Getting Planning Permission for an Extension

Getting planning permission for an extension can be a tricky affair when you’re unsure of local regulations and other hurdles. Planning authorities have specific guidelines and occasionally some unwritten ‘no-goes’ that if you’re unaware of, can slow down the approval process or even lead to rejections in some cases.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult

We started Sigma Homes because we believed homeowners should be able to enjoy the experience of a new project or home extension. In a real sense, our goal is to improve our clients’ lives. Not just while we work with them during the design, planning and building phase, but for every day after for the rest of their lives. A large part of meeting our goal has been to alleviate the stresses of a build, renovation or home extension. In the years since we began, we have looked carefully at the areas of a typical project. And we took particular care in understanding areas that become ‘stressors’ for our clients, intending to alleviate or remove them altogether.

Getting Permission

planning permission for an extension

In some cases, planning permission for your extension must meet stringent criteria. Thankfully, we understand what planning authorities expect and require. We also know how to get the most out of your project while still adhering to these criteria. It’s almost always possible for you to get an incredible home extension no matter the criteria.

We provide a free consultation service that covers planning application requirements. We have the expertise and knowledge to anticipate potential snags before they ever become an issue during application. And if you decide to work with us, we will handle all aspects of the Planning Application process for you.

“We’ve Had Trouble Getting Planning Permission for an Extension In The Past”

If you’ve had trouble getting planning permission before, we might be able to help. Because we know what planning authorities are looking for and have now gone over hundreds of applications and reviews. We have an unmatched understanding of the landscape that means we can often navigate through the application phase without any hiccups. Having done this hundreds of times from new builds to renovations, we know how to help you maximise every facet of your project. You may be concerned that the authorities will reject your application. We’re often able to foresee and work around potential issues in a way that meets the planning authority’s strict criteria — so that you are more likely to get approval the first time around, even in particularly tricky circumstances. And even when previous attempts have failed, we have often had success in our first round.
 
If you’d like to find out more about consultation service, call us today on 021-436-5866

6 Home Extension Tips

Are you planning a home extension? There are some tips to keep in mind if you’d rather handle it yourself.  Below are some quick pointers to keep in mind before you start any house extensions in Cork.  If you don’t get all your questions answered or you’re simply looking for professional advice, we’re very open to helping. We’ve decades of combined experience working with the best (and rescuing extensions made by the worst) in the industry.

1. Evaluate the Cost

Before starting out it’s important to be clear on your budget. You’ll need to assess the total potential costs, factoring in planning fees, design fees, insurance, material costs, labour and other factors. The following areas will influence the total cost.

2. Does your home extension need planning permission?

You must adhere to all building regulations, but not all home extensions need planning permission. Roughly speaking, any extension with less than 40sqm, and under 3-metres in height may be exempt from planning permission.  If you have any doubt, ask for a Section 5 Declaration Form from Cork City Council, or a Certificate of Lawful Development to ensure that you don’t need planning permission.

3. Assess The Extension’s Design

The design needs to factor in the kind of sunlight exposure you want, elevation, and the existing structure.  You must also consider the site and the existing house. You might need an architectural designer for the house design, and potentially a structural engineer to assess the correct construction materials. Additionally, you may want someone to assess the building energy rating.

4. Identify Finishes Before You Start

To Manage Your Budget, identify as many windows, doors, tiles and appliances as you can. Finding the right products for your space, within your budget, and crucially, with a good provider, can be a time-consuming and stressful ordeal. But it’s better to get started earlier. It might be hard shopping around now, but it’ll help you avoid the pain of selecting the wrong suppliers and having to contend with delays or re-orders for poorly installed or damaged fittings. The sooner you start shopping around the better. The best way to get an accurate price for your home extension is to have as many finishes listed as you can in advance. Otherwise, you’re at risk of ‘cost creep’.

5. Stay in Keeping with Fire & Building Control

If you secured planning permission you will need to go through the building control process by filing a commencement notice. Building Control requires that all structural work (including insulation) is filed for home extensions. The only exceptions are:

  1. Ground-level porches under 5sqm around an external door (even then, the porch’s glazing must comply with Part 5 of the Regulations).
  2. Conservatories under thirty square metres that are composed of mostly glass or transparent materials (50% of all walls and 75% of the roofing)
  3. Detached garages under thirty square metres composed of non-flammable materials.

6. Check that Your Insurance Is Still Valid

Ensure that your insurance isn’t going to expire during the building of the home extension. Also, check if you can get an insurance extension during construction. If you hire a contractor to manage the build, ensure that their insurance covers both public liability and employer’s liability.

7. Consider Getting An Expert To Handle All of This For You

If you’re undecided about whether to handle the build yourself, please give us a call on 021-2348095.  We’re always happy to help. If you’d like to read more about how we can help you renovate your home.

How A New Home Extension Can Work Wonders For Your Home

Given the Irish weather and building norms of yesteryear, many of us live, or have lived, in the standard 3-bed semi-detached house typical of its time and designed as a functional family home but one that seems dated by today’s standards.

 

Building Technologies

Building technologies have improved hugely in recent years, and people considering a home extension can now enjoy design and build features that were simply not feasible in the past.

The combination of air tightness, new glazing systems and improved building and heating technologies all combine to ensure that even the most open plan of homes and extensions will remain warm and cosy throughout the year, and will, of course, cost a lot less than older homes to run.

 

Open Plan Design Features

Open plan features are particularly beneficial for family life, as the whole family can relax and spend time in the same space without feeling claustrophobic or in one another’s way. These spaces can be designed to suit the needs of a modern or growing family, and may include kitchen and dining spaces, and also seated areas where the whole family can relax together in a convivial home life environment.

 

Modern Kitchen Designs

One of the key benefits enjoyed by those who remodel and extend their existing homes is that they can now install a truly modern kitchen complete with the latest in storage solutions and space saving ideas, and not to mention the inclusion of thoroughly modern cooking appliances.

Discerning home owners typically use their new extension to locate the kitchen of their choice and we at Sigma Homes can help you to design and build the kitchen of your dreams that in its way will soon become the centre-piece of your new home.

 

Effective Glazing Solutions

Modern glazing solutions allow for the extensive use of floor to ceiling glass that allows any home to make the most of the natural bright daylight without compromising on the warmth and cosiness of the house.

In addition to these glazing options, the modern home extension can include custom-made sliding doors that facilitate the extension of the home into the garden if so desired by the home owner, and in this way add a huge amount of variation to the family lifestyle throughout the year.

Building a new home extension is a very personal journey for the home owners, and at Sigma Homes we understand that, and that is why we work with each of our clients to ensure their journey with us is as seamless and enjoyable as possible.

To this end we are always fully aware of the individual design features that any home owner might wish to include in their extension, and that is why we bring our many years of building experience to every project so that the home owners can include design cues and features that are truly unique to them, and that ensure they are truly happy and comfortable in their newly remodelled home.

Vacant property grant

Breaking Down Walls

There are many advantages to renovating your traditional home. One of the best is that you have a chance to redesign the layout completely.  This typically involves some demolition work on the interior. The initial phases of a remodel can be scary for homeowners, especially if they were inhabiting the space before renovations began. As they look at the demolished areas of the home, they might wince and think, “are we sure this was the right move”?

Breaking down walls to create a new space

But their fear never lasts long once the demolition work is complete. With the old, cramped layout gone, they can see all of space to work with. The most exciting transformations occur when the owners were occupying the space; When you’re used to living in a space with a typical Irish layout, small spaces, limited light, the shift to an open, bright warm space can surprise you — even after spending a great of time planning and designing the rebuild and seeing that dream home on a computer screen in a 3d drawing, it’s never the same as stepping into that space for the first time and feeling for yourself what that can do for you on a visceral level.

And once that space has been reclaimed, you can rethink your home. You can get way more use out of the space, and with some clever designs, you can get plenty of functionality, plenty of storage and plenty of peace. 

Cosy up to new possibilities

During a renovation, you have an opportunity to get all-new windows and all-new insulation. This can transform your living space. With many of our older homes, we take cold draughts and dampness as part of the furniture, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With modern airtightness technology, you can remove the dreaded draught from your home. And using super-insulated, large windows built with modern design materials, you can bring more light into your space. You  can take full advantage of the sun’s natural heat. So you can keep your home comfy and fresh throughout the year.

So there’s a great deal to be said for demolition work. It might feel scary, but the only is up when you have the right design, and a great design and build team.

When Your Family Grows

It can happen that your family grows faster than you ever bargained for!  Thankfully, whether it’s a traditional bungalow or a terraced townhouse, there’s a lot that can be done to reimagine your living space. Even a relatively newer home may need expansion as your family grows. A home extension brings with it more storage space and an opportunity to build your home around your good habits — so you can do more of the things you love. An open-plan home can mean more connection with the family, and a visceral sense of expansiveness which, combined with modern architectural knowledge, can improve your mood and wellbeing. 

When Your Family Grows – Open Up Your Space

With a traditional house, we often have heavy blockwork cutting out all the sunlight from entering your home. By adding in modern features you can create a greater sense of space and let more light into your home. We can replace that old blockwork with steel frames. These enable exciting new possibilities to your home. With greater support, you can have much larger windows and sliding doors that give your home a connection with the outside. With modern glass technologies, the glass will help naturally heat your home during the day and keep it well insulated in the evening and night. 

Home extensions

If you have the surrounding space available, you may want to build a two-story extension. For many families, this can often double their living space. Of course, the larger the extension the bigger the project. We start with what you need and wish for your dream home and then we support that vision with plenty of technical thinking. The most important thing is to have solid foundations. We unfortunately work in an industry where many providers are prone to taking half measures and shortcuts, knowing that the cracks won’t show in their work till many years after they’ve upped and left. We always make sure to go deep in everything we do. We help you re-create a space that will last a lifetime. We go over and above expectations to ensure that you remain delighted with your home for decades to come. That’s why we provide aftercare for our newly built renovations, redesigns and extensions. And we’re so confident in our work that we provide a ten year warranty for all new builds.

Visit Us at

Unit A4, Donnybrook Commercial Centre
Douglas, Cork

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