Step 1
Enquiry & Fact Find
When you make your enquiry to iHUS about building a granny annexe, you will be given a warm welcome by a member of our iHUS team. If we can assist you in any way straight away we will; or one of our specialised team members will call you back at a time to suit you to discuss your enquiry further. This will help us to develop a greater understanding of what you want to achieve, your needs, circumstances, timelines and budget.
We will also answer any of your initial questions to give you a better understanding of what is involved with building a granny annexe in your back garden. If you wish, we will happily arrange a virtual consultation.
Step 2
Free Virtual Consultation
We provide a remote consultation service – a safe and simple way to learn more about our annexes. This free service will quickly establish the feasibility and specific costs of building an iHUS home in your garden. Using your address details, our planning expert, Oliver Wright, will review your site and document the likelihood of obtaining permission to build in a simple planning report.
One of our annexe consultants will call you to discuss your specific needs, from garden location and required service runs, to the unique design and specification of your annexe. We then collate this information into a full set of drawings and itemised quotation. We’ll even superimpose your proposed annexe in your garden.
Step 3
Quotation
After the virtual consultation we will prepare a detailed quotation and proposal for building a granny annexe, which will include:
– The process of obtaining the build permission from your LPA (local planning authority).
– The warranties and build guarantees
– The build time-lines and what to expect
– The annexe build specifications
– A full set of CAD footprint and elevation drawings of your proposed annexe
– The fees required for the build permission application
– A detailed cost breakdown for your proposed annexe
– Any extra costs for additional works (should you decide to have them done), and the build payment schedules.
You can expect to receive your written quotation and drawings within 7-10 days of your virtual consultation visit.
Step 4
Site Visit
We can continue to amend your annexe design and quote, but if you’re happy to proceed in principle, we’ll organise for your annexe consultant to visit you at your home (or the at the site address if different). Typically, we will: 1) Carry out a full site and garden survey to assist you with choosing the right style, size and layout of your proposed annexe. It’s helpful and stress free 2) Explain the processes involved in applying for the required permission from your Local Planning Authority to allow us to get on with building your granny annexe and explain the planning and build time lines with you 3) Discuss your annexe requirements in greater detail with you so we can advise you which annexe style and range will suit you and your garden or plot the best 4) Run through the various finishing and personal choice options that are available for you with regards to our kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, heating, lighting and decoration.
Step 5
Planning & Building Consent
iHUS offer a complete turn-key service which includes the sometimes daunting and stressful process of obtaining permission to build your granny annexe from your LPA (local planning authority). We work with industry specialists to ensure we stand the best chance of obtaining permission to build your annexe. On average it will take between 8 and 13 weeks to receive the decision back from your LPA.
We select the best possible planning permission route for you, whether it is a regular planning permission application or an application under the Caravan Act. We often use a dual approach which means that our success rate in obtaining permission successfully to build your granny annexe sits at over 95%.
Finally, your garden annexe will be signed off under current building regulations (this is different in Scotland), for which you will receive a final build pass certificate. This is normally a month after we finish on site
Step 6
Project Management
From your initial enquiry to the handover of keys, iHUS is the single point of contact. We manage all aspects of your project from start to finish to take away the stress normally associated with a major build, such as an annexe build, involving multiple build processes over a relatively short period of time.
During the build our Project Management Team will be in regular communication with you. This ensures you are kept up to date and aware of what is happening at each stage of the build. We will also inform you of what needs to be done to finish your granny annexe with as little disruption to you as possible.
Step 7
Manufacture & Installation
Your annexe will be constructed in a cassette format, unless we tell you otherwise, in our 2,000 Sq Ft factory on the edge of Doncaster, Yorkshire.
At the same time one of our ground works teams will be building in the foundations and services connections on site. The granny annexe is then delivered as a “flat pack” on a Hi-Ab wagon and erected on site.
We then fit out your new home both internally and externally to the specification we agreed at the consultation stage.
The process of building a granny annexe, from breaking ground to handing over your keys, will normally take around 6 or 7 weeks. For small annexes it may be 5 weeks and for the larger builds we may need 8 or 9 weeks. As every granny annexe we build is bespoke, the actual timeline will be determined during the first stages.
Useful Resources
Our library gives you all the information you need to transition into garden annexe living.
