Sunderland cottages: lofts, dormers and rear extensions
What's possible with the loft, a dormer or the back yard of a Sunderland cottage.
Read the guide →Home / Advice
Straight, plain-English guides to costs, planning and the questions we get asked most. Written by people who do the work, not a marketing department.
Sunderland cottages, pit village terraces, old mine workings, coastal storms and council rules. The things a national firm can't tell you.
What's possible with the loft, a dormer or the back yard of a Sunderland cottage.
Read the guide →Most of the county sits on the old coalfield. What that means for an extension.
Read the guide →The problems we find in colliery terraces, and how to fix them properly.
Read the guide →How to tell which kind of damp you've got, and which fixes work.
Read the guide →A pre-winter roof checklist, and what to do if a storm does damage.
Read the guide →Article 4 streets, listed buildings and what needs permission in Durham City.
Read the guide →Who handles your planning and building control, plus 2026 fees and timings.
Read the guide →When you need a party wall notice, the notice periods and who pays.
Read the guide →Selective licensing, safety certificates and the EPC C 2030 deadline.
Read the guide →How weather, planning and demand affect when you should build.
Read the guide →Typical rewire prices by house size, and what pushes the cost up or down.
Read the guide →What's normal, how to top it up, and when it means a leak.
Read the guide →How to find the cause safely, and when it's time for an electrician.
Read the guide →A realistic stage-by-stage timeline, from drawings to handover.
Read the guide →What a house extension costs in Durham, what drives the price, and how to budget.
Read the guide →Rooflight, dormer or hip-to-gable: what each costs in the North East.
Read the guide →The Boiler Upgrade Scheme and what funding you may be eligible for.
Read the guide →When Durham homeowners need planning permission, and when they don't.
Read the guide →What to do in the first few minutes of a plumbing emergency.
Read the guide →The compliance and maintenance essentials, on a schedule.
Read the guide →What a new bathroom costs in Durham and how to budget.
Read the guide →What to check, what to ask, and the red flags to avoid.
Read the guide →Whatever the brief, the route in is the same: ring us, we'll visit, we'll come back with a fixed price in plain English. Free site visits across the whole North East.
Or email enquiries@atkinsonsgroup.co.uk
No call-out charge for quotes. Fixed prices, in writing.