How long does a new build take?

Typically 18 to 30 months from plot purchase to handover. Roughly six to twelve months of that is design, planning and pre-construction, and twelve to eighteen months on site depending on size.

Do you find plots for clients?

We appraise sites for clients and are often approached by landowners directly. If you have a shortlist, send it over before you bid rather than after.

Can I reclaim the VAT?

Yes. New build homes are zero rated for eligible works, and self builders can reclaim VAT on materials through the DIY housebuilders scheme. We will point you to the right advice early, because the paperwork matters.

Do you build to Passivhaus standards?

We build very low energy homes as standard and have delivered schemes to near Passivhaus performance. If certification matters to you, say so at feasibility stage so it shapes the design and the budget.

A bespoke new build family home in Radlett seen from the garden

Bespoke new build homes

Bespoke new build homes,designed and built by one team

Over 100 bespoke homes completed in 25 years. We take a plot, a demolition site or a tired bungalow and deliver a finished house with one team accountable for design, planning, engineering and construction.

Federation of Master Builders

25 years, 100+ homes

Herts, Bucks, Beds & North London

10 year structural warranty

The short version

From plot to front door key

A bespoke new build is the only way to get a house that answers exactly how your family lives, on the street you have chosen, to a standard volume housebuilders do not attempt.

Most of our new build clients arrive with either a plot they already own, a house they intend to replace, or a shortlist of sites they want appraised. All three routes start the same way: an indicative budget, then a written view of whether the site can carry the house you want.

£2,600 to £4,000

Typical build cost per m²

18 to 30 months

Plot purchase to handover

10 year

Structural warranty

100+

Bespoke homes completed

Costs

What a new build home costs in 2026

Build cost is only part of the picture. These ranges cover construction to a high private client standard in our four counties, excluding land, finance and VAT treatment.

What a new build home costs in 2026
Item	Guide range	What it covers
Good quality bespoke buildWell detailed brick or render, quality joinery, underfloor heating throughout.	£2,600 to £3,200 per m²	Well detailed brick or render, quality joinery, underfloor heating throughout.
High specificationExtensive glazing, natural stone, bespoke kitchens, home automation, landscaping.	£3,200 to £4,000 per m²	Extensive glazing, natural stone, bespoke kitchens, home automation, landscaping.
Demolition and replacement dwellingDemolition, disposal, asbestos survey and works, service disconnection.	Add £25,000 to £70,000	Demolition, disposal, asbestos survey and works, service disconnection.
Professional feesDesign, engineering, planning, building control, warranty and surveys.	10 to 14 percent	Design, engineering, planning, building control, warranty and surveys.
Externals and landscapingDriveways, drainage, retaining structures, terraces, planting and fencing.	£40,000 to £150,000	Driveways, drainage, retaining structures, terraces, planting and fencing.

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Planning

Planning a new home in this region

Green Belt covers a large share of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, which usually pushes new homes towards replacement dwellings rather than open sites.
Replacement dwelling policy is judged on volume and footprint against the original house, so the existing building is measured properly before design begins.
Chilterns National Landscape and conservation area policies control materials, roof form, ridge heights and boundary treatment.
Self build homes are zero rated for VAT on eligible works, and the DIY housebuilders scheme allows reclaim on materials.
A plot without a viable drainage, access and ground strategy is not a plot, whatever the sale particulars say.

Check your planning route

Detail

What we get right on new build homes

Plot finding and appraisal

Oliver has spent nine years appraising land and development sites. If you are still looking, we will review sites before you bid, and tell you where the numbers do not work.

Replacement dwellings

Buying a modest house on a generous plot is often the most reliable route to a new home in Green Belt districts. We measure the original building and design to policy.

Structural warranty

Every new home is handed over with a ten year structural warranty, plus a full set of certificates, commissioning records and a homeowner manual.

Low energy as standard

Airtightness, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and air source heat pumps are designed in from the beginning, not bolted on to hit a compliance target.

How it works