Peebles · Scottish Borders

Kitchen extensions with bedrooms above in Peebles

If you live in Peebles and need more room without moving, a kitchen extension with bedrooms above is worth a serious look. We handle the drawings, approvals, structure and build.

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

Postcode districts
EH45
County / area
The Scottish Borders, Scotland
Price region
Scotland
Guide price
£52,500–£71,000 (£1,880–£2,540 per m²), kitchen units and worktops priced separately
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
Innerleithen (5.4 miles), Penicuik (12.5 miles), Gorebridge (14.5 miles)
Distance to Hawick
about 22.3 miles
First visit
Free, no obligation

About a kitchen extension with bedrooms above

A kitchen extension with bedrooms above is a two-storey extension designed so the ground floor becomes a larger, usually open-plan kitchen and dining space, with one or two bedrooms or a bathroom on the first floor. It is a natural fit for a two-storey rear extension. The key design issues are the steel beams that open up the house, glazing and ventilation.

Around Peebles we also work in Innerleithen, Penicuik and Gorebridge, and across the rest of the Scottish Borders. Postcode district in and near Peebles: EH45.

What it costs in Peebles

For budgeting in Peebles, allow around £52,500–£71,000 (kitchen units and worktops priced separately) for a kitchen extension with bedrooms above with a 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space). That's based on £1,880–£2,540 per m² including VAT for Scotland. Keep a contingency of around 10% for things nobody can see until the ground is opened up.

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 Peebles

In Scotland, a two-storey kitchen extension falls under Class 1B, which needs at least 10 m to every boundary for permitted development. Most gardens are too narrow, so expect a householder application, which costs £371 and is decided within two months. A building warrant covers the structure, ventilation and energy standards.

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 Peebles homes

Bedrooms over a kitchen

Bedrooms above need an escape window or a protected route to the stairs, plus good sound insulation from the kitchen below. We position the stairs, landing and bedroom doors so the new rooms connect naturally to the existing first floor.

Steel beams and the open-plan opening

Removing the old rear wall to make one large room means a steel beam, sometimes several, to carry the first floor and roof. The engineer sizes the steel and its supports, and we decide early whether you want a flush ceiling with the beam hidden or a downstand, as this affects ceiling heights.

How we'd run your project

  1. Free site visit

    We visit your home in Peebles, look at the structure, access and boundaries, and talk through what you want the new rooms to do.

  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. Structure and building standards

    A structural engineer sizes the foundations and steels, and we get a building warrant before work starts.

  4. Finish and certify

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

Questions about kitchen extensions with bedrooms above in Peebles

Who handles building standards for a project in Peebles?

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.

Do I need planning permission for a kitchen extension with bedrooms above in Peebles?

Peebles is in Scotland. 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.

How long does a kitchen extension with bedrooms above 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.

Is it cheaper to build a kitchen extension and bedrooms at the same time?

Yes, in most cases. Building both floors at once means one set of foundations, one roof, one scaffold and one set of approvals. Adding a first floor later means removing the original roof, possibly strengthening the foundations and disrupting the kitchen again. If you think you will need the bedroom, build it now.

Can I keep using my kitchen during the build?

For part of it. The new structure can be built while your existing kitchen stays in use, but when the rear wall is opened and the new kitchen is fitted there will be several weeks without one. We plan when this happens and help you set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house.

Nearby

We also cover places near Peebles, including:

Other extensions in Peebles

All two-storey extension services in Peebles · Kitchen extensions with bedrooms above across the Scottish Borders

Tell us about your house in Peebles and we'll call you back to arrange a free, no-obligation visit.

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