October 2023 - CB Homes

Progress report on our new homes on Tarporley High Street

The shop on the ground floor of our Blagg’s Court development in the heart of Tarporley is now open.
Meanwhile, construction work is continuing apace on the two apartments over the shop and the two houses behind, causing much interest from many passers-by.

The shop on the ground floor of our Blagg’s Court development in the heart of Tarporley is now open. Trading as a coffee shop and florist on Tarporley High Street, named Reva Green, it’s already proving extremely popular with locals and visitors to the village. Meanwhile, construction work is continuing apace on the two apartments over the shop and the two houses behind, causing much interest and enquiry from many passers-by.

Rooms with a view onto Tarporley’s historic high street

The main front door leading to the two apartments is next to the door into Reva Green. It leads into a stairwell, which is now awaiting plastering. A beautiful new staircase, which will be painted shortly, leads up to the first apartment and then onto the second, located on the floor above.

Stunning new kitchens and bathrooms have been installed in both of these residences. The kitchens feature pale green units with chrome handles and worktops with a wooden finish.

Ovens, hobs and fridge freezers have been built in and the new homeowners will find everything they need to enjoy cooking and entertaining in the very stylish space.

Once the decoration throughout both apartments has been completed and the flooring has been installed, the new homes on Tarporley High Street will be ready for viewing.

Design for living: renovating existing buildings on Tarporley High Street

Behind the listed building fronting Tarporley High Street, which contains Reva Green and the two apartments, the separate former outbuildings are being renovated as two houses.

The site team is currently working on the ground floor of the houses, creating openings for new windows and doorways and bricking up any that are not going to be required. While the majority of the former structure is being kept, the roof has been completely taken off the Plot 2 building and the gable end wall has also been removed.

Every effort is being made to ensure that the renovated dwellings will blend seamlessly with the listed buildings surrounding them. All the old bricks will be re-used as much as possible in the development; a local builder’s merchant has already made numerous trips to the site to bring a variety of different bricks to find the best one to match the old ones where additional bricks are needed.

The next step for the two houses will be for the joinery team to arrive and start building stud walls to be sure that plenty of air can circulate between the external and internal walls. Next, the plumbers and electricians will arrive to install all the wiring and pipework required before the walls are plastered.

Rather than being one of our new-build developments, Blagg’s Court is a remodelling and renovation of a number of buildings within a listed building setting, in a busy village environment. This means it has been at times quite a challenge for the teams working on the site, as space is restricted and careful management has been required to ensure deliveries have been made and building work has carried on without a hitch.

To find out more about Blagg’s Court, Tarporley High Street, our latest development, contact our head office.

2023 – Build It Awards

SHORTLISTED Best Brick Home

2023 – Build It Awards

SHORTLISTED Best Turnkey Home

Building an affordable self-build house

The affordable self-build project we are building just across the border in Staffordshire is progressing quickly.

The windows at the front of the house have been made bigger than those at the back to make the most of the fabulous views across the nature reserve in the valley below.

The affordable self-build project we are building, just across the border in Staffordshire, is progressing quickly and is due to be completed by the end of October. The windows and doors are being fitted.

The windows at the front of the house have been made bigger than those at the back to make the most of the fabulous views across the nature reserve in the valley below.

Owners Ben and Leanne are loving seeing the project coming together and are coming home every day to find something new. They have enjoyed making their way up to the first floor to look out of what will become the window of their master bedroom. Currently this is a precarious expedition, as the stairs have not been fitted yet!

Leanne had found it hard to envision the house just from the plans and describes herself now as ‘beyond excited’ as the house starts to take shape. It turns out that she thinks it feels bigger and even more spacious than she expected.

Leanne says,

“Watching the scaffolding come down is like unwrapping the best present in the world.”

Ben was a little nervous about what the bricks they chose would look like, as it was very important that they would blend in with the other buildings on the site, which are a variety of different brick types. Before making the final choice, he and Leanne drove all around the area taking photos of lots of different houses to make sure they were selecting the best one possible.

Ben’s two girls love seeing the house ‘grow’ and are already talking about how much they are looking forward to celebrating Christmas and New Year in their new house, with plenty of space to welcome guests.

Planning the kitchen

As the biggest room in the house, the kitchen is going to be the focal point of the home and where the household will gather.

The must-haves for the kitchen for Ben and Leanne were a kitchen island and a boiling water tap. Before making their final choices, the couple visited plenty of kitchen shops. They found using a virtual reality tool really useful, where they could ‘walk around’ a kitchen to really get a feel for it.

Leanne says,

“We’ve gone for a beautiful, very traditional, country style. We felt this was essential as the new house is being built next to a farmhouse. We’ve chosen a beautiful cream colour with oak tops. The salesperson could not have been more helpful and basically realised what we were after straightaway and gave us loads of good advice.”

Turning up the heat

For their heating source, Ben and Leanne have selected an air source heat pump and underfloor heating downstairs and are looking forward to a winter without gas bills.

Environmental considerations

It was vital that the previous building on the site was demolished before the swallows came back for the summer and started building their nests. This year the birds built their nests on the old stables instead. Bee bricks have been incorporated in the walls and bat boxes are going up too, along with a swift box as well. Once the build is complete, Ben and Leanne will be reinstating a dovecote too, as the old farmhouse always used to have one.

Positive feedback to affordable self-build project

A public footpath runs close to the new house and regular passersby often stop to check out the latest development. Some people say they have changed their walking route so that they pass by the self-build project more often.

Ben says,

“We’ve had so many positive remarks from people, from complimenting the speed of the build and how tidy the site team is, to the lovely colour of the bricks!”

If you are interested in building your own home, talk to us. With our complete turnkey self-build package, we can help you design it, secure planning approval and carry out the whole build.

We’ve been designing and building award-winning homes since 1981. From prestigious turnkey self-build projects, to distinctive developments and exclusive barn conversions, each bespoke home is built to the same exacting standards.

CB Homes is an A1+ member of the National House Building Council (NHBC), registered builder with the Local Authority Building Control (LABC), as well as a member of the Federation of Master Builders.

Looking after your new home: interior maintenance

When you first move into your new home, the interior design aspect is one area where you can really make an impact – and also put your own personal stamp on the décor.

With a new build property, there is a lot of flexibility regarding interior decoration. Our Sales Executive will help you choose your finishing touches

How to preserve that high quality finish in your new home

When you first move into your new home, the interior design aspect is one area where you can really make an impact – and also put your own personal stamp on the décor and subsequent interior maintenance.

With a new build property, there is a lot of flexibility regarding interior decoration. Our Sales Executive will help you choose your finishing touches, from tiling to toothbrush holders.

The interiors of our houses are always finished to a high standard so there won’t be bare plaster on the walls and exposed screed floors – walls will be painted or tiled, while floors will be tiled, boarded or carpeted. Whatever finishes you choose, it’s worth bearing in mind how easy – or difficult – they will be to maintain.

A lick of paint for interior maintenance

When it comes to preserving that high-quality finish, it’s worth making the extra effort to make sure this standard is retained. Any surfaces that have been painted can pick up occasional knocks. This can even happen as you move in – it’s all but impossible to avoid unless every box and item of furniture is swathed in bubble wrap.

Having a selection of the paints that were used by the decorators is useful – even if it’s simply a small ‘tester pot’. This ensures if you need any touching up with a colour match, you have something readily at hand. You can check with the developer as to what colour shades were used. Of course, it’s easy to carry out your own decoration these days – if you find that you don’t like your initial colour choices, you can always change them. In an ideal world, to maintain a good quality finish, a repaint should be carried out every four-to-five years. But in thoroughfares that have higher usage, such as halls, landings and passageways, this may need to be redecorated more frequently.

To carpet or not to carpet?

Carpeting is another aspect that is very much down to personal taste. It’s getting the balance right between being practical and looking stylish. Maintaining carpets can be difficult however, especially if they are getting a lot of use by a large number of people. Households with a number of children and/or pets will be using (and wearing out) their carpets much more than single people or couples. Location has an impact too, as rural properties can often have to endure much more wear and tear, by dint of the ‘outdoors’ often being brought inside on footwear. There are some handy ways to keep your carpet in great shape, including for-hire carpet cleaning machines, which both hoover and deep-cleanse the carpet fibres and keep them in excellent condition. There are a number of other carpet cleaning solutions too, and they’re worth exploring to keep your home in its best condition.

Hard floor options for ease of interior maintenance

Carpeting isn’t your only option when it comes to flooring, however, and there are several alternatives that offer certain advantages – especially in terms of maintenance.

Hard floors such as tiles and timber are so much easier to maintain than a carpet. They can be cleaned much more easily and are often much more hygienic. If you have interior maintenance issues with the new build, your flooring may be the worst affected. A water leak, for instance, might cause a wooden floor to warp, or wash grouting away from tile joints. But any replacement or repair will be easier than a ruined carpet.

CB Homes is an A1+ member of the National House Building Council (NHBC), a registered builder with the Local Authority Building Control (LABC), as well as a member of the Federation of Master Builders.

Each of our homes is backed by our unique and dedicated personalised approach to customer service. This ensures every CB Homes development delivers ultimate peace of mind to its new owner, long after we’ve handed you the keys.

Contact CB Homes today to discuss your next move.