Galashiels · Scottish Borders

Extra bedroom and en-suite extensions in Galashiels

Homes in Galashiels with a bit of space to the side or rear can often take an extra bedroom and en-suite extension. We'll tell you honestly whether yours can, and what approvals it needs.

What we'd confirm first for a project in Galashiels.

Postcode districts
TD1, TD2, TD4 and TD6
County / area
The Scottish Borders, Scotland
Price region
Scotland
Guide price
£52,500–£71,000 (£1,880–£2,540 per m²), plus £5,500–£11,000 for the en-suite
Approval route
Planning permission is usually needed: Class 1B permitted development only applies if every part of the extension is at least 10 m from all boundaries. A building warrant is needed before work starts.
Nearest towns
Selkirk (4.8 miles), Innerleithen (10 miles), Hawick (13.3 miles)
Distance to Hawick
about 13.3 miles
First visit
Free, no obligation

About an extra bedroom and en-suite extension

This service suits you if you need another bedroom, or want a main bedroom with its own bathroom, without converting the loft or moving. You get a first-floor layout that connects well to your landing, an en-suite designed for plumbing and ventilation, a useful room downstairs, the approvals your nation needs and the build, managed by us and carried out by vetted teams working under S&K.

Galashiels sits about 13.3 miles from Hawick. Closer to home, Selkirk is 4.8 miles away and Innerleithen 10.0 miles.

What it costs in Galashiels

Our guide for Scotland is £1,880–£2,540 per m² including VAT. On a project with a 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space), that puts an extra bedroom and en-suite extension in Galashiels at roughly £52,500–£71,000 (plus £5,500–£11,000 for the en-suite). Kitchens, bathroom fittings and flooring are priced separately so you can compare like with like.

SpecPer m²A 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space)
Essential£1,730–£2,330 per m²£48,500–£65,500
Standard£1,880–£2,540 per m²£52,500–£71,000
Premium£2,260–£3,050 per m²£63,000–£85,500

Planning and building standards in Galashiels

In Scotland, an extra bedroom on a new first floor makes the extension more than one storey, so Class 1B applies, needing at least 10 m to every boundary. Most plots need a householder application, which costs £371 and is decided within two months. The building warrant then covers the escape window, ventilation and drainage.

Approval in Scotland: Householder planning application: £371. Councils have two months to decide a local planning application.

Building standards: A building warrant from the council's building standards service before work starts, and a completion certificate at the end. Scotland uses its own Technical Handbooks.

Design points for Galashiels homes

Connecting to the landing

The new bedroom must be reached from the existing landing, usually through a new opening in the outside wall or by taking part of an existing bedroom as a corridor. We look at the stairs and landing first, because a poor connection can waste much of the new space.

Escape window and fire safety

A new first-floor bedroom needs an escape window with a clear opening of at least 0.33 m², at least 450 mm wide and high, and the bottom no more than 1,100 mm above the floor, unless there is a protected route to the stairs. We design the windows to meet this.

How we'd run your project

  1. Understand the brief

    At your home in Galashiels we agree what you need: bedroom count, bathroom, kitchen space, and how much garden you want to keep.

  2. Drawings, then consent

    We draw the scheme, check it against the rules in Scotland, and take it through the right consent with the council.

  3. Engineer it

    Foundations sized for two floors, steels for any openings, and a building warrant, all before anyone starts on site.

  4. Finish and certify

    Second fix, plastering and making good, then the council's final building standards inspection and the completion paperwork.

Questions about extra bedroom and en-suite extensions in Galashiels

How long does an extra bedroom and en-suite extension take?

Allow 4 to 8 weeks for survey and design, then the approval period (councils have two months to decide a local planning application), then 4 to 8 weeks of technical design, which can overlap. The build itself usually takes 14 to 20 weeks, longer for large or complex designs.

Which postcodes do you cover around Galashiels?

We cover Galashiels (TD1, TD2, TD4 and TD6) and nearby places including Selkirk, Innerleithen and Hawick, plus the rest of the Scottish Borders. The first site visit is free.

Who handles building standards for a project in Galashiels?

We handle it as part of the project. What's needed in Scotland: a building warrant from the council's building standards service before work starts, and a completion certificate at the end. Scotland uses its own Technical Handbooks. We prepare the drawings and the engineer's calculations, book the inspections and pass you the completion paperwork at the end.

Does an extra bedroom add value to my house?

It usually does, though not always by the full cost. Nationwide's 2025 research found that adding a double bedroom to a two-bed house was linked to about 13% higher value, and a double bedroom and bathroom on a three-bed, one-bathroom house up to 24%. Local ceiling prices still apply.

What goes on the ground floor below a new bedroom?

Whatever suits you: a bigger kitchen, a family room, a study, a utility or a downstairs shower room. The ground floor usually costs about the same whatever it is used for, apart from kitchen units and bathroom fittings, which are priced separately.

Nearby

Other towns near Galashiels:

Other extensions in Galashiels

All two-storey extension services in Galashiels · Extra bedroom and en-suite extensions across the Scottish Borders

Ready to talk it through? Call us or send the form and we'll arrange a visit to your home in Galashiels.

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