Paul Zara From Conran & Partners
So the property world seems to be on the up. Your house or your flat is now worth at least as much as it was before the crash – probably a little more. But are you really maximising the asset that you have?
We live in a city that will never have enough land, snuggled as it is between the downs and the sea. There are few opportunities to try to meet the housing needs of the population. Therefore we need to find every possible opportunity to make best use of what we have.
So if you own a house on a large plot of land have you really thought about what you could do with it? How about getting planning permission for part of your site? There may be space for another house or even a small block of flats, without reducing the value of your house. A lot of people don’t want a massive garden – it’s a burden to maintain. Enough space for a good size lawn, a deck where you can eat outside and somewhere for a barbecue is probably all you need. So have a think, ask yourself a few questions:
Is there part of your garden that backs on to another road and could fit in a new property?
Could your house be replaced with flats?
Should your house be extended or modernised to maximise its value?
If you have a flat, is it well planned?
Is there space for another bedroom or bathroom?
Could you improve its general appearance?
Are the entrances and corridors adding value to the building?
An intelligent assessment of what you have with some costed options could make a real difference to the value of your home. So what do you need to need to make this happen? Well a good architect can help you develop ideas, speak to the planning authority, gain consent for the ideas, introduce you to agents or developers and, for a relatively modest fee, you might well be in a position to make a substantial amount of money from your home.
Here at Conran and Partners we have a 100% track record in gaining planning consent for our clients. It can be a struggle with the planning authority and with the local community, but ultimately if you have a reasonable proposal and a good architect to hold your hand you could be well be on the way to making a decent profit from your property and helping meet the housing needs of the city at the same time!
Paul Zara is a director of architects Conran and Partners. Email: paul.zara@conran.com