Building an extension - where do we start?

[mooki]

So we moved in in December and now we've got to start thinking about the extension. I have never done any kind of building work before.

What do we do first?

Planning permission? or drawings?

Do we get a separate architect for the drawings or get a building firm that does drawings as well? What do surveyors do?
Does the planning department help us with building regulations or do we need to deal with them separately? (What are building regulations?)

Any help and recommendations for people in the Cambridgeshire area gratefully received....

apply for planning permission first. Best site to go to is the gov site www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/Planning/PlanningPermission/DG_4018202

I would speak to some builders with your preliminary plans. They will give you a quote for the work and if you are happy to proceed, will engage an architect. The architect will create drawings and help you to apply for the necessarily permissions.

We've had an architect round (also moved in in December) and she's coming back to survey this week. I was then going to go to builders with the plans to get quotes. The architect is applying for the planning permission and building regs for us.

Be cheeky and look at maps.google.co.uk to see if any of your neighbours have extended. If you local council is decent then they have their planning applications on-line to view (if in the last few years) and so you can nosey at what someone else has done.

I am hoping to move in the next couple of months and have already spoken to the builder who has done 3 of my friends extensions about my ideas.

Hi, we bought in December (not moved yet, have rental to pay for till March so figured we'd do the building work first!) and are planning a rear extension along the whole width of the house.

So far, we've found an architect (contacted three, and took recommendation from one), found a builder who is going to give us a quote now that we know more or less what we want built, and we've asked a specialist surveyor to give us his advice re party wall issues (foundations will be within a metre of boundary wall on both sides).

Its been quite confusing knowing where to start, but tbh I think it hasn't mattered that much - we just had to start somewhere, iyswim, and it gets clearer as things move along.

We're meeting with the architect, and my db who is an interior designer and a great project managed (for support/advice) this week and will submit plans the week after.

I think you have to have plans to submit before you can go for planning consent - not sure, because we're doing it under permitted development, but I think so.

And the builder has had a look round, but can't actually quote until he knows pretty much exactly what it is he's building.

Oh, one other important person: the structural engineer. Architects usually have one they work with, and their input is needed for the foundation/support side of things - no use drawing up plans if they're structually unfeasible.

I'm a total amateur beginner, be glad to share the process with all others who are doing this!

Oh just the question I am currently asking.

We are planning a substantial extension this year and do not have a clue where to start. We are in a newish build (7yo) house on a new estate several of the houses the same as us have had extensions so it must be possible.

hmm, so it seems there's no exact way round to do it.

We had an informal chat with the planning dept on the phone before we bought the place, who said there were no massive issues with what we wanted to do, but it would be subject to planning permission (i.e. it wouldn't come under permitted development).

Then we got a recommended builder to have a quick look and give us a ball park quote for our ideas so we knew there was a rough chance of getting it done for the budget wed hoped.

We're in a small street with only 4 end terraces like ours and one other person has done what we're hoping (2 storey side extension) but that was back in '73 according to the online searchy thing.

I think probably talking to an architect that does planning permissions would cover the next steps for us maybe....

thank you.

Elibean and Sweetkitty, let's hope we don't need our own support group!

firstly you have to figure out whether or not you can do it under permitted development. You need to check with the council, and you can get a certificate/confirmation that you you dont need planning permission which you will need for future buyers.

presuming you can go under pd you would normally still need plans to be drawn up if it is a big development to be submitted under building regs.

if you need planning permission you have to submit full plans, no way round this, and it will takes about 6 weeks to get permission.

Your builder will/should quote on the plans, but you also need to think about things which will not be on your plans such as electrics, finishing, etc. write a list of all these things and give it to him to quote on too or else you will have some nasty surprises at the end. bear in mind builders looking at a job without plans will usually quote significantly under final cost if there are no plans.