Double Storey Extension Drawings in Old Malden KT4
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered double storey extension drawings for Old Malden (KT4) homeowners — Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Old Malden in KT4 is unusual for the area: a genuine historic village core around its medieval parish church and Plough Green, ringed by a comfortable interwar suburb of detached and semi-detached family houses. Most projects on the suburban avenues are rear extensions, two-storey side additions and loft conversions built to Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames standards.
Homes within or beside the Old Malden conservation area face tighter control over materials, elevations and any demolition, so schemes there need a conservation-led design. We balance the extra space owners want with the village setting, and prepare planning and building-control drawings that Kingston's officers can approve first time.
Planning in Old Malden (KT4): what to know before you apply
There is no published householder Article 4 direction for Old Malden, so many suburban houses retain permitted-development rights; the principal constraint is the Old Malden conservation area covering the historic core, where front, roof and material changes need planning permission. Tree preservation orders on mature plots can also shape foundation and layout decisions.
Typical Old Malden housing stock
Old Malden pairs a small historic village core around the medieval church and Plough Green with a broad interwar suburb of detached and semi-detached houses on curving avenues. The suburban streets support rear and two-storey side extensions and loft conversions, while the older core demands a more sensitive conservation-led approach.
Streets we regularly draw for in Old Malden
Raleigh Drive · Collingwood Avenue · Oakdene Drive · Southwood Drive
Double Storey Extension Drawings for Old Malden (KT4) homes: the package and the process
Every double storey extension drawings we prepare for an Old Malden property is drawn to Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames’s validation standards and tuned to the KT4 constraints above. Here is what the drawing package covers and how the process runs from first survey to approval.
A double storey extension builds a second floor above a single-storey side or rear addition, typically adding a bedroom and bathroom upstairs over a widened kitchen or reception room below. Because the foundations and roof of a single-storey extension already carry most of the fixed cost of building, adding a floor on top is often the most cost-effective way to gain two rooms rather than two separate projects. The trade-off is scrutiny: a two-storey addition sits closer to eye level with neighbouring windows and gardens, so councils examine massing, roofline and boundary distance more closely than they would a single-storey extension.
DrawingsDirect draws double storey side and rear extensions for full planning and building regulations, with structural calculations for the additional floor load and foundations produced in-house by our MCIAT-chartered team, on a fixed fee. If a single storey is enough, see our Rear Extension and Side Return Extension pages, or combine both with a Wraparound if you are extending sideways as well as up.
Do I need planning permission for a double storey extension in London?
Almost always. Permitted development rights for two-storey extensions are far more restrictive than for single-storey work, particularly on how close the new structure can come to a boundary and how closely its roof pitch and eaves height must match the existing house, so most double storey projects are drawn and submitted as full householder planning applications rather than relying on permitted development.
Where the property sits in a conservation area or is subject to an Article 4 direction, any remaining permitted development allowance for a second storey is typically removed entirely, reinforcing the need for a full application. We check your property's status and your borough's design guidance before drawing.
How do councils control the impact of a double storey extension on neighbours?
Because a second storey introduces new windows and massing at first-floor level, London boroughs apply design guidance aimed specifically at protecting neighbouring light, privacy and outlook.
- The 45-degree rule, tested at neighbouring windows, to check the extension does not block an unreasonable amount of daylight
- A common design expectation that a two-storey side extension is set in roughly 1 metre from the shared boundary, rather than built hard against it
- A first floor commonly set back from the ground floor front elevation, so the upper storey reads as subordinate to the main house from the street
- Obscure or high-level glazing on flank walls facing directly into a neighbour's garden or windows, to limit overlooking
| Option | What it adds | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| Single-storey rear extension | A ground-floor kitchen-diner only, may qualify for permitted development | see Rear Extension Drawings, from £1,100 |
| Double storey side or rear extension | Two rooms across two floors, usually needs full planning | Full Planning pack ~£1,600–£2,400 |
| Double storey + Building Regulations (structural) | Combined pack including structural calculations for two-floor loads and foundations | Planning + Building Regs pack ~£2,200–£3,850 |
| Wraparound (rear + side return) | Combines two single-storey extensions into one L-shaped ground floor | see Wraparound Extension Drawings, from £2,200 |
Double Storey Extension Drawings in Old Malden KT4 — FAQs
How much does a double storey extension cost to design in London?+
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My Kingston home is near the river — does flood risk affect my plans?+
Can I build a larger extension on a Coombe plot?+
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Get your free Old Malden planning assessment
Tell us your Old Malden (KT4) address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.