Tag: new house

A Day in the Life of CB Homes’ Marketing Manager

Maggie Austen has been Marketing Manager at CB Homes for nearly four years. Her role involves developing and implementing marketing plans and overseeing the creation of marketing material and online content to help drive sales of CB Homes’ self-build homes and small, exclusive developments.

Maggie Austen has been Marketing Manager at CB Homes for nearly four years. Her role involves developing and implementing marketing plans and overseeing the creation of marketing material and online content to help drive sales of CB Homes’ self-build homes and small, exclusive developments.

What do you like most about your job as Marketing Manager?

I think what I like most about working for CB Homes is the variety. CB Homes has a wide range of products –from a cosy cottage to an amazing Grand Design, plus everything in between, so there is always something fresh happening, from a new self-build client coming on board, to a development starting up or a homeowner moving into their completed house. It’s really interesting seeing how many people are involved at every stage of a project, from the person who finds a great plot of land or advises on making a successful planning application to all the different trades who complete the building itself.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I spend a part of every day checking the CB Homes social media channels, so looking at Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. It’s important for our marketing that I post messages on all the channels regularly to keep people up to date with all our activity.

Blogging

Next, I may spend some time researching for one of our blogs. We write two of these per month on a variety of topics, from the challenges of planning applications to the latest sustainability issues so I often reach out to an expert in a particular field to find the most up to date information to include.

Guides to building your own house

We have created a library of free downloadable self-build guides and resources, which live on the CB Homes website, and we add to this frequently. Writing these entails some research again, followed by liaison with our graphic designers and webmaster in order to get the content and design ready and uploaded to the website. As part of this, I really enjoyed arranging to video the entire self-build ‘journey’ of one of our clients, who has built a spectacular house in Kingsley. It meant I got to accompany a videographer to visit the site at several different points during the build. Seeing the property grow from basically a hole in the ground to the stunning finished product was really amazing. As well as documenting a really remarkable project, the video is a very helpful way to explain the self-build process to a potential customer so it’s a useful sales tool as well.

Case studies of self-build projects

Where possible, when a self-build project is complete, we like to interview the homeowner about their experiences so we can write up a case study for our website. It’s a good way of finding out what worked well and what could be improved; and I think potential customers enjoy hearing about different self-build experiences too, so case studies are extremely valuable.

Award-winning homes

Awards have kept me busy this year with CB Homes winning or being shortlisted for several property awards. Writing an award entry usually involves interviewing some of the people involved on a particular project and then collating supporting material, such as diagrams and photographs so I can then make the award submission. Once the entry has been submitted, we have to wait and see if we have made the shortlist and then it’s fingers crossed that we will emerge as winners! It’s great to get that validation for the whole team’s hard work.

Why do you think people like CB Homes’ houses?

I think people just need to see a CB Homes house to fall in love with it! It’s no surprise that the company wins so many awards for its designs as the houses are just beautiful, inside and out. More than that though, I think it’s the personal attention to each customer from a small, completely committed team that puts the company head and shoulders above other developers.  When houses aren’t being mass produced, you just get a much more personalised service as the CB Homes team takes the time to make sure every customer is happy.

Interested in building your own home? Talk to us about our complete self-build package.

Replacement Dwelling: building the superstructure

After a long wait for planning approval, as soon as our construction team was on site at our latest replacement dwelling project, the building of the superstructure has been very straightforward.

What’s involved building the superstructure?

After a long wait for planning approval, as soon as our construction team was on site at our latest replacement dwelling project, the building of the superstructure has been very straightforward.

Once planning permission for the project was granted, our client took care of the demolition of the existing house and moved into a static caravan close by. This will be his home until his new house is complete. There are definitely some advantages to living so close to your self-build project but it’s important that contractors are very aware of the health and safety issues involved when someone is effectively living on the construction site.

Demolition of an existing building

When undertaking demolition, don’t forget you have to apply for permission to demolish and you need to make sure you have received the necessary permissions before you go ahead. You need to make sure all the services are switched off too before the demolition can take place. If you are taking care of the demolition yourself, make sure you find a reputable contractor to undertake it all who will make sure that all essential health and safety is adhered to and essential work, such as an asbestos survey, is carried out.

When demolishing an existing building for a replacement dwelling, it’s well worth taking your time to have a good look inside to assess if there’s anything you want to keep to re-use in the new property, such as oak beams or internal doors. 

Following the demolition of the old house, we made sure that the hard core and concrete footings were crushed and repurposed in the new build to be used as hard core for the patio and driveways etc.

Laying foundations

Due to the heavy clay soil in this area, we laid down polystyrene heave boards to protect the foundations and the floor slab from ground heave movement which are caused when clay expands and contracts. This is a labour-intensive exercise but well worth doing to minimise any future impact on the foundations. We also installed a damp proof course.

Although our client had initially wanted LPG as his energy source, having undertaken further research, he changed his mind and elected to go with an air source heat pump instead. This required some changes to our block and beam design to hide all the underground ductings which this system needs.

Just another brick in the wall?

This beautiful house has very distinctive, intricate brickwork details which required our technical team and the bricklayers to work closely together to make sure the profiles exactly matched the CAD drawings. As an example of the elaborate nature of the brickwork, on an average house, bricklayers take around 60 points on the perimeter wall to plumb off to ensure the walls are completely level, here there were an incredible 180!

Another design feature that our client was particularly keen on was to have arches above the windows to create the rural aesthetic he wanted. This would have been quite straightforward to include but he specifically wanted elliptical arches. There are no templates available for these, so we created our own. Furthermore, again for aesthetic reasons, our client did not want the windows to have lintels so all the window arches have to be self-supporting; this was another tricky challenge for our technical team, to make sure that the finished result looks perfect and is what our client wants but still adheres to all building regulations and safety requirements.

With the superstructure complete, you can really see the scale and detail of this stunning house. Now we have begun on the interior work which will transform this remarkable building into a beautiful home.

If you have always dreamed of building your own home, talk to us. Find out how we can help you design it, secure planning approval and carry out the whole build with our complete turn key self-build package. Contact us to find out more.

A Day in the Life of CB Homes’ Land Manager

Nathan Booth has been Land Manager at CB Homes for the last three years. His role involves overseeing and maintaining the company’s land strategy, for both developments and for one-off plots to cater for our self-build clients.

Nathan Booth has been Land Manager at CB Homes for the last three years. His role involves overseeing and maintaining the company’s land strategy, for both developments and for one-off plots to cater for our self-build clients.

How long have you worked at CB Homes?

I started working at CB Homes over ten years ago as an Assistant Site Manager and I worked my way up from there to my current position. It means I have a really in-depth knowledge of how the whole company works, as well as a very thorough understanding of the life cycle of each and every project we undertake.

What do you like most about your job as Land Manager?

I really enjoy the responsibility of my role. If I can’t find land, then literally nothing can happen! I actually enjoy that pressure. It’s incredibly rewarding to find a piece of land, get it through the minefield of the planning office and then start to build beautiful property. Years later, when I drive past that site I feel really proud to have been a part of creating the community that has developed there and knowing that people have built new lives there.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Every day I receive lots of enquiries through our website and via email so I have to go through those and respond to them. Potential clients may get in touch at any point with questions about projects. Usually, they are getting in touch to say they have land and want to find out about self-building or they may have a particular planning policy question. These can be quite straightforward queries or may need quite a bit of time spent to answer properly. My feedback will be with an email, a phone call or a Zoom call. To help us find land, we have a land website to target the online market, so I spend a lot of time responding to leads we receive on that too.

You never know when that first point of contact is going to lead to a new relationship with a client that may culminate in our delivering a new home for them. That might happen within a few months or it might take several years. Regardless of the timescale, it’s really important to engage with them from the very start of their self-build journey.

Once I have spent some time on admin, I may leave the office to go and meet some clients, do some site visits of current developments, or carry out planning or cost appraisals. Once a potential plot has been identified then I have to approach the agent or owner, look at feasibility studies, sketch schemes, land values and then start negotiations.

It’s important that I build relationships with local people, estate agents and land agents as they are my best source of finding out about possible plots. I also look at directly sourcing land via planning policies. There are such frequent rule changes, I have to keep on top of national and local policies and planning guidelines too. I have to make sure I’m fully up to date on local development plans, as land might not be available now, but may be in several years’ time. I always have to be looking really long term, so there is a pipeline of projects for CB Homes. I’m always on the lookout for what we call windfall sites, which are where there is land ready to go within settlement areas, whether it’s brownfield, commercial, or even large gardens.  

“Environmental concerns are more important than ever“

These days of course, environmental concerns are more important than ever, so right from the start of looking at any potential plot, I’m looking to see how we can further reduce our environmental impact. This means I’ll be looking to see where any existing natural features can be retained and integrated, such as surface water ponds or reedbeds that could be used for surface water drainage. I’ll also be looking at space and thinking how renewables, such as ground source heat pumps, can be included aesthetically so they can be effective but not spoil the lines of the buildings.

What’s your biggest challenge as Land Manager?

Finding land is certainly the hardest part. The ongoing scarcity of land is a real problem, fuelled by land banking where land is taken out of the market, often by large scale developers, which has a significant impact on availability for everyone else.

“Currently land is hard to find and the planning process is slow“

In addition to finding plots for our self-build clients, I also have a land finding role for CB Homes Developments where I’m looking for land suitable to build from 2-20 houses, so around .5 acres up to 5 acres.

As land is so hard to find for self-build projects, I’ve actually widened the scope of my role so I keep an eye out for single plots that are available that might match our clients’ prerequisites for a self-build. Where we can, we buy a plot, get planning approval for a self-build house and then offer it out to clients. They often have the option to make any tweaks they want to the design while it’s passing through the planning process. This makes sense at the moment especially, with the planning process being very slow. Planning used to take eight weeks, but now it can take eight months, so a big part of my job is managing client expectations about the timescales of a project.

Why do you think people like CB Homes’ houses?

Housing developers often get a bad reputation, which sadly is not always undeserved but we have a hard won reputation and track record to maintain. We are first and foremost a very local developer – where we build is where we live so the local community is very important.

CB Homes covers a large area in the North West, including North Shropshire, South Manchester, Wirral, Cheshire and the Welsh borders. As a bespoke developer, we specialise in small exclusive bespoke builds, with high specification, on good plot sizes. The houses are usually 4-5 bedroom executive homes, but the company also builds some small starter homes, which are usually 2-3 bedroom mews-style. Our schemes have to be financially viable of course but for us, it’s never about cramming in as many houses as possible as we’re not competing with the mass market.

We have a good reputation with Local Authorities as they know the quality of our schemes. We provide individual care and attention from day one, we care enormously about the homes we build and we want everyone to be able to recognise the quality of a CB Homes build, whether it’s a starter home on one of our small developments or one of our award-winning ‘grand design’ self-build homes.

Do you have land to sell? Get in touch today. Interested in building your own home? Talk to us about our complete self-build package.

Replacement Dwelling: The Pre-Build Experience

Colin and Sandra’s replacement dwelling self-build project is progressing now after a long drawn out planning process. The first ‘lift’ of their Cheshire project is now complete and visitors to the building site get a real sense of the space, size and proportions of the new house as the walls start going up.

Replacement Dwelling Self-Build Project Part 2

Colin and Sandra’s replacement dwelling self-build project is progressing now after a long drawn out planning process. The first ‘lift’ of their Cheshire project is now complete and visitors to the building site get a real sense of the space, size and proportions of the new house as the walls start going up.

Why a self-build?

After selling their first self-built home in Canada, where they lived for five years, Colin and Sandra returned to the UK and bought a very run-down farm at auction. They then spent a decade renovating and extending it. With hindsight, Colin feels they probably should have knocked it down and started again rather than trying to improve it. He explains,

“We decided it was time to sell up and find our ‘forever home’ where we could look forward to entertaining and hosting family gatherings with our children and grandchildren; we wanted some land attached and were hoping to find a house of between 2,500 and 3,000 sq. ft.

“We sold our house very quickly, moved into rented accommodation and then spent around 18 months trawling Rightmove trying to find a house. We made our search area bigger and bigger but we just couldn’t find what we wanted, although we came close with quite a few.”

Choosing to partner with CB Homes

“One day we saw a plot advertised for sale by CB homes. We met up with Nathan from CB Homes on the site to investigate further. The plot wasn’t quite what we needed but we really liked CB Homes’ proposed house design and we were intrigued to find out more about the company’s self-build package.”

Finding a plot for a Replacement Dwelling

“We started thinking more seriously about the idea of a replacement dwelling, where you demolish an existing property and re-build in its place. It is a little speculative, but the maths seemed to make sense. We started our search afresh and suddenly found Rosefield in Ashton Juxta Mondrem. The posting appeared on a Monday morning, we viewed on the same day and made an offer that same evening. Even while we were viewing it the agent was taking calls from other interested parties, so it really showed how fast you have to be prepared to act in the current market.”

The next challenge facing Colin and Sandra was that the area of the existing house was only 1,700 sq. ft. and they wanted to be able to build a much bigger house. After consulting with CB Homes about the possibilities of designs for the site they realised that the worst case scenario would mean building a house of 2,000 sq. ft.; they could live with that so decided to proceed with the purchase.

Colin continues,

“We had our first meeting with the architect, Russell.  I think he found it quite entertaining that I brought along a 3D paper model of the sort of design I had in mind. I did study architecture for a year or so about 40 years ago and I still just find it much easier to visualise designs in 3D rather than on a flat piece of paper. I think it was helpful! It certainly helped show him exactly what we wanted.”

What inspired the design of this self-build project?

“When it came to finalising the design, we brought together lots of different ideas and inspiration that we have picked up from various houses we have lived in or seen over the years. For example, we have copied the design of a fireplace from one of our previous houses. We were also influenced by other buildings in the surrounding area, which include a small group of four barns with big arched windows. We’ve arrived at a design that blends in both with the landscape and nearby properties too, without being bland in any way. It has some quite intricate brickwork features which make it look really interesting too.”

What aspects of the replacement dwelling design are you particularly excited about?

“I’m very excited about the family room that we have included. It’s a big open plan area that includes the kitchen, dining area and lounge space but we have delineated the lounge space by incorporating an oak panel frame feature and by dropping the level down one step to create a sunken floor.

“The master bedroom is going to have a balcony overlooking our natural pond so it’s going to be amazing to enjoy that view. I’ve also enjoyed planning the design for a beautiful oak canopy that runs the length of the rear elevation overlooking the garden, which I think is going to look incredible.”

Making a self-build project sustainable

When it came to choosing energy supply, after taking lots of advice, Colin and Sandra have chosen a combination of solar power, with solar panels built into the roof on the south facing elevation, and air source heating.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about self-building?

Colin says,

“I would say that the replacement dwelling option is certainly worth considering but be realistic with your expectations. Remember that you will be restricted in terms of increasing the size of the building by local planning rules, so always plan for the worst-case scenario of what you might end up with. Most importantly, effective budgeting is really critical and a mastermind spreadsheet is invaluable for keeping track of what you’re spending and how much difference any changes to your design will make to your final spend.”

If you have always dreamed of building your own home, talk to us. Find out how we can help you design it, secure planning approval and carry out the whole build with our complete turn key self-build package. Contact us to find out more.

A Day in the Life of CB Homes’ Technical Manager

Alex Stubbs, Technical Manager at CB Homes, has worked for the company since 2004. As Technical Manager, she is responsible for all the ‘paperwork and processes’ involved in building new houses.
Having undertaken a self-build herself in the past, Alex is well aware of the challenges of building your own home.

Alex Stubbs, Technical Manager at CB Homes, has worked for the company since 2004. As Technical Manager, she is responsible for all the ‘paperwork and processes’ involved in building new houses.

Having undertaken a self-build herself in the past, Alex is well aware of the challenges of building your own home. She has the ideal experience and skills to be an integral member of the team that delivers CB Homes’ self-build turnkey packages.

What did you do before working at CB Homes?

I was a freelance software engineer, working for some major multinational companies before I took a career break to have my children. I was living quite close to CB Homes’ head office so when an administration role came up I absolutely jumped at it. Once the rest of the team realised I had a lot of computer skills I took on more and more responsibility for the office systems. It was a very natural progression from there for me to take on the role of Technical Manager to steer and oversee all the processes and paperwork that have to be followed when it comes to building houses.

What do you like most about your job as Technical Manager?

I like the fact that I see a house building project through right from the very beginning to the end. I get a huge sense of satisfaction when everything I have been working on comes together on a particular project and everything is ready for our customers to move into their new homes.

I’m lucky too being a Technical Manager for a company that makes a great range of homes, from small developments to one-off grand designs homes so there’s lots of variety.

What does a typical day as Technical Manager look like for you?

I spend a lot of time responding to emails, making phone calls and generally chasing everyone up to make sure every piece of paperwork involved in building a house is being processed correctly and on time!

As Technical Manager, I’m in regular contact with all sorts of different organisations. These can range from the Highways Agency to talk about road closures, and utility providers to co-ordinate connections for a new house, to the Local Authority Planning Office regarding discharge of conditions.

Budgets and accounts form an important part of my work as well, which may sound a bit boring but they’re actually really important to make sure nothing gets neglected which might cause our customers delays further down the line.

I attend regular construction meetings so I can provide our Site Managers with all the information they need so they don’t have to think about anything apart from their responsibilities on-site.

I’m also responsible for organising any training our team needs to undertake and I also make sure we are on top of all our Health and Safety obligations. When we have apprentices working for us I deal with their colleges and sort out the funding applications and paperwork associated with them too.

My diary is my absolute bible as I am constantly checking against my list of things that need to happen and when they need to happen for each building project. It’s really hard for a self-builder to stay on top of it all themselves, especially if they already have a regular job. Even if they have employed a builder to do the actual construction, all this behind-the-scenes work is incredibly time-consuming. You have to get all the details exactly right too or you run the risk of falling foul of the Planning Officer or Building Regulations.  It’s probably one of the reasons that so many of our customers opt for our complete self-build package – we literally take that paperwork pain away from them. We are so familiar with all the systems and processes it makes perfect sense for us to do it all on their behalf.

What’s your biggest challenge as the Technical Manager?

Sorting out the utilities’ connections to a new-build can be very challenging. Looking back to my own experience as a self-builder I remember that being a real headache too. You have to be realistic about the amount of time that needs to be spent on it. It’s just a question of constantly chasing them up and making sure that they are all going to be connected at the right time and in the right order to fit in with the work being carried out on site.

I think overall, my biggest challenge is probably just keeping on top of everything and making sure all the plates are spinning. It can be a bit frustrating as I do spend a lot of my time trying to get hold of people. However, many more systems regarding house building have now been digitalised so they are now online; this has helped increase efficiency in many cases. That evolution was definitely speeded up by Covid when the sector had to find ways of working that didn’t involve people having to be in an office.

What measures do you take regarding sustainable building, especially for self-building?

There are a number of steps we take now to limit our carbon footprint. All new properties have to have electric car charging points. New Building Regulations means that water calculations have to be undertaken for all new build properties. You have to show that a home will use less than a certain amount per person per day so we have to look carefully at every appliance and piece of sanitaryware fitted to make sure they comply with the regulations.

Building houses with sustainable drainage

Sustainable drainage is particularly significant now too. It’s important to look really carefully at every site, particularly with regard to surface water.  We have to ensure that SUDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems), such as ponds or ditches are provided. These can be ponds or ditches so that our projects don’t overload the sewerage system, particularly in periods of heavy rain. 

Why do people like self-building with CB Homes?

We are a small team so everyone knows who everyone is. I think customers find us very approachable and friendly. We certainly pride ourselves on making sure we are very available and responsive. I think our customers really appreciate that.

Interested in building your own home? Talk to us about our complete self-build package.

Sustainability in Self-Building: Part 1. Building Regulations

The biggest issue affecting building in the 21st century is sustainability and our changing climate. This issue is making all of us us think more deeply about how houses function and how we build them. In a new series of blogs, we’re going to look at sustainability in self-builds.

Building Regulations for sustainable homes

The Building Regulations for England and Wales are constantly evolving. Times change and so do all kinds of aspects of the construction process – from the materials we use, to the government legislation we work to. Perhaps the biggest issue affecting building in the 21st century is sustainability and our changing climate. This issue is making all of us think more deeply about how houses function and how we build them. In a new series of blogs, we’re going to look at sustainability in self-builds.

More carbon neutral homes

In this first part, we explore the overall changes that have been made to building regulations, to promote more carbon neutral homes. The changes that have been introduced are the most significant updates made in a decade. The new legislation has considerably affected several categories, including Parts L (Conservation of Fuel and Power), O (Overheating), S (Electric Vehicle Charging), G (Water use) and F (Ventilation). All new homes registered after 15 June 2022 have to produce 31% less CO2 emissions than current standards. The Building Regulations also include new standards to reduce energy use and carbon emissions during home improvements and extensions, as well as for new-builds.  

Building towards Net Zero

Parts L and O have been amended with regard to overheating and heat loss. The way houses are made ensures they are warm in winter – to save on heating costs and prevent heat loss – but even warmer in summer. They are essentially sealed units, except for the minimal amount of ventilation, without opening wide our windows and doors. The changes to Part L are the first steps towards ‘Future Homes Standards 2025‘, which moves us towards Net Zero. We have almost reached the limit of what we can do on the actual fabric of buildings – the bricks/blocks and mortar – so now we have to turn to technology for help.

We need to look at how much insulation is included in this fabric – the wall cavities, roof cavities and beneath floors. Once these have been optimised, we turn to look at the heating source. All new-build homes will have phased-out gas boilers by 2025 and must be fuelled by an alternative fuel source. Hydrogen has been mooted as a solution, but in developmental terms, it’s nowhere near ready for widespread deployment. This option would have less impact on the current infrastructure, because modern gas boilers can be adapted to use hydrogen. But these developments are not happening fast enough. Oil and LPG are not sustainable resources, so the remaining options are electric and solar power. We’ll be looking in more detail at these available options and other aspects of the amendments to Building Regs in future blogs.

Conservation of power and resources

The changes to Part O address the challenge of retaining a cool interior with enough ventilation to be comfortable, whilst maintaining the building’s thermal criteria. New SAP software has been released by the government, which details all the different calculations you have to carry out for each property. These current SAP calculations are based on 2019 fuel costs, so it’s hard to make them make true economic sense to customers in the present economic climate, with steeply rising energy bills, among other things, to contend with. Changes to Part F of the Building Regulations also came into effect in June 2022, with regard to ventilation and air flow. In recent years the move towards improvements to the thermal performance and air tightness has positively improved the thermal comfort and energy consumption of buildings.

Water use and recycling in new houses

There have been further changes made to Part G of the Building Regulations regarding Water. Water conservation is another key issue that needs to be addressed. This is not just because we sometimes have drought restrictions in place, but because many of us need to look at our wasteful water usage and opportunities for conservation and recycled use. Household flowrate is crucial, to keep below the maximum figure of litres per person per day. Flowrate applies to everything from taps, showers and toilets, to dishwashers and washing machines. The style trend for massive shower heads, for example, may look great, but with some models, this means people’s showers use an excessive amount of water. There are many ways we can conserve and improve our lifestyles regarding sustainability and the homes we live in, and the new regs are driving that thinking into practice.    

Colin Francomb, director of building consultants Ratio Seven, provides some context around this,

“Self-builders are often at the forefront when it comes to significant changes in the building industry, with national housebuilders having much longer to incorporate changes into their building programmes. We’re having to adapt and incorporate these new rules into our designs immediately, without the benefit of hindsight of how effective they will be in the long-term, or the impacts of the financial additions involved for the builders themselves.”

Interested in building your own home? Talk to us about our complete self-build package.

Shortage of land: Part 3. Finding a plot of land

As a result of unprecedented demand, there’s less land available for sale on the open market, which is becoming frustrating. In the third part of our series on the current UK land shortage, we are looking at how to go about finding a plot for sale.

A recurring topic of conversation across the construction industry at the moment is the shortage of land available to developers to build new homes. Talk to any developer or designer and it won’t take long before they voice their opinion on how little is available and the changes that need to be made to free up some more plots of land. We’ve talked about protected land and land banking, both of which are barriers to wider development. As a result of unprecedented demand, there’s less land available for sale on the open market, which is becoming frustrating. In the third part of our series on the current UK land shortage, we are looking at how to go about finding a plot for sale.

How to find a plot of land for sale

There are a variety of ways to find land for sale, from in person searches, to browsing through websites. If you have a defined geographical area that you would like to buy land, then it is worth concentrating on that area via a variety of media. Looking around rural areas and keeping an eye out for plots for sale is a possible way of finding a suitable plot – it’s often the case that you can just stumble across the ideal plot when you least expect it.    

Which websites advertise land for sale?

Local property listings are still a sure-fire method of finding land for sale and many estate agents have a specific area that is devoted to land sales. The land may be available at a set price, or it may be up for auction or other bidding method. There are land registry sites that will show who owns which plots and how many are for sale. There are also a variety of online resources, such as www.rightmove.co.uk, www.plotfinder.net, www.plotbrowser.com, www.onthemarket.com/farms-land, www.ukauctionlist.com/land-auction, www.perfectplot.co.uk. You could also try marketplace sites such as www.gumtree.com, www.ebay.co.uk, www.trovit.co.uk or www.geo.craigslist.org.

There’s advice too on land purchase and development on the UK government’s website. 

Plots come in all shapes and sizes. They can be a small single plot for a single dwelling, to a large-scale site that will accommodate several houses. Plots can include redundant buildings, or former commercial sites or barns. One of the most important aspects of searching for land is having the imagination and vision to see the potential of a blank slate. It isn’t always easy to envision what the finished article might look like in its setting, but you need to be openminded and welcome suggestions when you are inspecting prospective plots.  

Finding true value in a plot of land

The value of the land will depend very much on a variety of factors, which includes supply and demand. You don’t want to be paying over the odds for a plot. It will be influenced most significantly by its location. Similar plots of land in vastly different locations will be reflected in the market value of the land, which will differ hugely from area to area.  

Some land may have a property in poor condition or even in need of demolition standing on it, and the land can be worth more than the building itself. A key factor is if the land already has planning permission in place. This considerably raise the land’s prospects of gaining a top price. Other factors are accessibility, appeal and aspect. Is the land close to amenities, or transport links, for example, and do these matter to you? Is your best offer a true reflection of what the land is worth to you? Of course, in the current climate – with demand high – land is scarce and prices are at the upper end of the spectrum.

We are there for you on your self-build journey or to buy your land

As well as being developers, we are land brokers. We are always searching for suitable land to purchase. We can sell your plot, with or without approved planning permission. We can also offer advice on a variety of land-related matters. These include the suitability of plots for building on, the establishment of boundaries, or what to do if you have a landlocked plot – that is a plot that is difficult to access and may need a route establishing to it. We can also carry out planning enquiries for you on your land. Our experienced planning professionals work closely with Local Authorities, to complete all planning enquiries.

However you go about searching for your plot, it’s worth bearing in mind that expert advice and knowing the market will ensure you buy something that is both suitable and a sound financial investment. Get in touch with us today.

Shortage of land Part 2: Why is land for self-build so hard to find?

There’s an ongoing land shortage in the UK, which is making developers like us spend an inordinate amount of time searching for suitable building plots. There are many reasons this is happening. But in protecting our countryside and heritage, are we stifling development and the construction sector?

How to find land for self-build

There’s an ongoing land shortage in the UK, which is making developers like us spend an inordinate amount of time searching for suitable building plots. There are many reasons this is happening. But in protecting our countryside and heritage, are we stifling development and the construction sector? In the second part of our series on the shortage of land, we look at the reasons behind why land is so hard to find and the elements, legislation and restrictions that need to change to free up the market one again.

Driving the market for land development

One of the key factors is the simple fact that a great many of the prime plots of land have already been developed over the years. There was a boom that began in the 1960s and ran through to the 1980s that saw many people buy land or old property in villages and small towns, and develop them. The first housing price boom in the 1980s slowed the market – and the ability of landowners and developers to make a profit on such developments slowed. But over time, even with the huge rises in land and property prices since the 1990s, developers have continued to prosper, as demand drives the market. 

Saturation point for rural market?

Conservation and heritage remain important watchwords and rural development is still closely scrutinised by local authorities. This in itself in the past has been blamed for a lack of development potential in rural areas. The unlocking of these restrictions are seen as major factors in land shortages. However, property and land costs now are such – especially in a garden county like Cheshire – that many developers and owners are priced out of the market. It is no longer affordable for many to think about country living and many spots in villages have already been upgraded, and derelict property demolished, to make way for new-builds. We could be reaching a saturation point in this regard.

Land for building is a valuable commodity

There’s also the challenge of a glut landowners sitting on land that could be developed, but are not freeing it up for building. Land, like houses, is of course a valuable commodity and so-called Land Banking is a fact of the market. What is needed is an incentive, or levy, to ensure land that is owned is developed within a certain timescale. We are finding all these are factors in making it hard for our clients’ self-build dream to be realised.

Sea change and adapt land for building

In the last few years, changes to legislation such as Neighbourhood Plans is altering the shape of the English countryside too. Boundaries have moved, village parameters are greater, and developers are being allowed to build, build and build in villages and small towns as they never have before. This unprecedented sea change is a direct response to the need for more houses. Demand is high for these properties, which are quickly filled. What also needs to be addressed is ensuring infrastructure – often the last thought in government legislation – keeps pace with development. This means adequate and well-maintained roads and services, local amenities, things to do, places to go.    

Housebuilders rely on a healthy flow of plots to be developed to thrive. If this is stifled, by a perfect storm of a number of factors, then the construction market will eventually stall. At the moment, approved planning permissions are down since 2019 and momentum is being lost. There’s less homes being build and this is partly due to the lack of available land – we hope this will soon be acknowledged as a problem, to be addressed by the present government. 

If you have always dreamed of finding some land for building and building your own home, talk to us to find out how we can help with our complete turn key self-build package.

Shortage of land: 1. What do you need from a self-build plot?

In the current economic climate, there is a much publicised and widely acknowledged shortage of housing stock in the UK. But equally, there is also a chronic shortfall in the amount of acreage available to developers on which to build new homes too.

In the current economic climate, there is a much publicised and widely acknowledged shortage of housing stock in the UK. But equally, there is also a chronic shortfall in the amount of acreage available to developers on which to build new homes too. Part of the reason for this is that much open land in the UK is protected or has certain restrictions on it, when it comes to its development. But it also comes down to the fact that there’s less of it available for sale on the open market currently too.

Locally sourced

When you are looking for a plot of land, there are a few basics you’ll have at the top of your list. These include things like sufficient land area. The plot needs to be large enough to comfortably accommodate your self-build project. You should also make a provisional checklist of what you’d like from your ideal home and look at plots with these preliminary thoughts (and your budget) in mind.  

You’ll have to decide on where you’d like to live, but your choices will also be defined by what is actually available, particularly with the current shortage of land. You will need to think about geographic location and its proximity to amenities, but also about the quality of life you’d like to lead. Do you want to live in an urban or suburban location, with all the conveniences in services and amenities that offers, or would you prefer a quieter, more low-key location in the countryside?

There are pros and cons to both options, and it is very much a matter of taste as to which you opt for. The convenience of public transport, or access to highly-rated schools is deemed imperative to some people, but not to others, who may have easy access to their own transport, or not have children. There may also be the option of developing a site that already has a building on it. All this is very much dependent on budget and availability however, and it’s worth looking at a variety of factors that will influence your decision.   

Building a picture of your new home

As soon as you begin looking, either online or actually out in the ‘field’ of the local district you’d like to live in, you’ll start to build a picture of land availability and options. A factor such as good access to the site should also be in your thoughts as you search. Your new-build shouldn’t impact highway safety, for example, and there should be adequate visibility from the entrance/exit. If you have to apply to create an access to the plot, ensure it’s not going to affect other residents or put a burden on the infrastructure and parking.

You also need to be well aware of the different types of ground conditions you can encounter when you are looking to construct a new-build. Even with the current shortage of land, there may be a good reason why no one has tried to develop that prime piece of real estate you have your eye on! Does the site have access to services such as electricity and gas? Some remote or rural areas still rely on their own supply of gas, for example, or have an oil tank for heating. And telecommunications and internet access these days are very important for many people, between working from home and streaming entertainment.

Finding the X-factor despite shortage of land

A factor that may not be readily apparent without looking at documentation or a survey is if the site is prone to flooding. You also need to look at the available sewer connections and if they are going to impact the local area too. An option might be an on-site treatment system of your own, such as a septic tank. If you are hampering drainage, by putting hard-standing over the site, will there be adequate surface water drainage in place to accommodate the run-off in the event of heavy rainfall? You may be able to use surface water collection in your development to provide a recycled water source that can be put to use too. One person’s pro is another’s con, however, and it’s all about finding the right combination of positive elements that will give your plot and project the x-factor. And then finding all these in one place!

There’s a lot to think about when first finding a potential development plot and you may have to make some big decisions quickly. A clear approach is needed and if you tick off most – if not all – of your checklist, then you’ll be doing well. It’s a good starting block for your vision, as it begins to take shape and don’t let the shortage of land put you off realising your dream.

If you have always dreamed of building your own home, talk to us to find out how we can help with our complete turnkey self-build package.

A day in the life of CB Homes’ Sales Manager

Helen Galesi has been Sales Manager at CB Homes for the last nine years. She has worked on numerous small and exclusive CB Homes developments all over Cheshire. She is currently based at Acorn Gardens in Northwich, where the last of the two remaining houses of the 13 houses built there by CB Homes have recently been sold.

Helen Galesi has been Sales Manager at CB Homes for the last nine years. She has worked on numerous small and exclusive CB Homes developments all over Cheshire. She is currently based at Acorn Gardens in Northwich, where the last of the two remaining houses of the 13 houses built there by CB Homes have recently been sold.

What did you do before working at CB Homes?

I’ve always been in sales either office-based or a favourite of mine was when I worked in a jewellers, based in Northwich.

What do you like about your job as sales manager?

I absolutely love my job! I look on it as going on a journey with our customers from the moment they reserve a home to the day we hand over the keys to their new home. I’ve made some good friends along the way. I even got invited to the wedding of one couple who I had helped buy a CB Homes house! I especially enjoy working with first-time buyers as they are so excited to be moving into their first property as homeowners and I think their excitement is catching!

What does a typical day in your life look like?

I’m usually based in the marketing suite of whichever development we are marketing at the time. I start the day checking any emails or phone messages that may have come in overnight and if we have a show home available, I check that everything is set out as it should be and it is ready for any visitors.

I have meetings every week with my manager where we discuss sale progressions and he keeps me updated with what is happening on site, which enables me to keep customers informed and up to date with the build programme.

Prospective buyers may call on the phone, email or turn up in person wanting to know more about the houses we have available. I make sure I get a good understanding of what they are looking for and see if I can match them up with the perfect property.

Very often, people want to know what comes with the house as standard. I explain what the basic specification includes and then how they can upgrade some choices if they want to, such as white goods, flooring, carpets and wardrobes and also our ‘Finishing Touches’ where they can choose things like kitchen worktops and cupboard colours to really personalise their home. All our developments are different from each other and each house style is different too so there are lots of choices to be made. I really like helping out with that where I can, especially where we are selling off-plan as the house hasn’t been built.

Once a customer has paid a reservation fee, I am then their point of contact throughout the whole buying and building process, so we get to know each other quite well. I’m always available to answer any questions, find out any information they need, keep them updated with progress and arrange site visits when possible.  I always follow up with an email but I like to be available to talk face to face or on the phone as I really like making connections with people in-person where I can.

Prior to completion, usually a week before, I arrange to meet up with my buyers, to go through the homeowner’s manual with them– the homeowners manual is like an encyclopaedia of their house, with every possible bit of information they could ever need – details of things like how to operate the alarm or the heating system, what type of bricks we have used and who supplies them.

On completion day when we hand over their new home, we ask our customers to walk around the house to make sure they are happy with everything or flag up any tiny, last-minute snags that need fixing. I make a note of anything like that that needs doing and then leave them to enjoy making themselves at home in their new house.

What’s your biggest challenge as Sales Manager?

I think it’s selling houses off-plan where there isn’t a house ready to show them yet. It’s really important that I can help the customer envision what the house will look like by showing them floorplans, drawings, artists impressions and samples. It all helps them build up a picture of the completed house so they can imagine themselves living there.

Why do people like buying houses from CB Homes?

All of CB Homes houses feel just a little bit different, with very individual characters and features so that draws people in. I think it’s a question of the beautiful design and the high quality of the build. The houses are simply stunning and people are always so impressed with them. On several occasions I have had visitors who have come and looked around a show home and when they’re leaving will admit that they are actually a builder and that they have been extremely impressed by the quality of the house they’ve just looked round. That makes me feel very proud. My own son is in the process of buying a CB Homes house so that’s how confident I am of their quality!

To find out more about CB Homes houses and their latest developments, visit www.cbhomes.co.uk. You can contact the sales manager via sales@cbhomes.co.uk.

Award winning homes

6 times winners

13 times winners

8 times winners

2 Awards for best luxury home

Pride in the job award