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Bodgy Jr., 6, has his heart set on a tree house den type thing.
Owing to only having one medium sized apple tree it is going to have to be a self-supporting 'elevated deck with a cabin' arrangement. Preferably with a climbing wall element, cargo net and some sort of rope ladder / rope bridge arrangement.
I'm pretty handy when it comes to timber, so don't mind making one from scratch and treating it as a project with the lad. That said, I wouldn't mind assembling a kit that is going to have a good (not too shed-like result) and remove a load of the time commitment out of the whole deal. Also, it's often more economical to buy a kit than buy the raw timber.
The whole thing could be about 5m x 2m area, 6ft high deck at highest point. Could put a rope bridge to the adjacent apple tree for a viewing deck. If it could have the potential to convert to a 'teen space in five years time when the Nerf Wars novelty wears off, that would be great.
Any top tips or recommendations?
Amazing ideas or things you wish you hadn't bothered with?
Companies that can provide a off-peg or bespoke kit? (We're in Dorset)
Planning considerations? (After a quick google I gather that planning is required these days. Tsk.)
Budget considerations? I kind of have an all-in £500 - 750 figure in my head, but realise that something more durable might warrant a bit more of an investment.
Cheers all. Thanks in advance.
bodgy
Do you really need planning for a tree house. God the worlds gone mad!!!
It's a very grey area. Assuming you're not in a Conservation Area or the curtilage of a Listed Building then Permitted Development rights will allow you to build up to 4m in total height as long as not less than 2m of a boundary and a floor plan of up to 30m2. But, and it's a big but... any platform over 300mm (12 inches) above ground level technically needs Planning Permission. That includes probably 75%+ of the decking in England & Wales which has been built without Planning Permission!!
It really is a case of going under the radar as a temporary structure and hope you don't have busy-body neighbours or taking your drawings to the Planning Dept. to discuss.
Hmmm. Well, we're in the West Dorset AONB, but not specifically in a designated conservation area. And yes, busy body neighbours (there's sweet FA else to do around here once you've retired, apparently, other than accumulate petty grievances). And Yes, want to run it along a boundary (5m at the bottom of the garden where it doesn't overlook anybody).
So, that's detailed drawings and a trip to the planning surgery, then.
I thought the only law relating to tree houses, or even simple woodland ground dens, or bases, as we called them, was no girls allowed.
Mattyfez & footflaps - I totally agree.
Oh . . . hang on . . . maybe not . . .
Do you really need planning for a tree house. God the worlds gone mad!!!
You have read some threads in here... Many people do need some rules to stop them doing some stupid stuff.
Or just build it, if no-one notices then you're laughing, if they do and it gets reported apply for retrospective planning permission and claim ignorance.
Psling I'm still waiting to hit the button on my "summer house/ man shed".
I'm wanting to build right up to the boundary fence which is right up the end of the garden. It's going to be possibly 6.0m x 3.5m.
What' the thoughts?
Permitted Development: Within 2m of the boundary you have a maximum height restriction of 2.5m to be Permitted Development and you can cover up to 50% of the curtilage of the original dwelling. Has to be back garden, not between dwelling and a highway, and (as above) not in Conservation Area/Listed Building. There are a few other obscure restrictions and it can't be a separate living unit! (As always, you should check with blah blah first blah blah 😉 )
Looks like I'm in all those. Is the 2.5m max ridge height or eaves? Plenty more garden will still be green so well under the 50%
My neighbour has a large brick build construction 'wendy house' in his back garden - it's a liveable unit - he's threatened the "old" neighbours over it when they complained. It's just within regs, but probably not on height, but the floor plan size is as big as his neighbour's house. It's within the 50% of land though !
Ar$e of a cowboy builder. ! Not a proper builder.
Within 2m of the boundary then 2.5m is the maximum overall height.
If the shed/summerhouse is more than 2m from the boundary then the maximum eaves height is 2.5m and maximum overall height for apex roof is 4m and for pent/flat roof is 3m.
Unfortunately, the maximum overall height of 2.5m applies to the whole building if any part of it is within 2m of the boundary so you can't keep it below 2.5m height for 2m and then build further up to 4m for example. Unless they are two totally separate buildings....
Thanks ling. 👍
If you are going under the radar but think there's a good chance you'll be dobbed in by a nosy neighbour, make sure you've built any guardrails etc to the right spec.
I've built two treehouses in the recent years (not in the UK though), neither can be seen by neighbours, but the bigger one is 4m off the ground at one point (sloping ground). The local planning regs class it as a deck, and as there'a a drop of more than 1m it has to have a fence or guardrail. I've just made sure that the guardrail is compliant, just in case.
I've also got a 5m rope bridge between the two treehouses, but the building regs don't cover those 🙂
Cool. Nice tip. Thank you.
Anybody bought in a bespoke treehouse or used a kit?