Free guides for homeowners.
Plain-English guides to extensions, lofts, garden rooms, barn conversions and choosing a builder, written from forty years of planning and design work.
Five guides, free to download.
Each guide is a short PDF you can read on screen or print. They cover what the rules allow, what to check before you start, and the questions worth asking early. Select a cover to download it, and take as many as you like.
ExtensionsPlanning your extension
Which extension suits your house, what permitted development allows, and what the building regulations ask of you.
Download PDF ↓
Loft conversionsPlanning your loft conversion
Whether your loft will work, which roof type suits it, and the rules on size, stairs and fire safety.
Download PDF ↓
Garden roomsPlanning your garden room
Size, height and roof shape, what outbuilding rules allow, and when you need approval.
Download PDF ↓
Barn conversionsConverting your barn
Which planning route applies, what Class Q allows, and what to check about the building and its wildlife.
Download PDF ↓
Choosing a builderBefore you instruct a builder
How to shortlist, price, check and contract a builder for your project, in six steps.
Download PDF ↓These guides are general information for homeowners in England. They are not planning, building regulations, legal or structural advice, and they are not advice on your own property. Rules change, so confirm the current position with your local planning authority and building control before you rely on them.
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