Your questions, answered

We don’t just work on large complex projects or new-builds, we cover all aspects of residential design from internal remodelling, small extensions, loft conversions all the way to larger, complex extensions and new-builds.

So our advice is realistic and useful from the start. Knowing a rough range lets us check that your ambitions, the scope and the funds line up. It also stops time being spent on a design that could never be built. You do not need an exact figure. We can also provide cost consultancy services to help inform your decisions.

We do not impose one. Every design responds to you, your home and its setting. The aim is a home that feels right for you.

Almost always. Accurate drawings of your existing home are the foundation of the design. They let us work out exactly what will fit and avoid surprises later. We arrange the survey as one of the first steps.

Yes. We’re able to produce CGIs so you can see the design, compare options and make decisions with confidence.

Yes. We think about how the inside, the outside and the building work together from the start. We offer interior design, including specifying finishes and can design landscaping. For larger schemes we work with landscape architects.

Our studio is in Barnsley. We regularly work across the Yorkshire region and we have completed homes as far afield as Manchester and London. If you are further away, call us and we will talk it through.

It can. Former coal workings and ground movement can affect foundation design and some sites need a coal mining report. We check ground conditions early and coordinate with structural engineers, so there are no surprises once digging starts.

Permitted Development rights let you make certain changes to a house without applying for planning permission, as long as you stay within set limits on size, height and position. Where it suits the design, we work within these limits to save you time and cost. Many of the extensions we have worked on did not require full planning approval.

In England, a single-storey rear extension can usually go up to 3m beyond the original rear wall on an attached house or 4m on a detached house, with a maximum height of 4m. Through the prior approval process, those limits rise to 6m and 8m. Extensions and outbuildings together must not cover more than half the land around the original house.

It is a lighter process than a full planning application, used for larger single-storey rear extensions. The council notifies your neighbours and has 42 days to decide. It only considers the effect on neighbouring properties.

Sometimes. A single-storey side extension can be Permitted Development if it is no more than 4m high and no wider than half the original house. Two-storey rear extensions are more limited: up to 3m deep and at least 7m from the rear boundary. Anything that extends in front of the main elevation facing the road needs planning permission.

Many do not. Permitted Development allows up to 40 cubic metres of extra roof space on a terraced house and 50 cubic metres on a semi or detached house. Dormers cannot face the road and side windows must be obscure-glazed. Roof lights on the front often stay within the rules. You will always need building regulations approval, including for fire safety and the new staircase.

Outbuildings can often be built without planning permission. They must stay behind the front of the house, under 2.5m high within 2m of a boundary and must not be used as a bedroom or separate home. Porches under 3 square metres are usually fine too.

They do not apply to flats or maisonettes and they are reduced for listed buildings and in conservation areas. The council can also remove them with an Article 4 Direction. Many newer homes have had them removed by a condition on the original planning permission. Previous extensions count towards the limits too, so we always check your property’s history first.

We usually recommend it. It is formal confirmation from the council that your project is lawful under Permitted Development. It gives you peace of mind before building and it is the evidence a buyer’s solicitor will ask for when you sell. Councils aim to decide within 8 weeks.

You may need to serve notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. This applies if you are building on or against a shared wall, building a new wall on the boundary or digging foundations within 3 metres of a neighbour’s building or within 6 metres for deeper foundations. Notice periods are one or two months depending on the work. We will flag this early so it does not delay your start date.

If they do not consent within 14 days, a party wall surveyor is appointed to agree an award, which sets out how the work will be done. It is a routine process and allowing time for it at the start avoids hold-ups.

Yes. We prepare tender documents, invite quotes from suitable builders and help you compare them on a like-for-like basis. You can then choose with confidence, within your budget. We did this for homeowners in Wombwell and East Didsbury.

Yes. Our project management and contract administration services cover the build stage. We visit the site, answer the builder’s questions, check progress and quality and help keep the project on track until it is finished.

Usually, yes, depending on the scope. We can plan the work so key rooms stay usable for as long as possible and talk you through what to expect at each stage.

We are an architectural design studio based at the Digital Media Centre in Barnsley. We design homes, extensions and renovations across Yorkshire and beyond. Every project is led by a director, so you deal with the same experienced person from the first visit to the finished home.

Together. We spend time early on working through ideas and testing options with you. We give straight advice and we will challenge an idea if we think there is a better way. But it is your home and the final say is always yours.

That is your decision and we would rather earn it than sell it. Our clients tell us what matters is consistency on every project, everyday-English (well, Yorkshire) advice, providing information at each stage to help you make informed decisions, the ability to provide a turn-key service with all of the services that you need and the flexibility to choose only what you need. If that sounds right for you, the next step is a conversation.