Frequently asked questions

We currently work across the North West.

The business was created from an existing property development background, so the trades, supplier relationships, construction experience and project management infrastructure already exist. That's what allows a project to be properly organised before it starts, rather than assembled on the fly.

It depends entirely on the type and scale of project. We publish industry cost ranges with visible sources on our cost guides for extensions, loft conversions, garden rooms, garage and basement conversions, kitchens and bathrooms - a genuine starting point for budgeting, not a quote for your specific property.

It depends on your local property market, the size of the move you'd otherwise need to make, and moving costs (stamp duty, agent fees, legal fees) versus construction costs. Extending is often - though not always - the more cost-effective way to gain space if you're happy with your current location.

Yes. Get in touch and tell us about your project - we'll talk through what's realistic for your property before any commitment is made. This is a conversation, not a formal quotation or set of technical drawings.

Use our project finder or contact form to tell us what you're thinking, or try one of our free tools - the project matcher, the permitted development checker, the extension size visualiser or the cost calculator - to get a first steer before we talk.

Many extensions can be built under Permitted Development rights, but this depends on your property, its planning history and local restrictions. We'll help you understand what applies to your home before design work begins.

The right configuration, rear, side, wraparound or double-storey, depends on your garden, existing layout and what you're trying to achieve. Our extension explorer is a starting point; a site visit confirms what's realistic.

Timelines vary with scope, so we don't quote a fixed figure until a project has been properly planned. What we can say is that most delay in building projects comes from poor preparation and uncoordinated trades, which is exactly what our process is designed to remove.

Most extension projects allow you to stay in your home, though there will be periods of disruption, particularly around structural work. We'll talk through what to expect for your specific project.

It depends heavily on size and specification. Published UK ranges put a single-storey extension at roughly £1,800-£3,000 per m² (see our house extension cost guide for sources), which puts a very small, simple extension within reach of that budget but a typical 20-30m² kitchen-diner extension well above it. A garage conversion or a smaller garden room often fits a tighter budget better than a new-footprint extension does.

It's one of the more reliable ways to add usable space and value, though the actual uplift depends on your local market, the quality of the work and how the finished space compares to similar homes nearby. We won't quote a specific percentage figure, since that varies by property and area rather than being a fixed rule.

A rear extension projects into the back garden. A side extension fills the gap between the house and the boundary. A wraparound combines both into one L-shaped space, and is typically the largest single-storey footprint available. Each has its own permitted development limits, which our extension explorer and permitted development checker cover in detail.

If the work is on or near a shared wall or boundary with a neighbouring property, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is likely to apply, and a wraparound extension in particular can engage it on two boundaries rather than one. We'll flag this early if it's relevant to your project.

Almost certainly, and they're separate questions. Planning permission (or Permitted Development) covers whether you're allowed to build something; Building Regulations cover whether it's built safely and to current standards - structure, insulation, fire safety, ventilation. Most extensions need Building Regulations sign-off regardless of the planning route.

Timelines vary with the scope and structure of the roof, so we don't quote a fixed figure until a project has been properly assessed. Proper planning and coordinated trades are what keep a loft conversion moving.

Many loft conversions fall under Permitted Development, but this depends on your roof, your property and its planning history. We'll help you understand what applies before design work begins.

Adding a genuine extra bedroom or bathroom is one of the more reliable ways to increase both usable space and value, though the actual uplift depends on your property, its current layout and the local market. We won't quote a specific percentage without knowing those details.

Dormer, hip-to-gable, rooflight (Velux) and mansard - each suited to different roof shapes and different budgets. See our loft conversion types for what each involves and which roofs they suit.

Many garden rooms fall under Permitted Development, subject to size, position and your property's planning history. We'll confirm what applies to your garden before design begins.

Not as a separate, self-contained dwelling under Permitted Development - Class E covers buildings used for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the main house, such as an office, gym or studio. Genuinely self-contained living accommodation is outside that class and needs a full planning application.

It depends on how you'll use it. An office or studio typically needs electrics but not plumbing; a garden room with a WC or kitchenette needs both, run out from the main house or via a separate connection - something worth planning for from the outset rather than adding later.

It depends on the scope. Smaller, phased renovations often allow you to stay; larger structural projects may require periods away. We'll talk through what to expect for your specific project.

Internal renovation work that doesn't alter the external appearance or add to the footprint usually doesn't need planning permission, though removing a structural wall is a Building Regulations matter regardless. Extending the footprint, or significant external changes, brings the project under the normal planning rules instead.

A like-for-like kitchen refit inside the existing footprint doesn't normally need planning permission. If you're removing a structural wall to open up the layout, that's a Building Regulations matter rather than planning, and needs a structural engineer's input regardless of whether permission is required.

Usually yes, though you should expect to be without a working kitchen for at least part of the project. We'll talk through a realistic sequence and what to expect before work starts.

A bathroom refitted within its existing footprint doesn't normally need planning permission. Converting another room into a bathroom, or adding one within a loft or extension, is covered under that project's own planning position rather than the bathroom itself.

It depends on the scope, from a straightforward refresh to a full reconfiguration with new plumbing runs. We won't quote a fixed figure until the project has been properly assessed, but we'll sequence trades to keep the bathroom out of action for as short a time as possible.

This depends on where your project stands. If you already have land or an existing plot in mind, we can pick things up from there. If you're still exploring options, tell us where things stand and we'll talk through what's realistic.

Generally yes - a new build covers everything from feasibility and design through to a finished, handed-over home, rather than adding to an existing structure. It draws more directly on the property development side of our background than a typical home improvement project.

Often not - internal work that doesn't materially affect the external appearance of the house isn't development, so it doesn't need planning permission. Two things can change that: a planning condition removing permitted development rights (common on estates built to protect off-street parking, and worth checking on your property's original decision notice), and a detached garage, where converting to habitable use can be a material change of use. We'll check your specific situation before design work begins.

These almost always apply, regardless of the planning answer: floor build-up and damp-proofing, insulation, ventilation, fire safety, and structural work to the former door opening all need to meet current standards for habitable space.

For many homeowners, yes - it's usually the most cost-effective way to add a room, since the footprint, walls and roof already exist. Whether it's worth it for you depends on how much you actually use the garage for parking or storage today, and what the converted space would replace that with.

It can. Converting a garage into habitable living space changes the property, and the Valuation Office Agency can reassess the council tax band as a result. This is worth checking as part of planning the project, not something to be surprised by afterwards.

Very different. Converting an existing cellar with no external alteration is generally internal work, which isn't development and doesn't need planning permission - though Building Regulations still apply. Excavating a new basement where none exists commonly needs planning permission, often because of its effect on the external appearance of the property or on neighbouring structures. We'll be clear from the outset about which situation applies to you.

Waterproofing to BS 8102, ceiling height, ventilation, and a means of escape in a fire (Part B) are the main areas, and they apply whether you're converting an existing cellar or building new - the planning answer and the Building Regulations answer are separate questions.

Genuinely usable below-ground space can add both floor area and value, but the uplift depends on your local market, how the space is finished, and whether it's counted as habitable accommodation. It's not something we'll put a specific figure on without knowing the property and area.

Yes, subject to planning permission where it applies, Building Regulations approval, and (for terraced or semi-detached properties in particular) a party wall agreement with any adjoining owners, since excavation work is very likely to affect a shared structure.