Q&As

I am considering purchasing a plot of land and, as part of the deal, I would have to relocate the driveway of the neighbouring property consisting of 150mm-thick reinforced concrete on a hardcore base. The total area is 200m². What will be the estimated cost for a contractor to build this driveway?

My property was built in 2004 and I have recently had a first-floor rear exit stairway added, both as a fire escape and to give me access to the garden from my living area (the bedrooms are on the ground floor). I checked with the council to see whether I needed planning permission and it […]

Can you please help me with a planning issue? I have recently bought a Grade II Listed barn with full planning permission to convert to a home. During the course of conversion a part of a wall fell down and we then had to remove more of the wall for safety reasons. Our intention is […]

Do you think a plot of land 17 x 28m is a big enough for a four-bedroom family home with a reasonably sized garden? I have marked out a plot this size in my back garden. There is access at the bottom of the garden about 2.1m wide into a cul-de-sac – is this wide […]

I have a plot of land for which I would like to obtain planning permission. The land is situated within a ribbon development in the countryside with a number of bungalows surrounding it. I understand there used to be a bungalow on the site itself. I’m uncertain whether to go for a full or outline […]

We have been told by our architect that we need windows of a 1.7 U value including the sealed units and casement itself. Can we achieve this and still use the traditional box sash windows that we want?

I have an existing indoor swimming pool that I would like to fill in so that I can use the space as a floor to a dwelling. I am unsure what method to use. The measurements are 6.7 x 2.9m and the average depth is 1.2m. The pool has a plastic liner. I suspect concrete […]

We need some independent advice on energy saving. Every firm we approached so far seems too keen to sell their own product and we feel their advice is based on their needs rather than ours. Is there such a thing as an independent energy consultant and where do we find one?