Suspected no planning permission from previous owner & now we want to extend.

Sadie.ie

Hi all,

Looking for your input on this.

We live in a house that is badly in need of an extension as we are a growing family. With prices are the way they are we are thinking of getting nothing too big - at most a 15 square metre extension & knocking down a dividing wall between our narrow kitchen & dinning room. We have an exisiting extension which is about 12 square metres & it's very badly built so that will be demolished & replaced with a very slightly larger one. This really will make a massive diffenece to us. We are planning this for mid next year & are saving as much as we can ourselves & will be applying for a loan from the credit union.

At the side & to the back of the house we have a garage which was previously extended before we bought the house & made into accommodation which we suspect had been rented out. The total floor space is near 40 square metres I would say & has a door & windows in it. We do not rent it out we use it as a playroom for the kids. As it's there we know we may have to apply for planning permisson for the new extension or will we? As we are knocking down an existing extension & replacing it will we have to apply? if we do -no problem we will go ahead but my only concern is did the previous owners apply for planning permission for extending the gargage? We are afraid we may have to demolish the garage extension which will be a pain & an extra cost.

We bought the house twelve years ago & the only thing mentioned about the extended garage was that we were not to live in it, rent it or run a business from it. We really just hope it doesn't interfere with the extension for the house as we really really need to get it.

Thank you

We

muffler

Check with the local planning dept first to establish what applications or permissions are relevant to the property. If permission had been granted for the extended garage then carry on with the house extensions but be sure you adhere to the conditions attached to the exempted development rules. If no permission has been granted for the garage then you can still extend providing said extension is exempt but you will have to decide what to do with the garage ie. apply for retention permission before or after extending or leave it as it is. In this situation it will have be sorted as you may well find that you will have problems in the future.

Did you not get a survey done when you bought it and did you get any certification regarding the garage!

Sadie.ie

Hi Muffler,

Thank you for your reply. Just so I understand correctly I can apply for retention of the garage extension before or after extending the house? I am aware that we can extend up to 40 square metres where we live without planning permisson but thought as the garage is already extended & the total floor space of the extended garage is near 40 square metres we would have to apply for planning permission as adding an extension to the house is going beyond 40 square metres between the two?

I did have a survey. I was a first time buyer & actually bought the house by myself & since then have married & had children. I just can't remameber the details or if I got a certificate regarding this. I would need to do a lot of searching to find that paper. Maybe I can go back to my solicitior & check.

muffler

There is no cumulative total of the respective floor areas. You can build an extension to the rear of the house up to a max 40m2 and you can build a garage up to a max 25m2 (both subject to certain conditions). They are separate structures with their own individual floor areas.

You should check with your solicitor for copies of all documents relating to the sale of the house. They should have made sure that everything was right and above board at the time.

Sadie.ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119660295#Comment_119660295

Thank you so much for this information I really appreciate it. I understand now as the extended garage isn't attached to the house & is a separate building we can extend the house at the rear up to 40 square meters without planning permission. I will look into the extended garage my Dad reckons as he was with me at the solictors when buying the house that all was above board.

muffler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119666635#Comment_119666635

No probs Sadie. Keep us updated on how you get on with the solicitor.

If you have any other queries just fire them up here or if there's something you dont want to post in public just drop me a PM.

Sadie.ie

Will do & thanks again.