Permission Moving Kitchen to Another Room?

moneymark

Hello,

Planning on making a one bed flat into a two bed by moving the kitchen to make a lounge/dinner and the original kitchen area a bedroom.

Subject to checking the lease permits this change, would this require planning permission or building regs?

There will be no structural work and ample ventilation and access to plumbing/outside wall.

Thanks in advance

MM

davidmcn

Almost certainly building regs but not relevant for planning (assuming no external changes, not a listed building etc).

HampshireH

Depending on the size of your property, number of flats and who your freeholder is they may object.
Would you not need to build a new internal wall/doorframe etc to provide the 2nd room?

If your freeholder is a HA or Council and the flat sits above/below another they may object on the ground based on fire brigade having plans for properties - usually more relevant for bigger blocks.

You would need to have your flat reclassified for council tax purposes upon re-sale (i think) & ensure the room meets the requirements of a bedroom & maintains an adequate fire escape/fire protection.

Your lease should also be updated to reflect the change from 1 bed to 2 bed.

If you are moving the kitchen you would need gas works and electric works done. Possibly a gas pipe removed if you have gas as you wouldnt want this just capped in the bedroom, so your services would be being moved around.

Unless your lease is silent on the matter it would be naive to do these works without freeholder consent.

moneymark

Thanks all,

Yes I need to read the lease properly and will contact the freeholder for any consents required as well as building regs.

The place needs a full rewire and has no gas at present so it's kind of a blank canvas.

The property is an upper ground Victorian house conversion, the lounge is large with high ceilings and floor to ceiling bay windows. I live in a similar property and have done the same with the kitchen and it works well. The washing machine will be situated in a separate cupboard off the hallway.

It's 2 mins from a mainline station (20mins) into London the target tenant would be young professionals who I believe the open plan layout would work for.

Cheers