- Planning authority
- London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
- Postcodes
- SW6, W6, W12, W14
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater London
What shapes a plot in Hammersmith and Fulham
Daylight matters twice over when the new home is for a relative who spends much of the day indoors. At noon on 21 March the sun in Hammersmith and Fulham is about 39° above the horizon, so a two-storey eaves line around 5 m high casts a shadow of roughly 6.3 m. A single-storey annexe with eaves at half that height casts one about half as long, which is one reason low buildings often sit more easily in a garden. By late December the midday sun climbs only about 15°, so we test winter light on both homes, and on next-door gardens, before the layout is fixed.
What happens next in Hammersmith and Fulham
From first call to keys, a family home in Hammersmith and Fulham follows a clear order. Free appraisal and site visit; measured survey and design around the person moving in; a planning application to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham; approval under the Building Regulations and any CIL exemption claimed before work starts; then the build, with you living next door throughout. You receive a written quote after design and survey, and we keep the household updated at each stage.
Free plot appraisal
We look at your plot, access and the planning picture from the desk, talk through who will live in the new home, and visit if it looks viable. There’s no cost and no obligation.
Annexe or separate home
We set out both routes for your plot, covering what each means for planning, ownership, council tax, CIL and VAT, so you can decide with your family and advisers before design starts.
Survey and design
A measured survey, then a design built around the person moving in: step-free routes, a ground-floor bedroom if needed and privacy for both households. You get a written quote after design and survey.
Build and handover
We build while you carry on living next door, with access, deliveries and working hours agreed up front. At handover you get the completion certificate and the paperwork you’ll need for council tax, lenders and any VAT claim.
Worth checking early
- VAT savings available on a separate dwelling often don’t apply to an annexe; take advice from a tax adviser before choosing.
- An annexe tied by planning condition usually can’t be sold or let separately, which limits flexibility later.
- Planning is the council’s decision, and an annexe is not a way round the rules that apply to a new house.
Your questions, answered for Hammersmith and Fulham
Do I need planning permission for a granny annexe in Hammersmith and Fulham?
Yes, almost always for a detached annexe with its own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham will treat it as accommodation linked to your home and will usually add a condition so it can’t be let or sold separately. A garden building used only as a home office or gym is a different matter, but sleeping and cooking take it beyond those allowances.
Can I build a separate house in my Hammersmith and Fulham garden for my son or daughter?
Possibly, if the plot can work as a home in its own right. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham will look at access, parking, garden space for both houses, privacy and the character of the street, as it would for any new house. If permission is granted, the plot can be transferred to your child with its own title, with your lender’s consent if the house is mortgaged.
Will an annexe in Hammersmith and Fulham put up my council tax?
It might. Annexes can be banded separately, but exemptions exist for annexes lived in by certain dependent relatives, and in some cases a discount applies where family live there or the annexe is used as part of the main home. Who qualifies depends on the relative’s circumstances and how the annexe is used. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham’s council tax team can tell you how the rules apply to your household.
Who owns an annexe built in my Hammersmith and Fulham garden?
You do. An annexe stays on the title of your house and usually carries a planning condition tying it to the main home, so it can’t be transferred to the relative living in it. If a family member is paying towards it, record what they’ve put in and what happens on a sale in a written agreement drawn up by a solicitor.
Other options in Hammersmith and Fulham
- Large rear gardens
- Build a new home in your garden
- Corner and side plots
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Joint venture on your garden plot