Can I apply for planning permission before we purchase a house?
In short, yes. You do not need to be the owner of a property to apply for planning permission. However, you will need to inform the owner of the property/land prior to submitting the application.
Image above by Nick, architect from London. See his full profile and shortlist him for your planning application here.
Can I submit the planning application myself?
You can. However, it’s advisable to use an agent such as a planning consultant and/or architect. They will strategically review your requirements alongside the local development plan and present the proposal in the best light. Here at Design for Me we help 100s of homeowners every month, across the UK, find the right residential design professional for their project. Post your project here to get matched and see who’s interested in yours.
How long does a planning application take?
This may be the most important question if you want to gain planning consent during the course of a house sale. Whilst it’s very possible to get planning permission as part of the sales process, your vendor may not be willing to wait, and instead go with an alternative buyer.
Whether you are proposing an extension, loft conversion or new build, planning permission usually takes eight weeks to be granted, unless your application is ‘unusually large or complex’, in which case the deadline can be extended to 13 weeks. However you should allow for the time it will take for your agent to prepare the application too.
You might instead consider seeking pre-application advice from the local planning office. This service is offered by most local councils for a fee (usually between £50-£200) and can give you assurance that your proposal should be accepted in principle. See our full article on pre-application advice here.
How do you submit the planning application – next steps
The best way of assessing which route to planning permission is right for your project is to get professional advice from an architect or planning consultant. They can assess your brief and weigh up the best route for your particular situation.
Design for Me is a free platform to help you quickly find the right design professional for your home project. My name is Emily Barnes and as a residential architect myself, I started Design for Me after finding that talented and innovative smaller firms and individuals, who are perfectly placed to design new homes, extensions and renovations, can often get buried under the online profiles of large commercial companies.
Before Design for Me, the right architect was very difficult to find!
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