For homeowners and professional developers alike, planning permission issues are anything but uncommon.

Where issues with planning permission stand between you and the successful completion of an important project, the frustration can be unbearable. Particularly in instances where planning permission is rejected on the grounds of a simple oversight or application error.

So to help future candidates with their applications, here’s a quick rundown of the 10 most common mistakes and general issues with planning permission applications:

• Justifying your project on someone else’s: Just because someone else in the vicinity has been permitted to do whatever it is you intend to do doesn’t immediately validate your application. All decisions are considered by way of individual merit, and the goalposts are being moved all the time. Hence, making too many comparisons or references to someone else’s project really isn’t the way to go.
• Submitting too much information: Leaving out important details is never advisable, but there’s also such a thing as including too much information. Applications must be complete, but they should also be as concise and digestible as possible.
• Designing before buying a plot: Planning permission applications are considered by way of the prospective project’s potential to complement its surroundings and neighbouring buildings. As a result, it’s risky to go ahead and start designing a property or building before you’ve found the perfect place for it.
• Over-egging eco claims: Environmentally friendly projects are far more likely to be given the go-ahead than their polluting counterparts. Nevertheless, if you base your application heavily on eco claims, you can expect your application to be scrutinised even more aggressively than normal.
• Altering your design after commencement: When the project is underway, you may change your mind about various aspects of the final build. Unfortunately, anything that deviates from the precise plan you submitted could result in the planning permission being withdrawn.
• Overlooking local politics: Your project may not break any formal rules, but sizeable opposition from local residents could scupper your plans. If possible, it’s a good idea to get as many people on your side as possible prior to submitting your application.
• Expecting an easy ride: Your planning permission application process may be smooth and simple, but it could also be an unmitigated nightmare. Expecting an easy ride is a recipe for disaster; it’s far better to plan for every eventuality and be ready to plead your case in minute detail.
• Entrusting substandard tradesmen: Most builders and traders in general will be happy to help in some way with your planning permission application. Nevertheless, this doesn’t necessarily mean they know what they’re doing. What’s more, their reputation and stature may have an effect on the way your application is interpreted and assessed.
• Underestimating the costs: Basic planning permission application fees aren’t particularly extortionate. However, you also need to factor in any other assessments, surveys, and reports that will need to be carried out by the council prior to approving your application. Most of which you’ll be expected to pay for, or at least heavily subsidise.
• Applying at the last minute: Last but not least, local councils typically recommend an average application processing time of up to eight weeks. Nevertheless, there’s every chance it will take significantly longer than this for all checks to be carried out and for approval to be granted. If the project you have in mind has any formal deadline whatsoever, you need to think about applying for planning permission at the earliest possible stage.

Real estate investing in the UK and indeed the world is an excellent way for a person to improve their financial position. In many areas of the country, the real estate market is booming. Housing prices are higher than ever before, and many people are thinking about buying an additional home. Before a person buys another house, it is critical to have a business plan for making money. Real estate investing is harder than buying another home to rent to tenants.

Real estate strategies

There are two primary real estate strategies for people to choose from. Some people prefer to purchase a home to fix up and flip for a profit. This strategy is called “flipping,” and it is common for people who want to get started in this industry. Other people would rather focus on building a real estate empire that generates monthly income. Buying a home to rent to tenants is a proven strategy for people who want to succeed.

Finding homes

One of the most challenging aspects of real estate investing is finding a home to purchase. With rising housing prices and interest rates, investors must be careful when selecting homes. A proven strategy for finding a good deal on a house is to ask people if they have interest in selling their home before it is listed. Buying a home off the market can help both parties avoid buying and selling costs. The cost of selling a home is higher than most people realise.

Screening tenants

Another vital aspect of real estate investing is screening tenants. Some investors wrongly believe that all tenants are the same. However, this is the wrong approach to take when finding renters. Instead, people should look for ways to achieve their goals in other areas. Before letting anyone stay in a home, a real estate investor should meet with them several times to understand their financial position.

Financing

Few people have the cash to purchase a home. As a result, most real estate investors must use a bank loan to buy a real estate property. Before getting a loan, it is critical for people to assess whether they can afford additional monthly payments. Although a real estate property should produce monthly income, there may be months when a major repair is needed.

Although real estate is a great way to have financial success, investors should conduct thorough research before they decide on a home to purchase. Purchasing the right property is the best way to have financial success with real estate.

The real estate market is hot in many areas of the country today. With that being said, there are a lot of opportunities to invest in various areas of the economy. Flipping homes has long been a great way to get started investing in real estate.

Although it sounds easy, there are a lot of things to keep in mind about this process. Not only that, but it can carry a lot of risk for your financial situation if you do not do your research. If you are going to flip a home for profit, there are several things that you need to keep in mind during this process. Not only do you need to spend your time finding a great deal, but you also need to work with a quality team on selling the property.

Finding a deal

When it comes to real estate, most of the money is made on the purchase. If you can purchase a property at a discount, you are well on your way to increasing your overall wealth. A lot of people today are excited about the changes that are taking place in the industry. Not only are homes selling faster than ever before, but they are going for more than the list price. This is why flipping homes is so appealing. In a rising real estate market, it can seem easy to make a lot of money. However, you need to work with a quality realtor who can help you find a home for a great deal. During the process, they can educate you on the types of homes that make the most sense for your financial situation.

Upgrading a home

One of the fun parts of flipping a home is the upgrading portion. Many investors will buy a home in need of repair and spend a significant amount of time and money upgrading it. The hope is that the overall value of the home will increase more than the amount of money that was put in to get it to the next level. If you do not have experience in this area, you need to make sure you are careful with the upgrades that you decide to invest in. A lot of people today are excited about the changes that are taking place in the industry, but that does not mean to rush into something just because you think it is an easy way to make money.

Planning for the future

Overall, investing in real estate can be a great way to make money. However, you need to make sure you have a quality plan in place to do so. Over the long term, a lot of people have decided to start investing in a variety of areas in this market. If you want to flip a home quickly, you need to make sure it is upgraded and priced to sell. There are many people who are excited about the changes that are being made to the business, and you can profit from them if you work hard and do your research.

An industry study has revealed that despite ongoing efforts from the government to boost the sector, SMEs in the construction industry are struggling to access funding. Housing supply has been a firm priority point for the government for several years now, as affordable inventory in the UK continues to dwindle. Nevertheless, the inability to access funding is making it difficult for smaller housebuilders to make any real difference to the bigger picture.

The report, published last week by the Federation of Master Builders, detailed how more small and medium-sized builders are facing problems accessing funding this year than they were in 2016. Whereas around 50% pinpointed difficult access to funding as a significant roadblock last year, this has now increased to 54% for 2017.

“Almost a decade after the financial crisis, access to finance for small house builders is getting worse instead of better,” commented Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB.

The details of the report paint a picture of an ongoing governmental push to improve and expand the housing sector that simply isn’t working. Several schemes and policies have been rolled out over recent years, one of which is the £3 billion Home Building Fund, which was created specifically to assist this part of the sector.

According to the Housebuilders’ Federation, approximately 12% of British homes were built by SMEs last year, equating to around 20,000 properties. Over the past 25 years, the number of SME housebuilders operational in the UK has declined by around 80%. While it had been expected that things would begin to show signs of turning around following the financial crisis, evidence would seem to suggest this simply wasn’t the case.

As of 2015, no more than around 1 in every 8 homes built across the country was the work of SMEs, suggests a report published by the HBF. If things were taken back to their 2007 standards, this would result in around 25,000 more annual home developments from this part of the sector alone.

Back in February, the government published a white paper affirming its commitment to the SME construction sector, though the inability to access funding continues to stand in the way of many.

“The White Paper quite rightly emphasises the need to diversify the housebuilding sector, so it is less reliant on a few large house builders. To do this, we need the government to make good on its proposals to improve the availability of small sites and speed up the planning process for small sites,” Mr Berry stated.

In turn, a growing number of developers have begun turning to alternative financial products and solutions, development-bridging loans, having seen a significant spike in popularity. Intelligent financial solutions tailored to the needs of the property sector are becoming an important lifeline for hundreds of businesses up and down the country.

For more information on bridging loans and alternative financial solutions for property development and construction, get in touch with the UK Property Finance customer service team today.