Q&As

I am involved with the development of a Neighbourhood Plan for a Parish in SW Devon. Our plan intends to promote Self/Custom builds as we believe that these homes are normally built to a better design with pride and attention to detail and encourages diversity of build. However, when I contacted the Strategic Planning department […]

Our architect failed to identify that 3 trees in close proximity to our planned garage was serious enough to jepodise our planned garage with a room above. Our builders just started to dig the foundations but Building control stopped them and demanded a full engineers report (costing £600) and the engineers specifications will add at […]

We had a mixture of planning approval and permitted development approval to extend on to our bungalow and change an out building/workshop to a garage. We started to build the detached garage first and then in order to build the extensions that we had been granted in the most logical way to the bungalow, the […]

I am going to be moving to Limousin in France and am very interested in building a house of the prefabricated, very energy efficient variety. Am I right in thinking that this will be quicker and cheaper than building in the traditional way and if so, can anybody recommend a company who can do them […]

What is the position with claiming the VAT back from a new build if you then sell the property in say 12 months time or more? We are doing a demolish and rebuild, living on site in the existing bungalow which will be demolished once the house is complete and the new house will be […]

We have planning permission for our side garden but in order for this to be granted we had to have joint access and parking (in front of each plot) for our existing property as well as the building plot. Our solicitor tells us that if we try to separate the building plot the parking spaces […]

My partner has completed our brand new self built 3 bedroomed semi-detached home. Buildings regs have been signed-off and all the relevant certificates sent to our local authority. However, they now require a plan for the garden, which has been submitted, along with the fee. He is of the opinion that, although he is paying […]

I’m currently carrying out a project in my garden. I’ve removed some old rotten decking and was left with step down of 8 inches. I’ve made a decision on what I want to use as a finishing: a blocked paved area with 2 inch blocks that will then lay on 1 inch of sand. I […]