Always check building regulations before doing the work

The advice is to always check with your local authorities whether your proposed home renovations are allowed before you begin so that you know whether planning permission is required.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says that although some thing do not require planning permission, it is always wise to check you are within the building regulations before engaging in expensive DIY projects.

A spokesperson from the organisation said: "If you work without the planning permission the local authority might require you to seek retrospective planning permission approval."

Even when you apply for permission retrospectively, there is no guarantee that you will be granted it so it is always best to ask beforehand. In some cases people have even been asked to demolish their newly-done extensions and such forth.

If in doubt about what is acceptable then enlist the expertise of a surveyor, an engineer or the local authority.


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