Planning Perm'n Needed to Boost House Sale?

[mysticmark]

Hi,

We have a house we want to sell next to Horniman soonish that'd benefit from a rear single-storey extension, the likes of which some other neighbours have done so would probably go through ok, (though you never know).

To maximise the sale price: Is it worth us the time and cost of getting the planning permission approved to a specific design? Or better to just get some visualisations done by someone, or even just prepare our own brochure of lovely photos of probably feasible extensions?

Anyone experienced with this? Agents unsurprisingly say: "Don't bother with that - Sell Now!"

Any advice and recommendations very gratefully received,

Thanks in advance :)

[Penguin68]

Your agent is right. Although there is something called 'outline planning permission' this is used only when you wish a general authority to undertake a new build (for instance a second house on your property). This is of value if you want to sell off a plot where such a second build was feasible - in order to demonstrate to a buyer that the 'right sort' of development plans would be acceptable (and thus to price the plot accordingly). However, an extension would require full planning permission, which would then be given only for the design submitted, which a buyer might well not want to proceed with.

If there are (recent) examples of permitted development or planning permission granted on your sort of house you can point this out to any buyer - it is up to them then to get their solicitor to check if local planning rules have recently changed which might now disallow such a development.

Otherwise you are building unnecessary time and cost into your sale, which you will not be able to recover.

[mysticmark]

Thanks a lot for your advice :)