Backland Development
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Build a home for family in your garden in Kingston upon Thames

For grown-up children in Kingston upon Thames, the step to a first home can be a long one. If your garden is big enough, a small separate house on part of it could become theirs: with its own planning permission and title, it can be mortgaged in their name and sold when they move on.

That asks more of the plot than an annexe does, including its own garden, parking and an access the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames will accept. We look at all of that in a free plot appraisal, then design and build the home if the scheme stacks up and you want to go ahead.

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Single-storey garden home with wide glazed doors and a covered porch at the back of a family garden
Planning authority
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Postcodes
KT1, KT3, KT4, KT5, KT6
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.3 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Greater London

How it plays out in Kingston upon Thames

Access usually decides what a Kingston upon Thames garden can take. An annexe can often share your drive because it is used with the house, but a separate home needs an access the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames will accept for a dwelling in its own right, with room for cars, bin collection and emergency vehicles. We cover homes in Kingston upon Thames and around East Molesey, Ewell and Richmond upon Thames, and on every plot we measure the drive width, the view along the road where the access joins it, and how far bins would need to travel, before anyone draws a plan.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Kingston upon Thames: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.4 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Kingston upon Thames: around 39° of sun at midday in late March and about 15° at midwinter. It shows why the gap between your house and a new home behind it is about light as well as privacy. Garden assumed to face north.

From first call to decision

Here’s what happens next for a family home in Kingston upon Thames. You tell us about your plot and who the home is for, and we carry out a free desktop appraisal of access, space and the planning context. If it looks viable we visit, then set out the annexe and separate-home options. With your go-ahead we survey, design and give you a written quote, then prepare the application for the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Planning and approvals

    We prepare and submit the planning application and manage it with the council, which makes the decision. Before work starts, approval under the Building Regulations is in place and any CIL exemption has been claimed.

Worth checking early

  • An annexe tied by planning condition usually can’t be sold or let separately, which limits flexibility later.
  • A separate home needs its own garden, parking, bins and access, so it needs more land than an annexe.
  • Family plans change: agree ownership, costs and what happens if circumstances change in writing, with a solicitor.

Your questions, answered for Kingston upon Thames

Can I build a separate house in my Kingston upon Thames garden for my son or daughter?

Possibly, if the plot can work as a home in its own right. The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames 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.

Can you design a home in Kingston upon Thames for a relative who uses a wheelchair?

Yes. The design can include a level approach and threshold, turning space in each room, a wet room, wider doors and worktops at a usable height. Where the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames requires a particular access standard through planning, the design meets it; otherwise it’s your choice how far to go. Input from your relative’s occupational therapist is well worth having.

Will an annexe in Kingston upon Thames 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 Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames’s council tax team can tell you how the rules apply to your household.

Do I need planning permission for a granny annexe in Kingston upon Thames?

Yes, almost always for a detached annexe with its own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames 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.

Other options in Kingston upon Thames

Family home in your garden near Kingston upon Thames

Find out what your garden could become

Free garden plot appraisal. No cost, no obligation, and a straight answer if it won’t work.

Get my free appraisal 0800 088 6248