FAQs

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General

  • A granny annexe / garden cottage / granny flat is an outbuilding that provides self-contained accommodation within your existing property boundary / curtilage.

    Traditionally, they are a compact one-storey detached building, built of proper construction methods and insulated using the most modern means available at the time of building.

    An annexe is one of the most cost-effective ways to extend living space since the foundations are not complex and your land is already owned. They’re also known to increase the value of your property by 20-30%.

  • A garden office is a stand-alone building providing an incidental use such as an office, a gym or an entertainment room. Garden rooms are not typically designed for full-time use and may not be highly insulated nor providing any service utilities. These incidental buildings are usually Class E Permitted Development.

    A granny annexe is more complex in the way that it is designed for full-time use, meaning they should be built with higher levels of insulation and provide facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms. These buildings provide an ancillary use which typically require planning permission and building regulation compliance.

  • If your project can be classified under Permitted Development, you can build within 2m if the height does not exceed 2.5m. If applying for Planning Permission, we’d recommend allowing at least 1m to allow for construction and maintenance.

  • Generally, yes - annexes are compact buildings that should be insulated to high standards and be well-ventilated where necessary. Since the main source of heating is provided by using electrical power, 100% of the energy dispersed is used as heat energy. Low U-Value building envelopes then work to prevent that energy from escaping.

    We offer one of the lowest U-Values on the market to ensure your annexe has one of the best thermal specifications you can find. This means that the energy you use to heat your space goes a lot further, helping you to save money and a bit of the planet.

Permissions

  • Permitted development (PD) in the UK refers to a set of planning rules and regulations (General Permitted Development Order 2015) that allow certain types of building work to be carried out without the need to apply for formal planning permission. These rules are designed to simplify and streamline the planning process for minor development projects.

    Permitted development rights cover various types of projects, including home extensions, loft conversions, changes of use, and small-scale construction work. While certain developments are permitted, they must still adhere to specific conditions and limitations. These conditions can include restrictions on size, height, location, and appearance, among others.

    PD rules in the UK may not cover an outbuilding that provides an ancillary use such as permanent living, occasional accommodation or a structure that provides residential independence. There are also exclusions for developments in green belts or conservation areas, AONB and listed buildings.

    GPDO: Schedule 2 >

  • In short, we’d recommend it - but it is totally down to the advice you find from either your local council, or our specialist consultant.

    Let’s not complicate this - your annexe is a building designed to be lived in, so you’ll need LPA permission, approval or acknowledgement of some description. This is because a granny annexe provides an ancillary use, not an incidental one, therefore, it may not be granted automatic permission under your Permitted Development rights. The reality is that if you build an annexe without the relevant approvals, the council can legally enforce its removal.

    There are three main types of applications to consider; Householder, Certificate of Lawful Development and the Caravan Sites Act 1968.

    There are also some occasions where an annexe may be deemed incidental because it shares services, access and boundaries with the main house.

  • Absolutely - your annexe is likely to be larger than 30m2 with sleeping accommodation. Even if it is less than 30m2, you’ll still have services extended from your main house, and remember that it needs to share those services to be an annexe.

    There are numerous regulations that your annexe may need to demonstrate compliance with; health and safety, accessibility, energy efficiency, structural integrity, fire safety, drainage and plumbing, noise insulation, electrical safety and building standards (BS EN / ISO etc).

    Regulations are in place to uniformly ensure a continuity of safety, quality and durability across the construction industry; a proper granny annexe should be no exception.

    Learn more >

  • If you have choosen to build your annexe using our D&B service, we deal with your application and deduct any fees from your total project cost. The process is individually unique to each project and circumstance so we can’t guarantee an approval, however, our specialist consultant has achieved a 95% success rate so far.

    If you choose to purchase the plans from us, so that you may either build it yourself or with another builder, you are in charge of your own application. You can choose to appoint us as your agent, where we work with our consultant to draft and manage your application. The fee for this is £2,200.

Financial

  • You’ll pay more per square meter for a smaller building than you would for a larger one. We’d recommend allowing £700p/m2 for self-building, £1,200p/m2 for bringing in your own trades and around £1,800p/m2 for a specialist D&B contractor.

  • All of our D&B projects are managed in-house, but we may use sub-contractors or specific tradesmen and consultants during your project. It is rare for us to ask you to pay third parties directly.

  • We are founding partners of Rooms2u, who will assist you in funding a KOPPISPACE project using iDeal.

  • It is now commonly understood by most market professionals that a granny annexe in your garden, built properly and to an acceptable standard offering self-contained accommodation, can increase the value of your home by as much as 20-30%. That’s 10% more than what an extension achieves.

Only Plans

  • We regularly update and maintain a collection of 9 popular and versatile designs. Visit our online store and select which types of drawing you need, select the model, choose your finishes and add the drawing pack to your cart. Orders are processed within 3-5 working days and are sent straight to your inbox.

  • We can produce full architectural drawings for your annexe project. We’ll ask you about your requirements, your budget and any images you may have for design inspiration. Once they are complete, they are paid for and sent out to your email.

    The first draft is sent to you within 5 working days, and we charge 2% of the estimated build cost using £1,800 per square meter.

  • Absolutely - when purchasing plans from our website, select Paper Copies as the shipping method. For Bespoke Plans, we’ll ask you if you’d like paper copies sent out to you.

  • You may request one minor design review - this happens live and online to avoid mistranslation.

Design & Build

  • Quite simply, it’s the process of delivering a construction project from start to finish using one main company; designers, tradesmen and sub-contractors work collectively under one leadership role, usually the main contractor. The benefits include a greater control over timescales, one unified workflow and a collective pack of certifications.

    Our D&B projects are provided at a fixed, all-inclusive cost that remains competitive and flexible to the specification being delivered.

    You may also choose a traditional building route by approaching, selecting and managing your own trades after purchasing plans directly form us. You can purchase your plans here >.

  • All of our D&B projects are managed in-house, but we may either use our in-house installation team or sub-contractors depending on your project location.

    We may use sub-contractors from time to time to maintain a nationwide coverage and to maximise the accessibility of our service. We have a network of trusted teams with experience in the garden room and annexe industry, as well as our own in-house team of tradesmen. These guys are industry professionals, and like us, their reputation relies on delivered quality, reliability and assurance.

    It is important to us that our sub-contractors are a part of the KOPPISPACE ethos, and adhere to quality control measures when working with us.

  • Each D&B project is completed with a 10 year structural warranty and for your additional peace of mind, we’ll issue your project with a 10 year insurance backed guarantee.

    We also provide a G3 certificate for any installed un-vented hot water tanks, an EICR for electrical works and details of any warranties associated with fitted appliances.

  • We are unable to provide our clients with credit since we are not regulated by the FCA, and so we must charge a deposit before the project begins, this is usually when you approve the final design and give us the go-ahead.

    Depending on the project value, a typical payment structure may look like this:

    40% - Deposit

    30% - Commencing

    20% - Completion

    10% - Handover

    For projects with a D&B value of over £50,000, we may also ask that you provide proof of funds prior to starting a project, particularly if your project is financed. Information is protected and is retained only for the duration of the project.