Owning your own home

It depends on the local authority, but usually it's relatively straightforward to get permission to build a new house on a plot with an existing house.

I pretty sure someone has. Have you thought of asking some Spanish people who live out there?

Yes, me too, which is why I'm asking.

I don't know any Spanish people who live there.

I want information from British people who have bought there.

An additional house or knock down and build one new house?

If the latter (which i think is what you mean) then you are always allowed to build something of the same volume as you knock down, but the local authority will need to agree the design. There is no guarantee they will let you do anything other than rebuild brick for brick what is already there, especially if in a conservation area, but so long as what you what is sympathetic to the character of the area, doesn't rob the neighbours of light or privacy and isn't loads bigger than what you squash you can usually get something interesting agreed.

It depends on the local authority, but usually it's relatively straightforward to get permission to build a new house on a plot with an existing house.

Interesting, thanks very much. Do you know the extent to which the new design must be in keeping with those around it?

Hefty - knock down and build.

Just do what our neighbours did and get the scale on the drawings wrong when applying for planning permission- their diagrams had the house in-line with the others in the street, when built it was significantly further forward etc etc.

Interesting, thanks very much. Do you know the extent to which the new design must be in keeping with those around it?

A lot or a little, depending on the area. Got a street view link?

Just do what our neighbours did and get the scale on the drawings wrong when applying for planning permission- their diagrams had the house in-line with the others in the street, when built it was significantly further forward etc etc.

A cunning plan, Baldrick.

Hefty - It is in a small development that is down a small lane and not on streetview.

If it's not on Streetview, you can probably do what the fuck you want ;)

Do all the other houses all look the same or is it varied? New stuff should fit into the character of the area. If it's a street of solely Victorian houses and you want a glass pavilion it might be awkward. If the scene is mixed you can slot something unique in more easily.

In mixed roads lots of planners quite like contemporary stuff rather than pastiches so the history of the street can be traced in its architecture.

Interesting, thanks very much. Do you know the extent to which the new design must be in keeping with those around it?

It depends if it is a conservation area. Even if it is, it is still possible to build a modern looking house.

You just need to bribe the council enough.

Not necessarily - my bosses have/had an incredibly modern house in quite an historic area (hint, it's spitting distance from Norths); sneakily built over the shell of the former property, which was itself built in the 50's over the shell of the property original to the site. Lots of clever architect reasoning behind it, I imagine, that legitimised the whole thing.

"an exemplar of how the 21st-century house can be incorporated into historic conservation areas as part of the continuing evolution of domestic architecture"

Talk like that, anything goes.

Flat above ours advertised for sale toward the end of last year for 325k, received an offer the first weekend it was on sale for 340k, which they took.

They paid 245k for it 4 years ago, redecorated and redid the bathroom.

This sounds like good news for me. My in Brixton place is going on the market on tuesday. Open day on Saturday...

Just do what our neighbours did and get the scale on the drawings wrong when applying for planning permission- their diagrams had the house in-line with the others in the street, when built it was significantly further forward etc etc.

Isn't there a risk of the council coming along and telling them to alter it? Or did the surveyor miss that on the plans?

Not necessarily - my bosses have/had an incredibly modern house in quite an historic area (hint, it's spitting distance from Norths); sneakily built over the shell of the former property, which was itself built in the 50's over the shell of the property original to the site. Lots of clever architect reasoning behind it, I imagine, that legitimised the whole thing.

Talk like that, anything goes.

http://www.themodernhouse.net/sales-list/the-lawns-south-grove-london-n6/history-857/

Not necessarily - my bosses have/had an incredibly modern house in quite an historic area (hint, it's spitting distance from Norths); sneakily built over the shell of the former property, which was itself built in the 50's over the shell of the property original to the site. Lots of clever architect reasoning behind it, I imagine, that legitimised the whole thing.

Talk like that, anything goes.

Lots of clever planning reasoning behind it too. I imagine Camden rejected the demolition of the old house so they did a PD application for the extension?

One of my favourite houses in London.

Does anyone really own anything? Ahhhhhhh!

mumbling beginning about the first rises in interest rates in early 2015
possibly autumn 2014
slow and gentle hopefully

What does that mean?

another £30 a month on the mortgage probably

mumbling beginning about the first rises in interest rates in early 2015
possibly autumn 2014
slow and gentle hopefully

Jump them straight to 12% for a bit I reckon.

Shake the tree.

Yeah, you 4br, double garage, mortgaged-to-the-hilt high-lifers.. I'm coming for your place.

imagine that, 12%
much pain
many default
wow

I seem to recall an article around 18 months ago suggesting that around 500K households couldn't handle a 0.25% increase. The last thing the government wants in an election year is a repeat of the 80's defaults, so you can bet the "independent" Bank fo England monetary committee will have one eye on their future knighthoods well ahead of pulling the trigger.

Plus, cynical old bastard that I am, the "ooh, rate rises are coming" article is now about as regular as the "eurozone is all doomed, just you wait" article that fills Saturday finance pull-outs that are basically paid for by the mortgage lenders who are pissed off with folk like me bumping along nicely thanks on their standard variable ever since it fell through the floor about 5 years ago. "ooh, fix your mortgage before it rises" scaremongering has been going for 2 years at least.

Jesus, I really am a cynical bastard. Must get out riding more now the rainy season is coming to an end...