Building out towards the front of your home can be a fantastic solution if you’re keen to transform your property, augment its value, boost your curb appeal, or give the frontage and façade a real facelift—especially if you don’t have any options to extend to the rear or side of your house.
Many homeowners prioritise outdoor space and might be reluctant to sacrifice some of the garden to accommodate an extension, but they equally may need a larger area for a growing family or want to replace a tired, unused frontage with more usable living space.
Today, the Pinnacle Works extension specialists share some tips and advice for planning a front house extension, from the planning permission considerations to keep in mind to the importance of excellent architectural design and finishes that will perfectly match your vision.
Planning Permission Rules and Regulations for a House Extension Project to the Front of Your Home
The first area to cover is planning permission because although it is correct that a larger proportion of front extensions will require a full planning application, there are also plenty of misconceptions about the costs and time involved in achieving consent and the scenarios in which this is required.
Although rules vary between local authorities and councils, the norm is for there to be two primary categories:
- Permitted development extensions: These house renovations can be made without full approval from the local planning authority. However, limitations and restrictions on the size of the extension will apply, and permitted development rights aren’t always guaranteed.
- Planning permission-approved extensions: These extensions do need approval, and understanding the rules and regulations in your area will give you a far better chance of navigating the process without unnecessary delays or stress.
The biggest misunderstanding is the perception that every front extension requires planning consent. This isn’t true, and it arises from the rules that mean an extension that ‘fronts the road’ will need approval.
Most front extension projects make use of unused space, so provided there remains a driveway, parking area, garage or garden between the public highway and your home, permitted development might apapply—ereas a property or extension that reaches right up to the road or pavement will need approval.
Likewise, if your extension remains a single-storey building, doesn’t cover more than half of the width of the original or existing building, and doesn’t extend past the boundary of the current structure by more than three metres, you could potentially proceed without any planning permission whatsoever.
Benefits of Considering a Front Extension
Even if planning permission is mandatory, it’s important to clarify that this needn’t be a big hurdle to achieving the extension you have dreamed of. Local variances aside, the standard cost of a householder application is about £200. The key is to work with an experienced contractor to ensure you understand the rules and regulations and submit a full, detailed application with all the supporting information and diagrams a planning committee would need to offer approval.
Otherwise, there are several advantages to extending towards the front of your house. They include:
- Protecting the full size of your back garden or overcoming access limitations that would make a rear extension prohibitively costly or complex.
- Refreshing the curb appeal and appearance of a tired, dated or poor-condition frontage—while often adding considerable value to your property.
- Convenience and speed, with a project to extend the front of your home, are often more straightforward and cost-efficient given the reduced impact on existing living spaces or disruption with contractors moving back and forth from your front entrance to the rear of the property.
An extension is also a great opportunity to renovate the entirety of your frontage, whether you’d love to render over dull brickwork, develop a contemporary aesthetic with double-height glass and lighting fixtures, or build a full-size two-storey extension to add extra bedrooms, bathrooms and living space to your home on both floors.
Thinking About the Materials, Look and Finish of a Front House Extension
Returning to planning permission, and if you’re hoping to extend towards the front of your home through the permitted development rules, there are a few conditions you need to be aware of. These include:
- The need to use materials that have a similar appearance to those used in the existing house.
- Restrictions on any additional structures, including balconies, raised platforms and verandas.
- Rules that state that side-facing windows in the extension have to be obscured and have an opening over 1.7 metres from the floor.
Aside from these rules, which may be irrelevant if you are expecting to proceed with a planning permission application, you have design freedom and can share your ideas and inspiration with the Pinnacle Works team to chat about the best ways to turn them into reality.
While homeowners often consider front extensions designed in sympathy with the rest of the property, this isn’t a set-in-stone rule. You could go for contrasting materials like stone and glass, timbers and brickwork, or revitalise an older property with a hyper-modern, sleek front extension, for example.
It’s also worth considering the neighbourhood and proximity of other homes to ensure the extension doesn’t have the potential to infringe on privacy or alter the character and ambience of your street—but, in some areas, there is already an eclectic and diverse selection of architectural styles.
Practical Aspects of Designing a Front Extension for Your Property
The practicalities are always relevant, regardless of the age and style of your home and whether or not you anticipate applying for or requiring planning permission.
For instance, you might need to maintain some aspects of your frontage for storage, parking, or bikes, or focus on ventilation to ensure your windows are orientated in the perfect position to flood your extension with natural light.
This is where the Pinnacle Works experts can step in, assessing the current layout, availability of land to build upon, and how best to position windows, access routes, doors, and boundaries to achieve the front extension you have in mind, while ensuring your newly extended home is fully suited to you and your family’s needs.