Buying 1 bed or 2 bed

Addison89

propertyrental said:

'garden office' is likely to need not just planning consent, but consent from the freeholder....

I googled and it says “ planning permission for a garden office is not required as long as it is under the 2.5m high limit and the area is less than 50% of the outside space”. The wooden garden offices I am considering are within this limit

RHemmings

propertyrental said:

'garden office' is likely to need not just planning consent, but consent from the freeholder....

For the planning consent aspect, I believe that the likelihood that planning consent being needed depends on how the building will be used. 

E.g.

https://planninghouse.co.uk/do-you-need-planning-permission-for-a-garden-office/

How are you going to use it?

Permitted development rules allow “incidental” buildings such as sheds and summerhouses to be put up without planning permission (as long as they are the correct height/location etc). A garden office or a garden studio used for leisure or occasionally used when working at home may well be viewed as “incidental” and hopefully won’t needing planning permission. Whereas a garden office used for business five days a week and where clients visit the office is not be viewed as “incidental” by your local authority and they may want a planning application for it.

If you build an office without planning permission and the council later decides that it needs planning permission, they will ask you to make a retrospective planning application. It is within their power to refuse the planning permission and make you take the building down.

Consent from the freeholder I think will be very likely to be needed. Given what I've read in many leases. 

For both of these potential stumbling blocks, waiting until the flat is bought and then applying to the freeholder and for planning permission (if needed) risks a refusal from one or both. Buying the two bedroom property avoids that risk.  It will be possible for the OP to consider how they would use such a building, and if planning permission will likely be needed. It's theoretically possible to contact a freeholder before purchase to ask whether they would be likely to give permission (if needed). However, I've not ever heard of anyone contacting a freeholder in that way, and don't know how likely a positive response would be.

propertyrental

Addison89 said:

propertyrental said:

'garden office' is likely to need not just planning consent, but consent from the freeholder....

I googled and it says “ planning permission for a garden office is not required as long as it is under the 2.5m high limit and the area is less than 50% of the outside space”. The wooden garden offices I am considering are within this limit

Then it's just the freeholder you'll need to consider....

ps - not doubting you but 'google' is not an authoritative source. Which website are you quoting?

Skiddaw1

I'd opt for the 1 bed with garden flat, especially if it looks feasible to add a garden office. It'll give you a good stepping stone and hopefully you can move on to a house in a few years when you've had a chance to save more.

Addison89

propertyrental said:

Then it's just the freeholder you'll need to consider....

ps - not doubting you but 'google' is not an authoritative source. Which website are you quoting?

The flat comes with a share of freehold and it has its private section of the garden so I guess that should be ok?

Can’t find the original article but this says the same although as the other commenter said the incidental use have to be considered 

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/extensions/article/garden-rooms/do-you-need-planning-permission-for-a-garden-room-aDScD1S8HNc7

RHemmings

Addison89 said:

propertyrental said:

Then it's just the freeholder you'll need to consider....

ps - not doubting you but 'google' is not an authoritative source. Which website are you quoting?

The flat comes with a share of freehold and it has its private section of the garden so I guess that should be ok?

Can’t find the original article but this says the same although as the other commenter said the incidental use have to be considered 

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/extensions/article/garden-rooms/do-you-need-planning-permission-for-a-garden-room-aDScD1S8HNc7

You may need the agreement of the other co-freeholder(s). In any case, it might be a good idea for you to have a chat with your future neighbour on this and other things. When I've introduced myself to potential future neighbours in the past, the chats have always been friendly and very useful. 

propertyrental

Addison89 said:

propertyrental said:

Then it's just the freeholder you'll need to consider....

ps - not doubting you but 'google' is not an authoritative source. Which website are you quoting?

The flat comes with a share of freehold and it has its private section of the garden so I guess that should be ok? I can't read the lease from here - What does it say?

Can’t find the original article but this says the same although as the other commenter said the incidental use have to be considered 

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/extensions/article/garden-rooms/do-you-need-planning-permission-for-a-garden-room-aDScD1S8HNc7

sigh. Info on the milton keynes council website:

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/outbuildings/planning-permission

NameUnavailable

Addison89 said:

propertyrental said:

Then it's just the freeholder you'll need to consider....

ps - not doubting you but 'google' is not an authoritative source. Which website are you quoting?

The flat comes with a share of freehold and it has its private section of the garden so I guess that should be ok?

Can’t find the original article but this says the same although as the other commenter said the incidental use have to be considered 

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/extensions/article/garden-rooms/do-you-need-planning-permission-for-a-garden-room-aDScD1S8HNc7

If you have a share of freehold you are still bound by the terms of the lease, so you need to check what if anything it says about the gardens and any restrictions (it might actually say no sheds or no shed larger than X).

Regardless of that it would still be a good idea to get the neighbours agreement given that it's a shared garden (albeit that you have a section each).

theoretica

propertyrental said:

Addison89 said:

propertyrental said:

Then it's just the freeholder you'll need to consider....

ps - not doubting you but 'google' is not an authoritative source. Which website are you quoting?

The flat comes with a share of freehold and it has its private section of the garden so I guess that should be ok? I can't read the lease from here - What does it say?

Can’t find the original article but this says the same although as the other commenter said the incidental use have to be considered 

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/extensions/article/garden-rooms/do-you-need-planning-permission-for-a-garden-room-aDScD1S8HNc7

sigh. Info on the milton keynes council website:

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/outbuildings/planning-permission

But: Please note: The permitted development allowances described here apply to houses and not to:
Flats and maisonettes (view our guidance on flats and maisonettes)

In places with only one train station you will be greatly limiting yourself, and adding to costs by wanting to be in walking distance (depending on how far you are prepared to walk).  What does your budget get you if you expand to cycling distance? How far out do you need to go before availability is up and prices down?

RHemmings

theoretica said:

propertyrental said:

Addison89 said:

propertyrental said:

Then it's just the freeholder you'll need to consider....

ps - not doubting you but 'google' is not an authoritative source. Which website are you quoting?

The flat comes with a share of freehold and it has its private section of the garden so I guess that should be ok? I can't read the lease from here - What does it say?

Can’t find the original article but this says the same although as the other commenter said the incidental use have to be considered 

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/extensions/article/garden-rooms/do-you-need-planning-permission-for-a-garden-room-aDScD1S8HNc7

sigh. Info on the milton keynes council website:

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/outbuildings/planning-permission

But: Please note: The permitted development allowances described here apply to houses and not to:
Flats and maisonettes (view our guidance on flats and maisonettes)

In places with only one train station you will be greatly limiting yourself, and adding to costs by wanting to be in walking distance (depending on how far you are prepared to walk).  What does your budget get you if you expand to cycling distance? How far out do you need to go before availability is up and prices down?

How does the situation differ for flats in terms of a garden office?

The link before has a page on the specific situation for flats and maisonettes. But, it doesn't mention garden offices. 

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/flats-and-maisonettes/introduction

Doing a search, there are many comments that permitted development rights don't apply to flats, but then pages often say that owners of flats can make some modifications that may fall within permitted development. It seems that the online informaiton is confusing, at best.