The Practical Planning Company

On our blog this week...

The Ultimate Guide to Home Extensions - From Design to Planning, Costs, and Regulations

Is your home feeling a bit snug? Whether you're dreaming of a spacious kitchen, an additional bedroom, or a home office, our comprehensive guide has got you covered. Here's a sneak peek:

🏠 Explore the different types of home extensions
📜 Learn the ins and outs of planning permission vs. permitted development
💰 Discover the average costs of home extensions in the UK
💳 Explore financing options to make your dream extension a reality
🏗️ Navigate building regulations with essential tips
🤝 Understand the importance of Party Wall Agreements

Read the full guide in our Advice Centre 🔗 (link in the comments)

Ready to take the next step? If you're in the East Midlands, our team of architectural designers is here to help. Get in touch today!

🏠 Are your dream renovations feeling more like a budget nightmare lately?

Homeowners, architects, and builders have all felt the pinch of rising costs, material shortages, and demand spikes. But fear not! We've got your back in navigating this 'new normal.'

In our latest blog post, we dive into the challenges and equip you with practical tips to steer your project without breaking the bank!

Ready to explore cost-saving strategies? Head over to our Advice Centre now to read our latest blog - and stay tuned for more practical tips! 🔗 (link in the comments)

On our blog this week...

Top challenges faced by home renovators in 2023: Navigating budgets, rising costs, and updated regulations

In today's ever-evolving world of , architects, designers and planners alike are coming face to face with a bunch of new challenges that are really shaking up the industry.

In our latest blog post, we take a deep dive into these key hurdles, from dealing with increasing costs to adapting to new regulations.

The top 5 challenges we discuss are:
- Rising construction costs and material expenses
- Availability of builders and construction firms
- Rising planning fees
- Changes to permitted development
- Updated building regulations

To read the full post, click on the link in the comments to head over to our Advice Centre and let us know if you have anything to add. We're always looking to hear about current average build costs from the perspective of both local builders and homeowners.

🎂 Has it really been five years? 🎂

We can't believe it's been almost five years since we started our company. And there have been many changes over those years - particularly in the past year...

Life at The Practical Planning Company took on a new dimension in 2023 as we welcomed a new addition to our family - a baby girl. The balancing act of adjusting to being a family of four and working as parents in business has been a learning experience - and a challenge - but a fulfilling one at that.

Behind the scenes, our team has been working on new projects and assisting clients and it's been great to see some more completed builds coming through. We extend our gratitude to our partners and clients for their patience during this period.

This October, The Practical Planning Company will mark its fifth anniversary: five years of navigating the architectural landscape and bringing ideas to life. We're so proud of the company we've built and the community that surrounds us and we're excited to see what the next five years bring.

We look forward to sharing that journey with you. We've been looking back at some of our completed projects from the past few years -take a look and let us know what you think! Have you got a favourite?

A part of this clients brief was to extend the ground floor wc to create a shower room. The window was facing the driveway so we reduced its sized and set it at a high level to create as much privacy as possible without losing the natural light. The finish is impeccable and the space has both form and function. Let us know what you think in the comments 👇

We had the pleasure of designing this beautiful double storey side and rear extension. We managed to created an open plan living, dining and kitchen with a separate kitchen island with plenty of natural light and a great flow through the space.

We were recently sent through photos of this brilliant garage conversion. The brief was simple, create a ground floor bedroom with accessible wet room. The design was tricky with multiple options for access but in the end we created an opening leading off the main living area, incorporating sliding doors to save space and make wheelchair access easy. Thanks to the builder for sending these through.

A gorgeous view out to the garden along with good access to a semi enclosed patio area really transformed the rear of the property. Take a look at our other projects on our main page and website. Links in bio.

One of our clients was kind enough to send through some photos of their recently completed single storey rear extension. We had quite a few discussions on the best way to frame the view of the rear garden and bring plenty of light into the space. We settled for an apex roof design with skylights either side. I think it looks incredible. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

We have the pleasure of designing the kitchen extension on the gorgeous period property. If you would like to see the floor plans please leave a comment below!

We are often asked "is it possible to get a toilet under the stairs?" In a lot of circumstances it's actually a fairly simple job to do (assuming all of the drains are accessible). Here is just a little sketch which can help you determine if it's something you can do to your property along with an example photo.

Now that autumn is here it’s nice to have a few cosy spots to relax in. This client set up a relaxation station in the corner of their living room. What’s your favourite way to relax in the colder months?

P L A N N I N G N E W S

After a couple of years of significant delays with planning applications due to planners leaving, planners dealing with high workloads and short staffing issues, and increased confusion around planning rules due to Government updates to the regulations, it's great to see a major company such as Redrow speaking out on the issue.

As agents dealing with planning applications on a daily basis, our job is to make the process as stress-free and seamless for our clients as possible. It would be great to see the funding issue addressed and more local authority budget designated to planning departments to try and combat the problems we're facing at the moment (and to make planners' lives easier!)

It can be tricky to book builders at the moment and if homeowners are then having to push the builder they have booked in back due to delays in planning, they can face further delays as those builders will drop on to other jobs.

So, fingers crossed this call for action from Redrow helps to put the spotlight on planning - and make things easier for all those involved in planning and housing development.

If you're looking for planning advice or help with an application, give our team a call today on 07743686654 📞
https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/weekly-planning-news/planning-news-22-september-2022?utm_source=PPQ+Newsletter&utm_campaign=ec548251db-Newsletter_11072019_HTML_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_734e0b63a9-ec548251db-8571821 -calls-for-government-to-invest-in-planning

FOREST VIEW - EXTENDED MASTER BEDROOM & BALCONY

Our latest finished project featuring on our Houzz profile: https://www.houzz.co.uk/hznb/projects/forest-view-balcony-and-bedroom-extension-pj-vj~7018124?share=clipboard

Let us know what you think!

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We loved working with the client on this one. They had the vision and we helped them bring it to life. It wasn’t simply about capturing the views over the countryside, it was about creating a wonderful master suite which would be the highlight of an already amazing property. More photos to come!