4.9/5 from 130+ combined reviews across Google and Edinburgh Trusted TraderEdinburgh Trusted TraderWritten quote before work starts12-month workmanship warrantyOne project lead throughoutWhat a Home Report does not tell you about a property in Balerno
- Edinburgh Trusted Trader4.9 stars, 114 reviews
- VAT registeredGB 400 5543 44
- 25 minutes from BalernoEdinburgh base, regular local presence
Every buyer of a property in Scotland receives a Home Report before they make an offer. What the Home Report does not tell you is whether you can actually carry out the renovation you have in mind, or whether the specific planning constraints that govern this village will mean for your plans.
In Balerno, the most important constraint is one that the majority of buyers discover only after they have committed. Balerno’s conservation area is subject to Article 4 Directions covering classes 1, 3, 6, and 7. Works that are permitted development elsewhere in Edinburgh (window replacements, exterior paint changes, boundary wall alterations, hard standing) require planning permission here. The Home Report does not flag Article 4 Directions or explain what they mean.
All open space surrounding Balerno is within the Green Belt. For properties on the edge of the village or with grounds that back onto open land, the Green Belt creates a presumption against development that an extension or outbuilding proposal will need to overcome. The Home Report does not assess Green Belt proximity.
The conservation area appraisal identifies specific features as defining Balerno village: stone boundary walls, the curve and continuous building line of Main Street, domestic scale, traditional materials throughout. A renovation that introduces modern replacement windows, renders over original stonework, or disrupts the continuous building line on Main Street faces planning resistance regardless of condition. The Home Report rates condition, not character.
Malleny House sits within the conservation area boundary and is Category A listed. The gardens are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes. Properties within or adjacent to the Malleny setting sit in a specific planning context where works affecting the setting of an Inventory site require consultation with Historic Environment Scotland. That is a constraint the Home Report will not mention.
Why Balerno needs local knowledge, not generic survey
Article 4 Directions catch buyers out
Balerno’s conservation area is subject to Article 4 Directions covering classes 1, 3, 6, and 7. Works that are permitted development elsewhere in Edinburgh require planning permission here. Windows, exterior paint, boundary walls, hard standing. We check Article 4 applies to your specific plot before you commit.
Green Belt on every boundary
All open space surrounding Balerno is within the Green Belt, with parts additionally designated Countryside Policy Area. For properties on the edge or with grounds backing onto open land, the Green Belt creates a presumption against extension or outbuilding that a proposal must overcome. We measure the boundary proximity before you make an offer.
Main Street character is non-negotiable
The curve and continuous building line of Main Street, stone boundary walls, Scots slate, timber sash windows with small panes. The conservation area appraisal treats these as defining. A renovation that introduces uPVC, renders over stone, or breaks the building line faces refusal regardless of condition.
Edinburgh core operational area
Balerno sits 25 minutes from our Edinburgh base. We work here week to week, know the village stock and the constraint profile, and can be on site before a closing date without the travel logistics of a Perthshire or Fife visit.
What the Pre-Purchase Feasibility Check includes
A paid, structured assessment that gives you a written record before you commit.
60-minute site visit
Arranged around access availability. Before or after you make an offer, before is better. We walk the property, check the points a Home Report cannot cover, and note everything that affects the renovation you are planning.
Planning constraint assessment
Conservation area status, listed building implications, local planning framework specific to your property. Everything that will govern what you can actually do.
Realistic budget range
Based on current contractor and material costs. Where relevant, an assessment of the cost premium for heritage-standard materials and the additional requirements of working within a listed building or conservation area.
Written Feasibility Summary (PDF)
Delivered within 2 working days of the visit. Includes a Red, Amber, Green list of unknowns: Red means confirm before committing, Amber means sensible to confirm soon, Green means low-risk items to monitor or plan later.
Fee offset against project
If you proceed with Sweet Homes for the renovation work within 60 days, the £350 + VAT feasibility check fee is offset against the project cost.
How the feasibility check works
Straightforward. You share the listing, we walk the property, you get a written record.
Get in touch with the listing
Share the property listing link and any photographs you have. If you have specific concerns about listed building status, conservation area constraints, or planning rules, bring those questions to the conversation. A phone call is the natural first step.
We agree the visit and fee
The fee is £350 + VAT, fixed before we arrange access. We confirm the visit date around seller availability. If you are close to a closing date, tell us and we will prioritise.
The 60-minute site visit
We walk the property with you, or alone if you cannot attend. We check the points the Home Report cannot cover, note the planning position, photograph the details that matter, and flag the constraints that will shape any renovation scope.
Written Feasibility Summary in two working days
A PDF delivered to your inbox. Red, Amber, Green list of unknowns, budget range for the work identified, planning position notes, and a straight read on whether to proceed, renegotiate, or walk.
What this actually costs you
The Pre-Purchase Feasibility Check is a fixed fee of £350 + VAT, agreed in writing before the site visit. The price you agree is the price you pay. If you proceed with Sweet Homes for the renovation work within 60 days, the fee is offset against the project cost. On a Balerno property where a specific planning constraint is the difference between a straightforward purchase and a planning dead-end, this is usually a fraction of the offer adjustment it saves.
Trusted Trader verified 4.9 stars · 130+ combined reviews across Google and Edinburgh Trusted Trader 12-month workmanship warrantyWhat clients say about working with Sweet Homes
Prompt, clear quotation with work then performed to a high standard and the quoted price. Brunon talked me through all stages of the work. Professional, pleasant and trustworthy: I would have no hesitation in using Brunon’s services again.
Jonathan Murray, Verified Trusted Trader review
Brunon does a clear and thorough written quotation before the work, so you know exactly what is expected. He tries to simplify jobs, rather than complicate.
Verified Google review
Meticulous in respecting our property. He knows exactly what he is doing.
Verified Trusted Trader review
The difference this check makes in Balerno
A buyer assuming standard permitted development applies
The specific constraint you are most likely to miss without experienced eyes on the property. We test it directly during the walkthrough.
He knows exactly what he is doing.
Verified Trusted Trader review
A Main Street shop conversion blocked by protected retail frontage
A common assumption that can expose a buyer to an enforcement risk or an overpaid offer. We test the assumption against the actual council position.
A clear and thorough written quotation before the work, so you know exactly what is expected.
Verified Google review
An edge-of-village extension caught by Green Belt policy
A factor in the price paid that may not be realisable given the planning framework. We assess whether the premium is justified by what the property can actually deliver.
Meticulous in respecting our property.
Verified Trusted Trader review
A property near Malleny that needs Historic Environment Scotland input
A hidden liability that the Home Report has no mechanism to identify. We check the planning history and flag anything that looks missing, irregular, or enforceable.
They owned it from start to finish.
Verified Google review
Book a Feasibility Walkthrough in Balerno
If you are considering a property in Balerno and want to understand what the renovation will realistically involve before you commit, we would be glad to hear from you. Share the property listing link and any photographs you have. The walkthrough is £350 + VAT, fixed in writing before we arrange the visit.
★ 4.9/5 · 130+ combined reviews across Google and Edinburgh Trusted Trader
“Prompt, clear quotation with work then performed to a high standard and the quoted price. Brunon talked me through all stages of the work. Professional, pleasant and trustworthy: I would have no hesitation in using Brunon’s services again.”
Jonathan Murray, Verified Trusted Trader review
The short enquiry form covers the property, location and the work you are considering. We reply by email where the project appears to fit.
Where we cover around Balerno
Sweet Homes operates from its Edinburgh base at 15 Calton Road, approximately 25 minutes from Balerno by road. Balerno is within our core Edinburgh operational area. The former Balerno branch railway closed to passengers in 1943 and its trackbed is now the Water of Leith Walkway.
Not sure if we cover your area? Call or email with the property address and we will confirm.
Balerno feasibility check: things worth knowing
An Article 4 Direction removes permitted development rights for specific classes of work, meaning planning permission is required for things that would be automatic elsewhere. Balerno’s conservation area is subject to Article 4 Directions covering classes 1, 3, 6, and 7: enlargement or alteration of a dwelling, provision or alteration of curtilage buildings, satellite dishes, and construction or alteration of gates, fences, walls, and means of enclosure. We confirm whether Article 4 applies to your specific plot and what works you can and cannot do without a planning application.
Probably yes or very close to the boundary. All open space surrounding Balerno is within the Green Belt, with parts additionally designated as Countryside Policy Area. Extensions and outbuildings proposed on a property that adjoins Green Belt land face a presumption against development that the proposal must overcome through the planning application. We check the boundary position before you make an offer.
No. The conservation area appraisal specifies sandstone, Scots slate, harled finishes, and timber sash windows with small panes as defining traditional materials. Replacing with uPVC faces refusal. Replacements must be timber sashes matching the original profile. This is a material cost consideration that a buyer estimating against generic renovation guides will underestimate.
Probably. Malleny House is Category A listed and the gardens are on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes. Works affecting the setting of an Inventory site require consultation with Historic Environment Scotland, and that applies to works that might seem relatively minor in isolation. We check the setting position during the feasibility visit.
There is a presumption against change of use from retail on Main Street. That presumption can be overcome in specific circumstances, but it is an assessment that needs to be tested before the offer goes in, not after. A buyer whose purchase price reflects conversion potential that the council then resists has paid for something they cannot deliver.
Within two working days, as a PDF. Includes a Red, Amber, Green list of unknowns, a realistic budget range for the identified works, and specific notes on which Balerno constraints apply to your property.
No. The Summary is independent and contractor-readable. If you proceed with Sweet Homes within 60 days, the fee is offset against the project cost.