- Planning authority
- Test Valley Borough Council
- Postcodes
- SP10, SP11
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Hampshire
What shapes a plot in Andover
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 Andover is about 39° above the horizon, so a two-storey eaves line around 5 m high casts a shadow of roughly 6.2 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 Andover
Getting started in Andover costs nothing. Send us a few photos of your garden and the way in, or simply call, and we’ll look at the plot from the desk and talk through your family’s plans. If there’s a realistic scheme, we arrange a site visit. Survey and design are quoted in writing before you commit, and the build price follows once the design is settled.
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.
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
- VAT savings available on a separate dwelling often don’t apply to an annexe; take advice from a tax adviser before choosing.
- Family plans change: agree ownership, costs and what happens if circumstances change in writing, with a solicitor.
- 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 Andover
How long will building work disrupt my home in Andover?
A single garden home usually takes several months on site, with the noisiest work, such as groundworks, drainage and heavy deliveries, concentrated near the start. We agree working hours, access and parking with you up front, and with the people next door where it affects them, so your household knows what each week will look like.
Can I build a separate house in my Andover garden for my son or daughter?
Possibly, if the plot can work as a home in its own right. Test Valley Borough Council 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.
Is CIL payable on a family home in Andover?
Only if Test Valley Borough Council has adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy, which its website will confirm, and we check it for you during the appraisal. Where it applies, self-build and residential annexe exemptions exist, but both must be claimed before work starts and can be withdrawn if the home is sold or let within three years of completion.
How much garden do I need for a family home in Andover?
There’s no fixed figure. A single-storey annexe close to the house can work on a smaller plot than a separate dwelling, which needs its own garden, parking and access. What matters is whether Test Valley Borough Council can be satisfied on privacy, daylight and the space left for both homes. The free appraisal gives you a first view based on your plot’s actual shape and access.
Other options in Andover
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Garage courts and yards
- Build a new home in your garden
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Bungalows on large plots
- Tandem and landlocked plots