- Planning authority
- Spelthorne Borough Council
- Postcodes
- TW18, TW19
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Surrey
What the council will look at in Staines-upon-Thames
Light is a real test on side plots because the new home sits so close to existing ones. In midwinter the noon sun in Staines-upon-Thames is only around 15° above the horizon, so even a modest roof can shade a neighbour’s side windows or garden for long periods.
Councils, including Spelthorne Borough Council, look at daylight and sunlight to existing homes when deciding applications. A lower eaves line, a hipped roof or a slightly wider gap at the side can make the difference, and we test those options before the drawings are finalised.
What happens next in Staines-upon-Thames
You stay in control after the appraisal. Selling means heads of terms in writing, read by your solicitor, before anything is signed. Building means survey and design ahead of a written quote. Whichever you choose, Spelthorne Borough Council receives the application and asks your neighbours for comments, and a decision on a single home often takes a few months, longer if the design needs amending.
Free plot appraisal
We look at your plot on maps, the title plan and street views, check planning history nearby and talk it through with you. If a home beside yours looks possible we visit. No cost, no obligation.
Read the street
We measure the plot and record the building line, the gaps between houses, roof heights, materials and boundary walls, then check where a new drive could go and what drivers would be able to see from it.
Choose your route
Sell the plot outright, sell it subject to planning, or grant an option while you keep your house. Or keep the land and have us design, get planning for and build a new home on it.
Sale or build
For a sale, your solicitor handles the transfer of part and any release from your lender. For a build, a written quote follows design and survey, then we build, arrange the warranty and hand over.
Worth checking early
- Attaching a home to yours brings party wall, fire and sound separation work, and changes the feel of your own house.
- Losing a side garden or drive changes how your house works day to day, from parking to getting bins round the back.
- A new drive close to a junction may not be acceptable to the highway authority, which can force a different layout.
Questions about garden plots in Staines-upon-Thames
Can you build a home beside my house in Staines-upon-Thames for my family?
Yes. A home next door can give a parent or grown-up child their own front door while keeping them close. You keep the land; we draw the house, apply for permission, build it and arrange the structural warranty or other cover lenders accept. The written quote comes after design and survey.
Is my Staines-upon-Thames side garden wide enough for a new house?
It depends on how wide homes are in your street, the gaps between them, whether the new home would be attached or detached and what the council’s design guidance says. There’s no single minimum width. We measure your plot and the street as part of a free appraisal.
Can I attach a new home to my house in Staines-upon-Thames?
Yes, where it suits the street, for example on the end of a semi-detached pair. It needs planning permission as a separate home, fire and sound separation under Building Regulations, and possibly a party wall agreement. We check whether attached or detached fits your road better.
Is there a fee for checking my side plot in Staines-upon-Thames?
There’s no fee. The appraisal is free and you’re under no obligation. We work from maps, the title and a phone call first, and only visit if the plot seems worth it. Nothing binds you until you’ve picked a route and read the written terms.
Other options in Staines-upon-Thames
- Large rear gardens
- Sell subject to planning
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Garden plot option agreement
- Plot feasibility and design
- Build a home for family in your garden

