This article was first published by Island Families in March 2023 and can be viewed here.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Channel Island homeowners responded to restrictions on travel, increased home working and a rising property market by driving a boom in home extension, remodelling and improvement projects.
Despite the pandemic, thankfully, being behind us, the home improvement trend is likely to continue.
Common reasons that homeowners choose to extend, remodel or improve their existing home can include:
- Changing family circumstances, for instance when children are born or leave home, or when elderly relatives need care and support.
- Needing more space to be able to work from home.
- Avoiding the hassle and cost of moving, particularly when you already live in an area that you know and like.
- The opportunity to tailor your house to you and your way of living, creating designs and spaces that are unique to you.
- Increasing the value of your property, and helping to maximise the return on what is typically the largest investment any of us will make.
Many such projects will require planning permission, but the planning system can seem opaque and difficult to navigate. The time taken for planning applications to be determined has increased across the Channel Islands in recent years, whilst at the same time the accessibility of planning officers and the speed with which pre-application enquiries are answered has reduced.
For homeowners who may be engaging with the planning system for the first time these factors can make for a daunting prospect, and the risk of permission being refused after investing often considerable amounts of time and money can be a very real source of stress and worry.
With all that being said, here are eight top tips for how to navigate the planning process successfully:
Think about what you want to achieve
It might seem obvious, but giving early and careful thought to this
vital question will help to ensure that your brief to your
architect is clear, and make it more likely that you will be
delighted with the end result.
Start as soon as possible
Developing a design, obtaining planning permission, satisfying
Building Control requirements, finding a builder and getting
finance in place takes a lot longer than many people think.
Talk to your neighbours
They will be less likely to object if kept informed about your
plans from an early stage, and you will be able to consider making
changes to your design if they do have concerns.
Research local planning policies
Policies and land designations differ across the Channel Islands
and you will need to consider how this might affect your project.
If you live in a historic building, or if the works would affect
existing trees or wildlife, specialist reports may be required to
support your application.
Choose an architect with the right experience and skills
for your project
You need to be confident that your architect understands and can
deliver what you want and need, based on your budget and how you
live in your home now and hope to in the future- this is where a
clear brief will be invaluable. You also need to be confident that
they will be open to your thoughts and ideas as they develop a
design (you need to be open to their ideas as well.) Look for
recommendations from friends and family, meet with different
architects, ask to see examples of similar projects that they have
worked on (and look at those on the ground if they have been
completed) and choose someone whose work you like and who you get
on with.
Be realistic
If local planning policies restrict certain forms of development or
apply different criteria in different locations, you may have to
compromise in order to obtain planning permission.
Factor in a budget contingency
Keep in mind that as the design is developed and more detailed
costings become available, you may need to make changes to stay
within your budget. If any such changes are significant, you may
need to seek further planning permission at the cost of further
expense and time.
Consider the benefits of seeking professional planning
advice
A Planning Consultant will understand the planning system and how
specific policies are applied. They can help you and your architect
to develop a design that complies with those policies and delivers
most, if not all, that you hope to achieve. They can advise on what
supporting information may be required, minimising the risks of
delays and additional costs by ensuring that the application is
accepted as valid from the outset, and making it more likely that
permission is granted at the first time of asking.
A well-designed home extension, remodelling or improvement project can exceed your expectations, deliver real value for money, and transform how you live in your home. With careful thought and expert advice, it can be achieved more easily than you might imagine.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.