Solicitors ensure extension to property is lawful in Northampton

The historic village of Weston Favell lies in the North East of Northampton and is valued by its residents for its peaceful character and its picturesque country houses. In the 1970s, a shopping centre was built in the 1970s and includes a supermarket, restaurants and a cinema.

Bethany Wright, Conveyancing Solicitor in Northampton, recently assisted Barbara K on the purchase of a freehold dwelling on Park Way, Weston Favell, Northhampton, Northamptonshire, NN3. The detached two storey house is valued at £315k and is located less than a mile from the shopping centre.

When going through the sales particulars provided by the estate agent, Merrys estate agents of Wootton Fields Centre, Wootton Hope Drive, Wootton Fields, Northampton, NN4 6DY, Bethany found that extensions had been built on the land in 2001. A ground floor rear and side extension as well as a conservatory were added at that time. When Conveyancing Solicitors in Northampton discover alterations made to the property, it is important that they check that planning permission was granted for the changes.

Conveyancing Solicitors in Northampton advise clients on planning rules

While work on the inside of a house usually does not require permission, some outside additions do. Conveyancing Solicitors in Northampton have to check the rules carefully and ensure that they have been complied with. For rear extensions and conservatories, in order to avoid planning permission the alteration and any previous extensions must not exceed 50% of the area of land around the original house. Additionally, the width of side extensions must not exceed half of the original house. The “original house” is the house as it was on 1 July 1948, if it was built before that date, and includes all alterations made after that date. 

It was therefore vital that Bethany, Conveyancing Solicitor in Northampton, enquire into all alterations made since 1948. She had to ensure that all changes either did not require planning permission or that permission was granted for them. If the extension had been unlawful, Barbara would have been liable and it might have been demolished without her consent. Barbara was glad to find that there were no problems and thanked Bethany for her expert advice which allowed her to move into her new home in July 2010.