DIYbanter - View Single Post - Kitchen mods, new house, violates planning permission?

wrote:
Hi...
We're looking at buying a new house, for which they are just at the
"mud and foundations" stage by the looks of it. (It's being built by
Persimmon.)

Now, when we asked the saleswoman if we could rearrange things like the
kitchen cupboards from their normal layout (in the showhome for
example), she said no, because it would violate the planning
permission. "We have to build what we said we would build" she
explained.

This sounds bonkers to me. I'm inclined to think they just can't be
bothered to accomodate buyers who want to tinker with the standard
setup.

Anybody know if her claim has any basis in fact?

Well you have to get planning pemimission for some things..like a
chimney for example, so rearranging fires is not easy. Apart frtom that
planniong law relates mainly to te exterior size and shape.

Building regulations are another matter - there is much in the fittings
of a house that falls under these regulations..things that are a bugger
to move are toilets, as the pipework for these is heavily regulated and
needs to be done at groundwork stage, and any heating devices like
boilers, whose flues must be sited appropiately.

But the real reason is of course that the builder can just about manage
to control his team of escaped gibbons and achieve a house that meets
standards if its all done according to a fixed set of detailed plans.
Any deviation requites re-drawing of plans etc. In other words teh real
reason is they can't build it differently without involving time and
extra expense on their part.

You MAY be able to but the house without a kitchen and bathrooms fitted,
at a discount...but frankly what most people do is accept the house with
the crap installed, and start saving up to replace it immediately.

If you want a house built to your spec, buy a plot and build one yourself.

thanks,
Spud