Understanding how to seek the right cost advice, from whom and when, can be a bit confusing, so too can making sense of the inclusions, exclusions and the accuracy of the cost advice or quotations that you receive.
I am often asked what benefits a dedicated planning consultant adds to the process of achieving consent for new development. We do not design buildings like an architect and we are not engineers, like a highway consultant or an ecologist, yet we add an additional level of experience to a project.
Within our role, we will assist in the appointment of the required professionals to build the project team, selecting the most suitable candidates from our expert directory.
InSewer Surveys are the approved build-over contractor for Southern Water carrying out more than 750 surveys per year for them directly and in excess of 250 surveys for private customers to a similar specification.
Additional information will arise in future articles, particularly concerning planning and building regulations, but for now we’re going to provide a broad overview of some of the statutory and legal duties which may apply to your building project.
So, the initial consultation has taken place, a preliminary site assessment has been carried out and the project brief and requirements have been discussed. You’ve received your staged quotation, asked any questions you may have and you’re ready to get started!
We’re now going to take a closer look at the feasibility stage, one of the three main ways in which we can assist new clients. This can be particularly useful when ideas are still very loose, perhaps the budget has not yet been set, or there is a specific budget to be met and some assistance is required in establishing whether it is enough to achieve the desired goals.
The majority of our prospective new clients request an initial consultation within their own home, which we provide free of charge (within a 20 mile radius). This is a great opportunity to discuss ideas in context to the existing building, address any planning and site constraints and answer any questions.
This article is going to be the first in a series, in which we begin to delve into the process, right from sitting at home with an initial idea and instigating early discussions
With staff shortages within the local authorities and much of the remaining staff working from home, we’ve experienced some significant delays to the planning process.