Is it REALLY a Site for Sore Eyes?

. does the site have planning permission?

. when was it granted? (it runs for 5 years);

. are there any conditions attached?

You can view approved planning applications and drawings at the appropriate planning office. If you think that you would want to alter any aspect of what has been approved for planning then you can call the planning office to enquire whether your proposed changes would be acceptable and likely to gain approval, or you can seek the advice of an architect in the local area. If you are considering a site that does not have planning permission, you must be very careful and should seek legal advice. When offering on a site with no planning consent in place, it is advisable to make the obtaining of planning permission a condition of your offer.

You will need to establish the situation with regard to services; Electricity, Water, Drainage, BT, Gas etc. If the site is not serviced then applications will need to be submitted to each of the appropriate bodies. This can sometimes be a very time consuming and frustrating process, so it is a big advantage if this is already in place. Once you submit your application you will be given a quotation for supply of the service and advised of the works that will be involved.

In more general terms you should consider the ground conditions of the plot from a construction perspective and, if you feel there may be any issues in this area, you can consult an engineer for advice and possibly consider carrying out some test pits. You may also want to ask around locally to see if there have been any issues in the past, i.e. flooding, which need to be taken into account.

Access is another matter that needs investigating. Although it is unlikely that there should be any serious issues, as this is an area covered by the planning approval (assuming that is in place), you should still be sure to confirm the right of access. Your solicitor will be able to advise you on the legal issues relating to this. On a practical level you will also need to look at the physical aspects of the access and think carefully about things like steep hills in winter, unadopted road maintenance costs, public right of ways, shared driveways etc.

It can be a good idea to visit the site at various times of the day (and night if possible) in order to get a feel for any local conditions or influences that may affect the area. You will, no doubt, want to consider the plot's aspect to the sun, in an effort to establish the levels of natural light that the house will achieve. This is obviously important when looking at the options for the position of the house on the site.

What you are working up to is establishing that you can build the house that you want on this site, within the budget that you have set. A local building contractor, quantity surveyor or architect should be able to give you an idea of this on a cost-per-square-meter basis. This can of course, vary dramatically according to the site location, building specification and the required finishes etc. but you should at least be able to establish whether your plans are feasible on your budget.

The more research you do now, the less likely you are to have to deal with any nasty surprises later on. You only need to watch a few episodes of Property Ladder or Grand Designs to see how easily a project can get out of control! No matter how much your heart may tell you to 'go for it'; you must try to let your head rule!