House extension for the disabled

Some house extensions are for family members that are ill or infirm and need to be properly designed to reduce or eliminate access restrictions. Most councils offer design advise for house extensions for the disabled but most of the works are quite straight forward such as level thresholds, wider door leafs, wider circulation areas, solid and level external surfaces are classic basics.

Many house extensions for the disabled are exempt from Planning and Building Control fees provided proof of disability can be provided within the application. Most house extension designers do not need any extra training to provide you with a house extension suitable for a disabled person or relative for example. They just need to know the level of disability, what your are trying achieve and what the longer term implications may be.

The secret to a good house extension for a disabled person is to ensure that it does not stand out as a disabled house. That its disabled features are subtle and well planned. Also, the extended home can be later used as for any family member or the whole family without further massive adaptations to remove clumsy or awkwardly installed disability items.

Most home owners requiring a house extension usually have a pretty good idea of what is actually required given their involvement with the disabled person. Some house extensions for the disabled require a separate entrance and self contained living accommodation on the ground floor that many planners see as suspicious for future sub-letting which is undesirable. This can be overcome with a suitable planning condition or at worst you may have to enter into a legal 106 agreement with the council if they require a higher level of control.

Some house extensions for the disabled may be noting more onerous than a simple ground floor shower facility or removal of a wall. Again these should be exempt from Council fees. Regretfully many House extension designers are unable to offer free fees for completing such work but many will give a discount.

Some house extensions for the disabled are applicable for council grants but this can be a tortuous, obstructive and time consuming task that many home owners simply give up on.