Bungalows on large plots in Woking

Before deciding anything about the land around your Woking bungalow, it helps to know what could realistically fit. That might be one modest home at the back, a chalet bungalow alongside, or a pair of homes where the bungalow now stands.

We sketch the options during a free appraisal, looking at width, depth, access, neighbours and the street scene. Then we explain how each could go ahead, from a straightforward plot sale to a joint venture or a design and build. Woking Borough Council makes the planning decision in every case, and we never suggest otherwise or promise an outcome.

Brick bungalow on a wide plot in a quiet cul-de-sac with a very large garden to the side
Planning authority
Woking Borough Council
Postcodes
GU21, GU22, KT14
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.2 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Surrey

Woking: light, access and policy

Replacing a bungalow in GU21, GU22 and KT14 with two or more homes needs planning permission for the new homes, and Woking Borough Council will look closely at the number of homes, their height, parking, bins and garden space for each household.

A replacement can sometimes fit better than squeezing a new home behind a bungalow that stays, because the whole plot can be laid out from scratch. Neighbours are consulted either way, and a design that respects single-storey homes next door usually meets fewer objections.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Woking: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.2 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.4 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Woking: 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.

What happens next in Woking

Tell us roughly where your Woking bungalow is and how the plot is laid out. We check the title plan, the planning history nearby and the street from the desk, then talk through what you want from the land. If it looks viable, we visit, measure and sketch the options for you to consider, with no cost and no obligation at any point.

  1. Free plot appraisal

    We look at the plot’s width and depth, the access, the planning history nearby and the character of the street, then talk through what you want. It’s free, with no obligation, and a site visit follows if it looks viable.

  2. Compare the options

    We sketch what could realistically fit: a home behind, a home beside, or a replacement scheme. You see the trade-offs for each, including what happens to your own garden and parking, before choosing a route.

  3. Choose your route

    You can sell a plot and stay put, sell subject to planning, grant an option, enter a joint venture, or keep the land and have us design, get planning for and build a new home on it.

  4. Planning application

    We prepare drawings and reports designed around single-storey neighbours and the street scene, usually seek pre-application advice, and submit. The council consults neighbours and makes the decision.

Worth checking early

  • A two-storey home on a road of bungalows is often resisted, so designs may need to stay low.
  • Replacing the bungalow means moving out during demolition and building, which suits some owners and not others.
  • Filling the gap beside a bungalow can change the look of the street, which councils weigh carefully.

Your questions, answered for Woking

Will Woking Borough Council allow a two-storey house next to bungalows in Woking?

It depends on the street and the design. Councils are often cautious about two-storey homes among single-storey neighbours because of overlooking and the change to the street. Chalet designs with rooms in the roof are a common compromise, but the council decides.

Could I build a home for a relative on my bungalow plot in Woking?

Yes, through our design and build route. You keep the land, and we design, get planning for and build the new home. A separate home needs planning permission; an annexe used as part of the main house is treated differently.

Can I build a second home on my bungalow plot in Woking?

Possibly, if the plot is wide or deep enough and has a workable way in. The new home needs planning permission from Woking Borough Council, which will look at the street scene, neighbours’ privacy and light, garden space and parking. A free appraisal tells you what is realistic.

Do I need to sell my Woking bungalow to develop the plot?

No. You can keep the bungalow and sell a plot, have us build on the land for you, or enter a joint venture. Replacing the bungalow is only one of several options, and staying put is often simpler.

Other options in Woking

Bungalows on large plots near Woking

Find out what your garden could become

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