From Dirt to Design to Dream Home!
Architectural Services
 
From Dirt, to Design, to Dream Home!
You may have a building lot on which you now want to build your dream home or you have an older home and you now want to modernize your kitchen and bathrooms or you may desire a sunroom, recreation room or even another garage. Whatever your need, one of the most important concepts for you to understand is that your challenge is different from everyone else’s and should be treated that way.
 
Residential architects are highly trained in design of all kinds and try to think ahead and plan for change. Your family is going to change it will either grow or shrink, change is inevitable. It is also my fiduciary duty to ensure your final dream home meets will all bylaws, building regulations and building codes.
 
Residential Architectural Services offer a wide range of Residential Interior Designing services, residential projects, residential architect’s projects, residential interior, residential architectural services, residential interior solutions, interior services, residential architect and residential design to meet a client’s requirements.
 
Frequently Asked Questions
Will your company know our Local Authority?
We will if you are local to us, if not we carry out full research of your Local Authorities Planning guidelines.
 
Does the architectural fee include the fee for Planning and Building regulation applications?
Our architectural fees do include cost for planning and building regulations applications.  Council fees for domestic extensions, planning applications, lawful development certificate and building regulation applications are a few of the fees required.
 
What kind of fee basis do you work to?
There are 3 main stages in the design process 1) sketch design 2) planning drawings and 3) Building Regulations drawings.  All of our fees are fixed for each of work.
 
When are your fees due?
Our fees are due for each completed stage of work, so for example when the planning drawings are completed and are ready for submission to the planning dept you would invoiced for that stage of work.
 
My neighbour got planning approval for an extension; I want to do the same as them? When the planning dept looks at each individual case the proposals are judged on their own merits.  Planning policies of local authorities change over time for what your neighbour could have done then you can't do now because planning policy may changed.  
 
What is Planning permission?
If your proposals involve House Extension, external house alterations, house conversion to flats you will require planning permission.  Planning Applications are decided by a local planning committee.  Planning guidelines for proposals can differ between councils.  Planning applications can take 8-10 weeks to get processed whether the proposals are small or large in scale. .
 
What are Permitted development rights?
Not all projects require planning permission, if you have never had extensions on your property before, don't live in a listed building or in a conservation area and fitting other criteria you may qualify for a Lawful Development Certificate.

What are the Building Regulations?
When a Home Extension, loft conversion is designed it needs to comply with Building Regulations which are a set of minimum standards for design and health and safety in Building works. These standards are enforced by your councils building control department these standards are for; Structure, Drainage, Plumbing, Ventilation, Materials, Insulation, means of escape for fire, etc.
 
Building Regulation application.
In domestic projects you have one of two routes to make a building Regulation application:
 
1) Full Plans application which involves submitting detailed drawings and structural calculations which is approved before you start works.
 
2) Building Notice application which involves submitting a building notices when starting on site and liaising with building control officer who checks and approves works at regular intervals.
 
What is the Party Wall Act?
Are you thinking of altering or extending your home? This Act may apply to you. The Party Act came into force on 1 July 1996 and applies throughout England and Wales. It provides a framework for preventing and resolving disputes in relation to Party Walls, Boundary Walls and Excavations near Neighbouring Buildings. Anyone intending to carry out work of the kinds described in the Act must give Adjoining Owners notice of their intentions.
 
What is 'The Right to Light?
One of the most commonly misunderstood legal issues relating to property is the `right to light'. Your neighbour may attempt to block your plans to extend your home by claiming they have a legal `right to light' to one or more of their windows. There is such a thing as a legally established right to light, usually established automatically `by prescription' after 20 years, however, it is only relevant in limited circumstances. A right to light is a type of easement, like a right of way, and overrides any planning permission you might have and your Permitted Development Rights. It can in theory, therefore, prevent you from blocking out a neighbour's window.

This paper is intended for informational purposes only. Nothing contained herein constitutes legal, financial or other professional advice. Transmission of these materials is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, any relationship of any kind between the provider and the recipient. Some of these points may not apply in your area. Different term and conditions may vary from state to state and province to province. All articles, text and photographic material presented here is for the use and pleasure of the recipient only.

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