Self build has a reputation as a rural or semi-rural pursuit. Grand Designs in the countryside, timber frame homes on large plots, people who have moved out of cities to build their dream house. The assumption is that it does not really work in London. That assumption is not quite right. Self builds do happen…
The Party Wall Act catches more London homeowners off guard than almost any other piece of construction legislation. Not because it is obscure, but because people assume it only applies to obvious situations, like when you are physically cutting into a shared wall. In practice it is triggered by a much wider range of work,…
Most people come to this question assuming renovation is the sensible, affordable option and new build is for people with deep pockets and a lot of patience. The reality is more nuanced than that, and in London specifically, the maths does not always work the way people expect. Both routes have genuine advantages. Both have…
A structural warranty is one of those things that sits in a filing cabinet and gets ignored until something goes seriously wrong. At that point, whether you have one or not makes an enormous difference. Most people building or buying a new home know they need a structural warranty because their mortgage lender requires it….
VAT on construction is one of those topics that sounds simple and turns out to be anything but. The short answer is that building a new home is zero-rated for VAT, which means you should not be paying 20% on the labour and materials that go into it. But zero-rated is not the same as…
If you are planning a new build in England right now, the Future Homes Standard is the single most important regulatory change you need to understand. It was published in March 2026 and it fundamentally changes how new homes must be designed, heated, and powered. The short version: gas boilers are out. Heat pumps are…
Foundations are the part of your new build that nobody ever sees. They go in the ground, get buried, and that is that. Which is exactly why they matter so much. Get them right and they will support your home without complaint for a hundred years. Get them wrong and you will be dealing with…
It is one of those scenarios most people never consider when they sign a building contract. You have done your research, agreed a price, work has started, and then one day the phones go quiet. Nobody turns up on site. And you find out your contractor has gone into administration. It is more common than…
Finding a plot is the hardest part of building in London. Not the planning. Not the build. The plot. Land is scarce, competition is high, and the best sites never make it to the open market. Most people searching online for months come up empty. That is not because plots do not exist. It is…
elf-building a home is something many people dream about. The idea of designing a house around your lifestyle, choosing every finish and creating a home that’s completely your own is incredibly appealing. But when that dream meets the realities of building in London, the process becomes far more complex than many people expect. Can you…
