Extensions, Loft Conversions & Renovations in Portsmouth

Most of Portsea Island, from Southsea and Fratton up through North End, Copnor and Stamshaw, is tightly packed Victorian and Edwardian terracing. Gardens are small, so homeowners tend to build up rather than out: a rear dormer loft conversion with an en-suite is the most common way to add a bedroom, and a side return or short rear extension opens the back of the house into a kitchen-diner. Almost every terrace shares walls on both sides, so party wall notices are part of nearly every project.

On the mainland, Cosham, Drayton and Farlington are mostly 1930s semis and post-war family homes on larger plots, where single-storey rear and wrap-around extensions and hip-to-gable loft conversions make the biggest difference. Older houses across the city often need the full renovation treatment before the finishes go in: a rewire, new heating, replastering and a proper look at damp.

Planning in Portsmouth is handled by Portsmouth City Council. Many rear dormer loft conversions and single-storey rear extensions are permitted development and do not need a full planning application, though every project still needs building regulations approval, which we manage for you. Busy terraced streets usually also mean a skip or scaffold licence from the council, which we arrange.

The city has thirty conservation areas, many of them in Southsea and Old Portsmouth, including Owen's Southsea, East Southsea and Craneswater and Eastern Parade, and several have Article 4 directions that bring changes such as windows, doors and roofs under planning control. A citywide Article 4 direction, in force since November 2011, also means converting a family home into a small house in multiple occupation needs planning permission. Parts of low-lying Portsea Island are in flood zones, where an extension application needs a short flood risk assessment. At the free survey we tell you honestly which route your project falls under before any money changes hands.