Housing in Cambridgeshire
Cambridge has many Victorian terraces in pale gault brick, with Edwardian villas and modern estates around the city. Peterborough expanded as a new town from the 1970s, adding large planned estates, while Ely, Huntingdon, St Neots and the Fenland market towns keep Georgian and Victorian centres. Limestone appears in villages near the Northamptonshire border.
This is one of the driest parts of the UK, but open fenland is windy and peat or clay ground can shrink, affecting foundations.
With that background in mind, here is how we typically handle home improvements for homes in Cambridge, from the first visit to the finished result.
Planning and building rules for Cambridge
As Cambridge is in England, read the following with that system of planning and building control in mind. We check what applies to your house with the council before you receive a quote.
In England, planning applications go to your local council, and many smaller extensions, loft conversions and outdoor jobs are permitted development. Conservation areas, listed buildings and Article 4 directions remove some of those rights. Building Regulations approval comes from council building control or a registered building control approver, or through a competent person scheme for certain trades.
Questions from homeowners in Cambridge
Do you cover Newmarket, Ely and Huntingdon?
Yes. As well as Cambridge, we cover Newmarket, Ely and Huntingdon and the rest of Cambridgeshire. Our coverage is UK-wide, so the process is the same wherever you are: a free site survey, a quote in writing that fixes the price for the agreed scope, and one point of contact while the work is planned and carried out.
Do I need planning permission in Cambridge?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Cambridge is in England, so England's rules apply. Many smaller jobs need no planning application, but some still need building control approval. We check what applies to your address before quoting.
Which postcodes in Cambridge do you cover?
We cover CB2, along with the rest of Cambridgeshire. If your postcode is not listed, get in touch anyway: our coverage is UK-wide, and we can usually arrange a survey wherever you live. Enter your postcode in the guide-price tool or contact form and we will confirm.
What happens at the survey?
We visit your home at a time that suits you, look at the area involved, take measurements and check access, condition and any services that might be affected. We talk through what you want from your project, explain the options and answer questions. There is no charge and no obligation; afterwards we send a written quote.
Who do I deal with during the job?
One point of contact manages your project from survey to handover. They schedule the trades working under our contract, keep you updated on progress, and are the person to call with any question. You don't need to coordinate builders, electricians or decorators separately, because that is part of what we do.