Adding a new window

[AlicethroughtheSpookingGlass]

I realise this may be a ‘how long is a piece of string’ type question but I wondered if anyone had ever had a new window installed in their flat/house and if so, how much it cost? I don’t want to ask people to come and quote if it’s so expensive that we just wouldn’t be able to consider it.

We live in a flat with the freehold shared with our downstairs neighbour. The flat is a Victorian conversion and although we have a private back garden, the back wall of the flat - where the stairs lead from the kitchen down to the garden - doesn’t have any windows in it, so we can’t look over our own garden. I’d love to install a window there, especially as that would make the kitchen much more light and bright (we have windows in the kitchen, but they’re in the side wall of the house so face into our next door neighbours’ kitchen.) Has anyone done anything similar? And does it need planning permission if it would only be looking over our own garden? Thank you!

You need planning permission in some cases. We did when we added a window but it was 20 years ago! I couldn’t even begin to remember what it cost.

There’s a bit of a guide on this Everest link about pp.

www.everest.co.uk/planning-permission/do-you-need-planning-permission-for-windows/

You might not need planning permission but you will need building regulations sign off

You definitely need planing permission (and presumably permission from the other owner). Cost of the window obviously depends on the kind of window - as it’s not an extension, you would want the same style of window as the rest of the house…

We have had a new window/lintel installed upstairs and are about to have one put in our kitchen (same as you I think?). We paid £1700 including VAT for two windows upstairs (one was in a place with no existing window and needed a new lintel, one was a like for like replacement). I think the downstairs one will be about the same price but we paid about £500 for a structural engineer to do calcs for the lintel for the new window plus two other lintels (new patio doors and a new doorway) so I'm not sure if you'll need that or how much it will be...

TLDR: I'm based in the NW and think a budget of £2k would be plenty if you're after a standard uPVC window (incl. decorating after and any calcs).

This is really helpful thank you! I’ve done some digging and discovered you don’t need planning permission for a house but you do for a flat.