Six home improvements you can make WITHOUT planning permission as experts reveal top loopholes

GETTING planning permission for home improvements is notoriously long winded but it is possible to bypass red tape using loopholes. 

There are close to 350 sections of UK planning law, while each council has its own local plans and policies too. 

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The result is a patchwork of rules that are a nightmare to navigate.

Read our guide on improvements you can make without planning permission – as well as the loopholes to guarantee success for your project.

Key phrase that could be a way around planning permission

There is one key phrase that it could pay to know – permitted development rights. 

It might sound like planning permission jargon and you are right, it is.

But it’s also how you can make certain changes to your property without formal planning consent. 

The rules, which don’t apply to flats or maisonettes, spell out exactly what you can build or convert, its size and how it must look to make it easy for homeowners to follow. 

The main benefit is certainty. If your project meets the national rules, it will be approved. 

The same cannot be said for planning permission which is open to each council’s interpretation and can be rejected by one local authority but approved by another.

It can be quicker but that’s often down to the rules being simpler to follow so homeowners make less mistakes when filling in their application.

Like a full planning application, you still need to submit drawings, plans and the correct fee for your project with all its measurements using the government’s planning portal. 

Before your application is assessed for approval, it is checked to make sure it is complete. If it is incomplete or there is an error, which is more likely in full planning permission applications due their complexity, the planning officer will write to you to let you know, which creates delays.

Create a paper trail

Even if your improvements were approved without planning permission, Lisa Raynes, owner and architect of Pride Road Architects in the North West, recommends applying for a Certificate of Lawful Development from the council.

 “It’s about creating a paper trail so that when you come to sell your house you can prove to the solicitors that your extension met the correct rules at the time,” she said.

Improvements you can make without planning permission

1. Rear extensions could add up to £27k 

You can build out from the back of your home up to three metres for terraced and semi-detached houses, or four metres for detached homes, without planning permission unless you live in a conservation area.

You may be able to go even further without planning permission to six metres and eight metres respectively using another loophole – prior notification of a larger extension with neighbour consent. 

Your local authority contacts your neighbours about your plans giving them 21 days to object. 

You must stay within the height limit of four metres, use materials that match the main building and it cannot exceed 50% of your garden space. 

 2. Loft conversions and dormers could add upto £68k

Loft conversions with a dormer are allowed without planning permission if you don’t go beyond 40 cubic metres for terraces or 50 for detached and semis, and you’re not raising the main roof height.

But there a few restrictions, says Andrew Boast. “You can’t place a dormer on the front slope if it faces the road as that will usually need planning permission.”

Roof lights are fine if they don’t stick out more than 15cm from the roof slope.

 3. Garden rooms and outbuildings could add up to £22k

Garden offices have exploded in popularity. You can usually build a detached garden building without planning permission. 

It cannot be more than 2.5 metres high if it’s close to a boundary, not in front of the house, and can’t take up more than 50% of the garden area.

There is a snag though. It must be for a side use, like an office or gym, not used as a bedroom or living area.

A sneaky work around exists though which states if the building was already there and being used as an office, for example, you can later convert it to living space. 

4. Granny annex (on wheels) could add up to £81k

Under a little-known piece of law, the Caravan Act – it’s possible to install a granny annex in your garden without full planning permission, explains Chris Willis, manager at modular builder OffPod.

“Often referred to as the caravan loophole,” he says, “it must be moveable, not used as a self-contained home and comply with the size limits of a mobile home.”

5. Porches, garage conversions, and paving could add up to £54k

You can build a porch without planning permission if it’s under three metres squared and three metres high.

It cannot be within two metres of a boundary with the road.

Garage conversions are usually fine if you’re not extending the building although it’s always wise to check if your council has removed permitted rights on your road because it doesn’t want more on-street parking. 

There is, however, another loophole says architect Lisa.

“A sneaky workaround would be to keep the garage door, leave the front as external storage and convert the back of the garage into something else separated by a partition wall.

“Then you wouldn’t even need to use permitted development rules.”

If you’re redoing a driveway, you can lay paving that allows water to soak through up to five metres squared in front of your house without planning, and more if you manage water runoff properly.

6. Solar panels could add up to £38k

You can fit solar panels on your roof if they don’t stick up more than 20cm above the roof line and aren’t facing the road on a flat roof.

Tricks to make your extension look bigger

Hannah Soulsby, interior designer and educator, @anima_and_amare, says just because you are planning a small extension, it does not have to feel pokey.

“There’s lot of tricks you can use to dramatically improve how large and airy your room feels,” she said. “Even one skylight can brighten up a north-facing or narrow room. 

“Use mirrors to bounce light around and visually double the space. High-gloss finishes on cabinet doors or light-toned flooring also help.”

Don’t forget building regulations

Just because your work falls under permitted rights, it does not mean building regulations can be ignored. They must still be met and progress on the work must be checked and signed off by building control.

Tell your home insurer 

 Matt Durrant, insurance expert and MD of specialist property insurers i4me, says: “When homeowners decide to create an extra bedroom, for example, either by converting a loft or using a partition wall in a larger bedroom they may not need planning permission but you must tell your insurer.”

Home insurance is typically priced on the number of rooms in a property.

If a home exceeds a provider’s bedroom limit, even unknowingly, the policy could be void from the outset.