- Planning authority
- Eastleigh Borough Council
- Postcodes
- SO50
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Hampshire
What the council will look at in Eastleigh
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 Eastleigh 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 16°, so we test winter light on both homes, and on next-door gardens, before the layout is fixed.
The next steps, locally
The next step is a conversation, by phone or through the form, about your garden in Eastleigh and who the new home is for. We check access, title, the main planning constraints and any CIL position for your address, then tell you whether an annexe, a separate home or neither looks realistic. If neither does, we’ll say so and explain why.
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.
- A separate home needs its own garden, parking, bins and access, so it needs more land than an annexe.
- An annexe tied by planning condition usually can’t be sold or let separately, which limits flexibility later.
Questions about garden plots in Eastleigh
How long will building work disrupt my home in Eastleigh?
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.
Who owns an annexe built in my Eastleigh 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.
Can you design a home in Eastleigh 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 Eastleigh Borough Council 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.
Is CIL payable on a family home in Eastleigh?
Only if Eastleigh 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.
Other options in Eastleigh
- Build a new home in your garden
- Plot feasibility and design
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Garden plot option agreement
- Sell subject to planning
- Planning permission for a garden plot