When building your own home, you must consider rules and building restrictions imposed by the local authorities. No worries, it’s for the city’s own good, they know what they’re doing, you only need to build according to the rules. Setbacks and footprints are two major features that have the greatest contribution to the way your home will like, according to the landscape and the surrounding area.
Setbacks tell you how far from the edge of your lot you should build the unit or units. Setbacks are determined by the local zoning restrictions and CC&Rs and they vary according to the neighborhoods. Usually, you can take a closer look on the houses in the neighborhood to realize what setbacks are applicable to your construction site, as setbacks maintain uniformity. In some urban spots, the setbacks may be as little as a few feet, while in rural areas, larger setbacks are required, with a larger distance from the streets and the other houses.
The footprints dictate the way your house sits on the lot, considering the setbacks, of course. The factors that determine the footprints are represented by sunlight, wind, topography, drainage and views. At the end, the combination between setbacks and footprints tells you if your house should be one-story or perhaps more. This way, you are able to estimate building costs. But keep in mind a very interesting fact: one-story house can be more expensive to build that a two-story one.
Zoning restrictions and CC&Rs also impose a height restriction. If the setbacks determine a small footprint, then the house you want to build will be limited in size. It’s better for you to first inform about these construction features and then purchase the land, in order to be sure that the lot really meets your needs.
Do I Need Planning Permission For an Home Extension?
Author: admin / Category: building a homeWhat is planning permission?Planning Permission, in simple terms, is like asking if you can do a certain piece of building work. It will be granted (possibly subject to certain conditions) or refused. It should also be noted that it is the client’s responsibility for seeking, or not seeking, planning permission. If required, planning permission should be granted before any work begins. 

Under new regulations that came into effect on 1 October 2008 an extension or addition to your home is considered to be ‘permitted development’, not requiring an application for planning permission, subject to the some limits and conditions.How high can I build a home extension without Planning Permission?Under new regulations that came into effect on 1 October 2008 an extension or addition to your home is considered to be ‘permitted development’, not requiring an application for planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:No more than half the area of land around the “original home”* would be covered by additions or other buildings.No home extension forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway.No home extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof.Maximum depth of a single-storey rear extension of three metres beyond the rear wall for an attached home and four metres beyond the rear wall for a detached home.Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres.Maximum depth of a rear extension of more than one storey of three metres beyond the rear wall including ground floor.Maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres.Maximum eaves and ridge height of extension no higher than existing home.Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original home.Two-storey extensions no closer than seven metres to rear boundary.Roof pitch of extensions higher than one storey to match existing home.Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing home.No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.Upper-floor, side-facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7m above the floor.On designated land* no permitted development for rear extensions of more than one storey.On designated land no cladding of the exterior.On designated land no side extensions.* The term “original home” means the home as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the home, a previous owner may have done so. Designated land includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.
A Few Reasons to Acquire a New Home in Chesapeake Virginia
Author: admin / Category: building a homeChesapeake is an independent city in the state of Virginia. Chesapeake was formed in 1963 by a political consolidation of the City of South Norfolk with the former Norfolk County, which dated back to 1691. It is a city with diverse land areas with few urban areas but large lots of protected farmland, forests, and wetlands which includes a significant area of Great Dismal Swamp. The city is located on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and has miles of waterfront industrial, commercial and residential property. There are a number of communities in the city which provide modern facilities and conveniences to its residents. Since the city was formed a few decades back, there is a mixture of old and new residential communities in the city. Some new communities are in the process of development in the city and are committed to provide modern and energy efficient living in the new townships of the Chesapeake area.
As the communities are not so old, houses in these communities do not require much restoration or renovation after acquiring. Additionally, various builders in the city are fully dedicated for the development of new communities in many regions in the town. They have developed a number of new and custom designed houses in these communities to attract potential homeowners in the region. Numerous home builders in Chesapeake, VA have followed this trend in developing beautiful yet distinctive houses. Builders and construction companies are aiming to provide unique designs, superior service and community involvement to draw families and new residents to the area. The home builders in Chesapeake city have collaborated with various suppliers in the region that provide the best building materials and interior goods and fixtures in order to provide the best quality homes to live in.
Many of the residential, both single family home and apartment, communities that are located in the city of Chesapeake are eco friendly. These homes are built to be energy efficient, easy to maintain, and durable for years to come. Preserving greenery around new houses is also kept in mind while laying out the site plans. Also the facilities and amenities are designed to retain natural features and to make the community as energy efficient as possible, focusing on water conservation and preservation. The homes that have been developed in Chesapeake thus far are state of the art and built to last. Stop by and visit any of these new homes in Chesapeake, VA. There are many rental and home for sale properties, as well as custom options with the help of various builders in town. Chesapeake offers the best of both worlds – intertwined with its natural landscapes and contemporary living.
Is The Prestige Of A Million Pound Home Worth The Stamp Duty?
Author: admin / Category: building a homeThe British have always been snobby about postcodes, but on the 6th April this year the stamp duty on homes over 1million will increase from 4% to 5%. This will create a new class of super-properties in this country.You may think that this will only affect the super rich but this is not the case, million pound homes are not as rare as you might think. People think of one million pounds homes and think of stately homes in the countryside, however it may also be a two bedroom flat in a major city nowadays. Accordingto the Halifax there are now 170,000 homes valued above 1million in England and Wales. Sales of these homes are soaring, in 2005 1,412 sales were for 1million homes. This soared 111% to 2,982 in 2010. LloydsTSB say that there are over 200 streets in the UK where homes average 1million on them. However suffice to say only two of the top twenty are outside Greater London.
However the Treasury are looking at bringing in an extra 10,000 for these homes on each sale. What this may indicate is a drop in property prices, for example a house which is thought to be around 1,025million could be dropped to 995,000. Others may try to rush sales before 5thApril to avoid the increase. Even Land Registry figures show that 1million properties are in fact on the increase, between September 2009 and September 2010 these properties in England and Wales increased from 552 to 686. The reason behind this surge seems to be buyers wanting to acquire substantial family homes before the increase and sellers acting on this interest by putting their houses on the market.
These homes are in the minority though even though they are increasing in number. A 1million property is still six times the average house price in the UK which stands at a more modest 168,733. This increase in stamp duty will only affect a small percentage of house sales.
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One of the most significant things in a person’s life is their home, in addition to when they are having a new home design plan to be perfect in many ways. However, looking for the right home builder to create your house design is not that easy especially if this is your first time to hire one. There are so many information that you can read through the Internet if you want to do it now. However, there are lots of things that you must care about in order to hire the right home builder.
First, you need to know all the things that you want and need with your home design plans. Tell those details to your home builders and ask their comments and suggestions that might help with the home designs. There is nothing wrong on having a lot of options before choosing the home builder since this is your home and you only want the best for it.
Asking questions like the company background of the potential home builder that you will hire is necessary to see if they are worthy to get their service. Do your homework and have some research for you to find their previous works. You can talk to their previous clients and ask their comments about the home builder. Know if they are professional and if their work is quite the best among others. Ask if they have a website so that you can review and see their works even you are in your home. See the testimonials from their customers and counts the positive remarks as this will help you decide if you are going to hire them or not.
Asking these questions will definitely give you the assurance of getting the home design plans with quality and professionalism, as well as on-time. Do not be afraid to ask questions of a home builder, for the reason that they are building your dream home.