This summer has certainly been an eventful one for government announcements relating to our homes. First up, for those hoping to purchase a renovation project, the stamp duty holiday is welcome news - and will mean a little more cash in the ‘renovation pot’. The unveiling of the Green Homes Grant could also see renovators claim vouchers of up to £5k towards the cost of installing low-carbon heating solutions such as heat pumps and solar thermal panels (gas boilers are excluded), or towards improving insulation in their homes.
CLAIRE LLOYD has been a member of the Homebuilding & Renovating team for over 12 years. She’s recently completed her renovation - and is looking for her next.
IMAGE: JEREMY PHILLIPS; COVER IMAGE: DAVID BUTLER C/O THE GENTLEMAN ARCHITECT
For the extenders, the scope of permitted development rights is set to change and could, potentially, aid those hoping to extend upwards. Finally, for the self-builders amongst us, there were encouraging sounds from the government’s Planning for the future white paper; a consultation document which proposes reforms to the planning system. Could we see more self-build plots come to market as a result?