Adding an extension or a garage will improve your home and add thousands to its market value. So what’s stopping you? The most common answer is planning permission, or the lack of it.

Many people just can’t be bothered to put their lives on hold for months while their plans are examined by the parish council, planners and, possibly, an appeal panel. The good news is you don’t always need planning permission. In fact, a surprising amount of development can be done without it. You should discuss your ideas with the local planning authority first, however. If you live in a listed building, separate listed-building consent is often required, for work inside and out.

We have put together a top 10 of the best home improvements that you can put into effect without having to wait on the planners.

1 Walls come tumbling down: Making two rooms into one, or adding stud or blockwork walls, can create space that suits your needs perfectly. Planning permission isn’t needed as long as you aren’t changing the way the house is used (dividing it into separate dwellings or for business use, for example). Always consult an architect or structural engineer before you start knocking down any load-bearing walls.

Value added to house: up to 10%

2 Let in the light: Natural light is highly desirable in any home, and a great selling point, too. “Buyers love natural light,” says Paul Briggs, of the eponymous estate agency in Market Deeping, Lincolnshire. “The more there is, the better.” Tired double-glazed units and windows with thick glazing bars restrict light and can be replaced with a more light-friendly option without planning permission.

Extra doors and windows can also sometimes be added, too.

Value added to house: up to 10%

3 A roof over the car: Garages aren’t just a safe place to park, they are also an ideal haven for all the stuff you don’t want in the house but don’t want to throw away. You don’t need planning permission if the garage is to be built 5m or more away from the house (if closer, see single-storey extensions, below). The garage must not be nearer to the road than the original house, be more than 4m high (pitched roof) or 3m high if it has a flat roof. The combined ground area of the garage and other buildings within the property boundary (apart from the house) must not cover more than half the total area.

Value added to house: 10%-20%

If you don’t want to build a garage, off-road parking is always welcome and doesn’t need planning consent as long as it doesn’t involve the creation of an access to a classified road, is within the property’s boundary and won’t be used by commercial vehicles. If you don’t have a dropped kerb already, this may be subject to planning consent. Talk to the planning authority, which will also be able to advise on an approved (and properly insured) contractor to do the work.

Value added to house: up to £10,000 per space

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