Big home improvements like loft conversions and extensions can often be done under your home’s permitted development (PD) rights.

This means you don’t need planning permission, as long as you stick to the rules governing width, height, materials, etc. You can apply to your local council for a lawful development certificate for building work that doesn’t require planning permission. When you come to sell your home, this certificate can be really useful because it proves to the buyer and their solicitor that the work is lawful.

The PD rules can be different for different types of house – with loft conversions, the permitted size is 40 cubic metres in terraced houses, and 50 cubic metres in detached and semi-detached houses. The PD rules can also be different on ‘designated land’, which includes conservation areas and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. For example, loft conversions are not permitted development on designated land. If your home’s listed, the rules are much stricter and even minor alterations can require listed building consent from your local council.

Flats and maisonettes don’t have PD rights and some houses have had theirs removed – this is sometimes the case on designated land. Permitted development isn’t just about major building work; if your home doesn’t have PD rights, you may need planning permission for things as simple as erecting a garden shed, decking your garden and painting the building’s exterior.