New Build House Builders

• Self-build: You own the plot and manage the project. You bring in a builder for the construction while staying closely involved in decisions.
• Custom or bespoke build: Your architect designs the house, and we build it as the main contractor, coordinating every trade.
• Replacement dwelling: An existing house is demolished and replaced with a new home on the same plot, subject to planning permission.
• Infill or garden plot: A new house on spare land beside or behind an existing property, where planning allows.

Whichever route you choose, we can work with your architect and structural engineer. We give you a single programme and a written quote for the build.

Sometimes. Building a separate house in a garden always needs full planning permission. Permitted development rules for outbuildings do not apply to a new dwelling. The council will look at:

• Access: Safe vehicle and pedestrian access, and parking.
• Neighbours: Overlooking, loss of light and privacy, and the effect on the street scene.
• Space: Enough garden space for both the new and the existing house.
• Design: Scale, height and materials in keeping with the area.
• Services: Connections for water, drainage, electricity and, if used, gas, often run from the road.
• Trees and ecology: Protected trees, wildlife and biodiversity requirements.

Many London councils have policies on garden and back-land development, so a pre-application enquiry with the council is often worthwhile. A garden plot may also need to be registered as a separate title if the new house will be sold. We review the site with you before you commit to design fees.

• Masonry: Traditional block and brick cavity walls. It is robust and familiar to lenders, and well suited to most London plots.
• Timber frame: A factory-made frame erected quickly on site. It gets the building weathertight sooner and suits good insulation levels.
• Structural insulated panels (SIPs): Insulated panels that combine structure and insulation, for a very efficient building envelope.

We discuss the options with your designer, based on your budget, programme, site access and energy targets.

New homes must meet current energy standards, which are confirmed by energy calculations (SAP) and an air-tightness test. We build to those standards and can include:

• heat pumps and underfloor heating through our underfloor heating installation service
• roof panels through our solar panel installation service
• an electric vehicle charge point, which new homes with parking usually need, through our EV charger installation service

It is not a legal requirement, but in practice it is usually needed. Most self-build mortgage lenders will only release funds, and most future buyers' lenders will only lend, if the house has a structural warranty from an approved provider, or in some cases a certificate from a professional consultant who oversaw the build. The warranty must be arranged before work starts, because the provider inspects the build at key stages. Self-build mortgages are often released in stages as the build progresses, so the programme and valuations need to line up. We build to the warranty provider's standards and allow for their inspections.