New Build Warranties Explained: NHBC, LABC and the Alternatives Every new home needs a structural warranty, but few people could say exactly what it covers, who provides it, or why the mortgage lender cares so much. Ten minutes here saves awkward discoveries later. What a New Build Warranty Actually Is. A structural warranty is an…
Self Build Mortgages Explained: Funding a Bespoke Home The lender is funding something that does not exist yet, and the mechanics reflect that. Stage payments, lending limits, VAT reclaims and the paperwork that moves every conversation forward. How Self Build Mortgages Differ. Instead of one lump sum on completion day, a self build mortgage releases…
Double Storey Extensions: Costs, Planning and What to Expect Two floors share one set of foundations and one roof, which makes the second storey the best value space in extending. Here is how the costs, planning and design decisions really work. The Economics: Why Two Storeys Beat One. When you build a single storey extension,…
How Much Does a Basement Conversion Cost? The most expensive space you can add to a home, and in the right street, still worth every pound. Real guide costs for 2026, where the money goes, and when going down makes sense. Guide Costs in 2026. For a retrofit basement, excavated beneath an existing house, a…
Barn Conversion Costs and Planning: Class Q Explained No two barns are the same, and neither are their planning routes. Here is how Class Q works after the 2024 changes, when full planning is the better path, and what conversion really costs. The Two Planning Routes. Class Q permitted development allows agricultural buildings to be…
Do You Need Planning Permission for an Extension? More extensions are built without planning permission than with it. Here is when permitted development covers you, when it does not, and how to find out for certain before spending money on design. Permitted Development: The Short Version. Permitted development rights allow specific types of extension to…
How Much Does a House Extension Cost in 2026? Real guide costs per square metre for Hertfordshire and the Home Counties, the factors that move the number most, and the costs people forget to budget for. Guide Costs Per Square Metre in 2026. For a quality single storey extension in Hertfordshire and the Home Counties,…
Party Wall Agreements for Extensions: The Complete UK Guide If you are extending a semi-detached or terraced home, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 almost certainly applies. Here is what an agreement is, when you need one, what it costs and how to keep it off your critical path. Introduction. Planning an extension next to…