Design | nHouse Self-Build Homes

What is included

Design, in detail

Come to us for this on its own, or as one stage of a build we take from plot to handover.

01

Design development and specification

Room layouts, window and door positions, services routes and finishes developed and signed off with you, so the house that is built is the one you chose.

02

Structural and warranty approvals

Structural calculations and the information a structural warranty provider needs, prepared alongside the design rather than chased afterwards.

03

Building control sign off

Building regulations drawings and details submitted and approved before the build starts, covering structure, fire safety, energy performance, ventilation and access.

04

Foundation and service design

Foundations designed to the layout and the ground conditions, with drainage and utility connections planned so the site is ready for the build to commence.

Questions

Asked and answered

Why fix the designs in advance of the build?

Because changes are cheap on paper but expensive during construction. Fixing the design at this stage is what lets a build hold its cost and programme, and it means decisions about kitchens, bathrooms and finishes are made calmly rather than on site.

Can I still choose my own finishes?

Yes. Kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, cladding and ironmongery are chosen during design. The choices are made before the build starts, not while the house is going up, to save time and cost.

Can you work from another architect's drawings?

Yes. If you already have a design or a planning approval, we can take it into the next design stage, and we will tell you honestly if anything in it would be costly or difficult to build using the different construction methods available.

How energy efficient can my home be?

Most of the homes we build achieve an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate, thanks to our design development work combined with energy-saving materials and eco-features such as solar power, high levels of insulation and air source heat pumps. This not only increases the value of the build but saves you money, whilst helping the environment. The energy performance target for your home is agreed with you at this stage and designed in from the start.

Other stages

Come in at any stage

Most clients start with a question, not a build. We work at whatever point you have reached.

Design visual for a group of timber clad homes

Service 01

Self-Build Consultancy

Honest early advice on whether a plot, a budget and an idea actually work together.

Plot Finding & Feasibility

What a plot can take, what it will cost to build there and what the planning position is likely to be.

Planning for Self-Build

Design, drawings and supporting information for your application, and the conditions after approval.

Have a design already? Let us look

You do not need drawings, a planning decision or a fixed budget to talk to us. Most of our clients did not have any of those when they got in touch.

Tell us about your plot

Get in touch

Tell us about your plot

Send us what you have so far, a location, a sketch, a planning reference or just a question. We will come back to you with an honest view of where you stand.

Email

Where we work

Across the United Kingdom

Best first step

A short consultancy conversation