depending on where you buy.

wowfudge you are right about the fence. We had done it in our old house. However, I think the OP was referring to the front of the house. No one in our estate have any front fence or gates. You are probably right again about it being on the restricted covenants, and not planning.

Thanks for advice - really useful.

Can anyone shed any light on this one:

1. Building plots seem either rare or too expensive. Is one allowed to buy a house then demolish or is that frowned upon?

That may be an option for me. Thanks

No - one can give you a definitive answer on those queries. It will vary from Council to Council, road to road and even house to house. It will depend on the individual house, it's position in relation to other properties / the road etc.