Can you apply for planning permission before buying a house?

You’ve got big plans for the property you’re hoping to buy, but just how far ahead of the game are you allowed to get? Quotezone can find you your ideal home insurance with its independent comparison tool, giving you more time to bring your property-developing ideas to life.

As such, learn all there is to know about planning permission when buying a house right now.

Can you get planning permission before buying a house?

Yes!  You can apply for planning permission before buying a house or owning the property the plans pertain to.  The downside?  If the sale of the property falls through, you’ll lose the money you paid toward the planning application.

Does the owner of the house I want to buy need to know that I’m making a planning application?

Yes.  You should notify the current owner of your intention to submit a planning application. The owner may need to help you with certain details for that application.

Will applying for planning permission on a property I want to buy affect my mortgage lenders’ decision?

It is always best to be completely transparent with your mortgage lender.  They might like to know what you plan to do with the property you intend to buy but, if planning permission is given, they are unlikely to have any issues – unless they felt your work would significantly decrease the value of the property!

Why would you want to get planning permission before buying a house?

If you’ve found a property you want to buy, and like it for the potential changes you could make, it’s a good idea to find out if you’ll actually be allowed to make these changes before you go ahead and purchase the property.

This is particularly relevant if you’re a property developer looking to make a profit by changing the building, or if you want to live in the property but could only do so by making amendments.

Does it matter if the property holds current planning permission but I want to apply for another one?

Planning permission on a property generally lasts for three years, so there is always a chance that the building you’re interested in buying has existing planning permission.

This should not prevent you from making your own application and you can even submit various options, leading to several planning permissions being granted at the same time.

How much does it cost to get planning permission?

There are many costs involved in the purchase of a property, so you might be wondering whether it’s worth forking out for a planning application on a property that isn’t your own yet.

The cost of the application itself isn’t great, at around the £200 mark, but the greater costs come if you submit architectural drawings with your application.  Keep in mind, for the planning application stage, you don’t need to include architectural drawings and indeed many budding developers draw their own plans for this stage of the process  –  and it is perfectly legal to do so.

Are you ready to find home insurance for your property? Compare quotes now.

his article is intended as generic information only and is not intended to apply to anybody’s specific circumstances, demands or needs. The views expressed are not intended to provide any financial service or to give any recommendation or advice. Products and services are only mentioned for illustrative rather than promotional purposes.