Free resource
London home project checklist
A practical, stage-by-stage checklist for a London home project — from feasibility and planning through building regulations, tender and construction. Print it or save it as a PDF and tick items off as you go.
1. Before you start
- Confirm the property type (house, flat, maisonette) and tenure (freehold/leasehold)
- Check whether the property is listed or in a conservation area
- Check for an Article 4 direction that removes permitted development rights
- Review the property’s planning history and any existing conditions
- Agree your brief: what you want to change and why
- Set a realistic budget, including a contingency
2. Feasibility & design
- Commission a measured survey of the existing property
- Test feasibility and design options against the brief and budget
- Confirm whether reconfiguration, extension, loft or basement best suits
- Identify likely planning route (permitted development, householder, full, listed building consent)
- Consider pre-application advice for sensitive or larger proposals
3. Planning & consents
- Prepare planning drawings and any required supporting statements
- Submit and respond to validation and case-officer queries
- For listed buildings, obtain listed building consent (separate from planning)
- For leasehold flats, start the Licence to Alter process with the freeholder
- Discharge any pre-commencement planning conditions before starting work
4. Technical design & building regulations
- Appoint a structural engineer for any new or altered structure
- Prepare building regulations and construction drawings
- Coordinate fire, energy (Part L), ventilation and drainage requirements
- Choose a building control route (full plans or building notice)
- Check whether a Thames Water build-over agreement is needed
5. Tender & appointing a builder
- Prepare a coordinated tender package and outline specification
- Obtain comparable quotes from a selected list of contractors
- Review returns on a like-for-like basis, not headline price alone
- Agree an appropriate building contract (e.g. a JCT form)
- Confirm Principal Designer and Principal Contractor duties
6. Party wall & neighbours
- Identify whether the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies
- Serve party wall notices in good time before relevant works
- Appoint a party wall surveyor if neighbours do not consent
- Keep neighbours informed about access and programme
7. Construction & completion
- Agree a programme and payment schedule with the contractor
- Arrange architectural support or contract administration during the build
- Inspect at key stages and manage variations through the contract
- Obtain the building control completion certificate
- Compile drawings, certificates and warranties for your records
Coordinating planning, party wall, structural engineering, and build delivery
Sequencing these seven stages properly prevents the two most expensive delays on a London residential project: discovering a structural or drainage constraint after planning permission has already fixed the external envelope, and starting on site before Party Wall awards, Licence to Alter deeds, or pre-commencement planning conditions are discharged. Our studio coordinates architectural design, planning submissions, and in-house structural engineering alongside sister companies Hampstead Renovations and Hampstead Chartered Surveyors & Building Consultancy so each gate is cleared in order.
Planning information on this website is general guidance only. Requirements depend on the property, location, existing permissions, planning history, listed-building status, conservation-area controls, lease terms and local authority interpretation. This checklist is general guidance from Hampstead Architecture and Planning and is not advice on your specific property.
Want help working through this?
Send us the property address, type and a short description of the work. We will advise on the likely drawings, approvals and consultant input your project will need.
Free consultation
Tell us about your project
Free and no obligation. We review every enquiry personally.