A new beginning in 2022?

Something exciting is happening in my professional life!

The past two years have been tough for everyone……. I went into 2020 as a freelance dance and movement artist, choreographing and teaching yoga. My home in Barcelona with my partner, my work projects in the UK and spending the winters hopping between Sri Lanka, India and Bali. It was an adventure, it was great and exciting. It involved a lot of travel.

Covid put a stop to this and after getting stuck in London unable to get home to Barcelona I decided it was time to head back to the UK and rebuild and evolve…. and grand plans to become and interior designer and property developer. (Maybe there will be another blog post about how every friend I made in Barcelona was either an architect, interior designer or worked in creating beautiful buildings in some way! SERENDIPIDY!)

After nearly a year of searching and researching over the Christmas break 2021, my partner and I think we have finally found the property!

Below is the document which I have created to focus our minds on the project ahead.

The plan is to convert a 1 bed upper maisonette into a 3 bed 2 bath with a roof terrace.

The project will involve extending onto the existing roof terrace to create extra space and building onto the top floor balcony.

The research involved in finding a suitable property is extensive. First you find somewhere with potential to expand (extra square footage is the best way to increase value). But then you have to make sure that you would be allowed to do the extensions.

The next stage is scanning through local council planning portals and making sure that the work you want to do… would be possible.

This property is suitable for a development project for a number of reasons

Not in a conservation area.
Neighbours have performed the extensions that we want to. We have found presidents on the street. This is a good indication that planning will be granted.
The property is not Freehold… BUT if it was the extension on the top floor balcony would be within permitted development.
The difficulty is the property is leasehold! Generally this would be a problem too large.. as any work planned needs to be approved by the freeholders.. who may ask for huge payments. HOWEVER in this case the freeholders are the council. We have spoken to them prior to purchase and have been informed if it passes planning permission they see no reason they would block any work to the building (especially if we pay to replace the roof).

So! Exciting. As long as the purchase goes through this will be my first interior design project!!

See the images below for the document I have created in order to focus us and share with others as we move forward.