It's easy to fall in love with an idea before knowing whether it will work on your plot, win approval, or sit within your budget. A concept and feasibility stage answers those questions early. We explore a few design options, sketch how they could look and work, and give you a clear, honest view of the likely planning route and any constraints — so you can decide with confidence. We design only; we don't carry out the building work, which keeps our advice focused and impartial. Think of it as a low-cost way to test the idea before committing to a full project.
What we do
Rather than locking onto the first idea, we put two or three concepts on the table — different layouts, footprints or approaches — so you can see and compare what each would give you before choosing a direction.
We sanity-check ideas against your site, its constraints and a realistic budget. That keeps the conversation honest and stops you designing something that won't fit, won't get approved, or won't add up financially.
Finding out early that a scheme is unlikely to gain approval — or won't deliver what you hoped — saves far more than the feasibility stage costs. It de-risks the decision before the bigger fees and the builder's quotes come into play.
You finish with a recommended option and a likely planning route, ready to move smoothly into full design and the drawings your builder will price and build from — no false starts.
We start with a short conversation about what's frustrating you about the current home, how you'd like it to work, and roughly what you'd like to spend. The more honest the brief, the more useful the outcome.
From there we produce initial concept sketches — usually a couple of options — so you can picture the possibilities rather than imagine them. These are deliberately loose and quick; the aim is to explore and compare, not to finalise every detail.
Alongside the sketches we give you a plain-English feasibility note: how likely each option is to gain approval, the probable planning route, and any constraints we can see. You come away with a recommended direction and a clear sense of the next steps.
Part of the value of this stage is flagging the things that affect what's possible. Depending on your property and location, that may include permitted development limits, conservation area status, Article 4 directions that remove some PD rights, or site-specific issues like boundaries, access, trees and overlooking.
We'll give you an honest, hedged view of how each option is likely to be treated — but planning outcomes are never guaranteed and depend on the assessment of your local planning authority. Where a point is genuinely uncertain, we'll say so and suggest confirming it with Wirral Council (or your local authority) before you commit. The point of feasibility is to surface these questions early, while they're cheap to answer.
Questions
Concept design, space planning and architectural drawings for homeowners who want their project shaped properly before committing.
Architectural design drawings for rear, side, wraparound and kitchen-diner extensions — planned around how you actually live.
Existing and proposed plans, elevations and site plans prepared to support a householder planning application in Wirral.
Concept & Feasibility for homeowners across Wirral, including:
Send Sean a few photos and a short description of what you'd like to do. You'll get an honest first view with no obligation.