Discount Plans Ltd

Going straight to a builder means you miss out on the important design stage. It sounds obvious but builders specialise in building things and architects specialise in designing spaces. By using Discount Plans LTD you will end up with a home that is right for you and that you’ll love living in. You will also ensure that your investment is maximised and the finished project adds value to your property – badly designed extensions can reduce the value of your property.

As well as being fully qualified design planners, all Discount Plans LTD staff have also undergone a strict selection and training programme with Discount Plans LTD. This way you can be certain you are getting expert advice from experienced members of our team in residential projects.

Yes. The objective of the initial visit is to make sure you are fully informed and in the best position possible to make a decision and move forward. Your architect will review all the options with you and discuss the implications of each option. They will be available to answer any additional questions you may have.

Discount Plans LTD is a licensed network. This means that experienced designers apply to join our network and we select designers based on a set of criteria. All of our staff are fully experienced design planners who are experienced in domestic architecture and have undergone a full training programme so you can be sure you will receive high quality, professional advice.

It generally depends on the size of your project. As a guide, if you are carrying out a single project on one level then a half day will be sufficient. If your project involved more than one element such as a kitchen extension and a loft conversion or a double storey extension we would recommend that you take a full day. Any remaining hours that are not used during the initial visit will be held in credit for further services.

During the initial visit your architect will spend time asking you questions and finding out what you want to achieve. They will discuss the options that you have available along with the feasibility and implications of these options. They will then take measurements of your property and sketch out a plan of your property as it currently exists. Once this is completed your architect is now in a position to draw up initial design sketches to help you visualise your design and provide input. These drawings will be yours to keep so that you can refer back to them at a later date. The initial visit is designed to be an interactive session so you will be heavily involved in the process providing information about your lifestyle, your ideas and your feedback on proposed solutions. By the end of the initial visit you should be fully informed and in a position to move forward with your project.

A common misconception is that because other houses in the street have, for instance, roof extensions, this will automatically mean that yours will be allowed. This is not always the case as planning policy does change over time. Your architect will be able to give you advice relating to current planning policy that will help develop the design solution.

Buildings of particular architectural interest are often officially Listed and thereby protected. Many residential buildings are listed Grade 2 which means that all alterations (not just those to the outside or original parts) have to be approved under Listed Building Consent. Making a Listed Building Consent application is similar to making a planning application - but with a few differences. The process may be handled by a conservation officer within your local planning department or might be referred to English Heritage and there is no application fee. As with standard planning permissions Discount Plans LTD can help you with this.

Living in a conservation area usually means that changes to the external appearance of your building will be a particularly sensitive issue. You will probably need to complete an application for Conservation Area Consent. Again, it is advisable to check with your local planning department or ask Discount Plans LTD to do this for you.

For most Discount Plans LTD projects your design will need to be taken to the stage of scheme level drawings. Discount Plans LTD can help with the design, the drawings and even submit your planning application for you. As a guide it generally takes 8 weeks from submission of a planning application to a decision. Please note you will require a location plan and a statutory application fee to accompany your application.

More than likely. That’s why we select an design planner close to you.

Not to be confused with planning, the Building Regulations are there to ensure that buildings are made to a minimum quality standard for such things as structure, fire escape, drainage, ventilation, insulation and so on. The regulations can often seem unreasonable, but they are all there for good reasons. Building regulation matters are usually handled by Building Control Officers in the Building Control Department of your local authority but increasingly private licenced inspectors are an alternative. Unlike planning, there is no committee and you should not have to endure a long wait for approvals.

There are two ways to apply for approval under the Building Regulations: the Full Plans method or the Building Notice method. Building Notice Method: Most people find that a Building Notice is the simplest and most appropriate for alterations or extensions to domestic properties. You should not need specific drawings for this and your builder can look after the process on your behalf while undertaking the works. To do this the builder simply completes a Building Notice form and submits it to the Building Control Department - this has to be done at least 48 hours before work starts on site. Once again there is a fee to pay - check with your local authority. Once the work starts, the Building Control Officer will visit the site and make arrangements with the builder to visit at specific points through the progress of the works to check that the works are up to the minimum standard that the regulations require. He/She may also request supplementary drawings and information. When the works are complete, you can ask the Building Control Officer to give you a certificate to confirm that everything has been done to the required level.

Full Plans Method: The 'full plans' method of application is more involved as it requires the submission up-front of detailed drawings that show a great deal of information, such as the fire escape routes, ventilation capacities, for instance. Many people find this somewhat 'over the top' for a domestic project. However Discount Plans LTD can produce the full plans for you if you, in consultation with your design planner or your builder, feel that this is the preferred route.

It is very common with alterations to domestic buildings (even for detached houses) that action under the Party Wall legislation will be necessary. Works that affect a wall, fence or any part of your neighbour's structure, within certain specified distances will require notification to adjoining owners in accordance with the Party Wall Act 1996. This notification can be a complicated procedure and can take a good deal of time. We recommend that if you might have an issue with party wall legislation, you approach a Party Wall Surveyor who will be able to advise you and guide you through the process.

The scheme-level drawings will form the backbone of the information your builder will need. However you will need to go through the drawings with your builder and design planner before works start to agree the appropriate level of detail. Many builders do not need full detail drawings in order to build standard building elements. If the design contains elements that are particularly complex or unusual, it is sensible to get Discount Plans LTD to prepare detail drawings of these elements. If you want more things added to the drawings or any additional help we are here to help you through the process.

When choosing a builder, make sure that you can check the company out. A good starting point is to ask friends, neighbours or other homeowners who have recently had work done close to where you live, if there is anybody they can recommend. Once you have chosen some possible builders, contact them for a list of references and follow these up even if they came highly recommended. If you want help with this process your design planner from Discount Plans LTD would be able to handle this process for you.

For large or complex projects, a standard form of building contract that requires a contract administrator is definitely the recommended route to follow. Discount Plans LTD can of course also perform this task for you.

For many domestic projects however, people regard this approach as rather over the top and simply resort to working things out directly with the builder. If you follow this route, the drawings that Discount Plans LTD provide you with will help to define what it is the builder has agreed to build. Nonetheless, it is very important that before your builder starts work, you have a written agreement stating the work to be done, the price agreed and the time scale involved. There is a very simple standard form of contract agreement now available that has been specifically designed for such circumstances called 'JCT Building Contract for a Home owner/Occupier'. It is easy to read and covers most of the important areas.