New Build

Building a new home is one of the most exciting experiences you will ever have! The Essex Conversions team has been building new homes for Essex residents for many years. We know the process and are here to help make your experience as smooth and hassle-free as possible. This blog post will give you an overview of what it takes to build a new home, including some of the benefits and limitations that come with this type of construction.

Benefits of building a new house

-Essex Conversions specializes in new home construction, which means that you have access to a variety of floor plans and exterior designs. If the house plan we offer is not what you’re looking for, we can design your dream house from scratch!

Apart from that, the other benefit of having your own house built is that you can customize your house to have all the features that are important for you and your family.

-Essex Conversions also offers financing plans, which is a great help if you don’t want to pay in full upfront. We work with many different banks, so we’ll find one that works best for your needs!

Limitations to building a new house

-This type of construction takes longer than updating an existing foundation or remodelling an older property. You will need patience during this process, but it’s worth waiting for because, once the project is completed, you’ll be able to enjoy living in your beautiful new home.

Other limitations include the time and skills needed to create the home of your dreams. Essex Conversions has a professional team with experience in new home construction, so you’ll be able to enjoy building a house without any worries!

The process we employ in building a new house

Preparation of Construction Site and Pouring of Foundation

At this stage, we’ll construct the foundation and pour concrete.

Completion of Rough Plumbing

Electrical HVAC. We will be installing electrical outlets and wiring along with plumbing fixtures such as water heaters and dishwashers during this stage.

Completion of Drywall and Interior Fixtures

We will be installing drywall to cover any unfinished areas in your Essex Conversions Home and finishing up with interior fixtures such as cabinets or flooring that you would like installed during this stage.

Finishing of Interior Trim

You want to choose what type of trim style you are looking for from a variety of options, including crown moulding, baseboard, chair rail etc. At this point, we can install it onto the existing framing.

Finishing of Mechanical Trims; Installation of Bathroom Fixtures

Essex Conversions will install all bathroom fixtures at this point, including vanities, sinks, etc., as well as plumbing pipes for faucets.

Installation of Mirrors, Shower Doors

Finishing of Flooring, Exterior Landscaping. Essex Conversions specializes in installing mirrors and shower doors. Essex will also finish the flooring, as well as the exterior landscaping.

Completion of Rough Framing

At this stage, we’ll assemble the building’s frame for your new Essex Conversions home and attach all framing components to complete exterior walls that are strong enough to bear weight from above, so you can use these spaces as living space or storage just like normal rooms in a house.

Installation of insulation

This is an important step when constructing your Essex Conversions home because it keeps out sound, cold air, and hot air depending on which insulation type you choose to use, all while improving the overall energy efficiency of your Essex Conversions home.

Installing Exterior Walkways and Driveways

Now is the time when we’ll start working on exterior features such as walkways or driveways. Essex Conversions has a variety of driveway options that will help you decide what is best for your home.

Installing Hard Surface Flooring, Countertops

Completion of Exterior Grading. Essex Conversions specializes in hard-surface flooring. It is important to choose the right type of material for your home. It could be carpet or vinyl, depending on your lifestyle and needs.

Final Walk-Through

Once you are satisfied with all of Essex’s work, Essex will do a final walkthrough to make sure that everything is perfect before completion. You can expect your new house to be completed within six months from this point, on average.

Frequently asked questions

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What is restricted building work?

Restricted building work is anything that changes the external appearance of a dwelling, like changing its roof, adding balconies or windows.
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How long does it take to build a house?

Essex Conversions takes around six months on average to complete a new house. However, this timeline can vary depending on the size and scope of your build.
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What is the cost of building a new house?

The construction costs will depend on what you want in your new home. The more extravagant features that are added into your custom design plan, such as extra rooms or basement space, the higher the price tag will be accordingly. Essex Conversions offers competitive pricing for any project they work on.
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How much deposit do I need?

Deposits at Essex Conversions start at £5000 but may go up if additional work is requested (for example, an extension). Deposits can typically be paid over three or four months to help manage costs. Essex Conversions can provide a payment plan if necessary, but this will depend on your circumstances.
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What are the risks?

They include:
o Lack of Planning Permission-The site might be in an area where the building is not permitted, so you would need to obtain planning permission before starting work.

o High-Cost Building Contractor-A contractor who may have inflated prices or do shoddy work (building contractors should always display their current public liability insurance certificate)

o Unforeseen Events-Catastrophic events such as floods or earthquakes could halt construction altogether for some time while repairs take place.

Architects also advise against living on-site during any stage of construction, as this can increase the risk of injury.

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Why are some home designs more expensive than others?

If you are considering building a new home, there is likely to be an option for something that suits your budget. Essex Conversions offers two types of house designs: affordable and luxury.

The most expensive design Essex Conversions offers is the Essex Lifestyle Home-this features three bedrooms and two bathrooms in over 1000 square metres with generous living spaces and high-end appliances, including induction cooktops. The Essex Lifestyle Home also includes a solar panel on the roof which assists with heating water during the winter months when sun hours are at their lowest.

A more modest design would be the Essex Classic Semi-Detached House, offering one or two bedrooms, a bathroom, an open plan kitchen/living space plus a garage.

Prices start from £180k for an Essex Classic Semi-Detached House.

If you’re looking for something more affordable, Essex Conversions offer many different designs that start from £85k and go up to £135k.

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What is the difference between a titled and an untitled lot of land?

The difference lies in the potential boundary disputes that could arise. With a titled lot of land, the boundaries are clear and recorded on title deeds or certificates. Consent is not needed for building work in this instance, but local council rules apply to issues such as height restrictions etc.

If you have an untitled piece of land, you will require permission from both the council and any adjoining landowners before commencing construction.

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What is a soil report and should you get one?

A soil report is an assessment of soil type and suitability for building purposes. A positive result may increase the price of a house, as it can be more expensive to build on less suitable land.

The report will also confirm whether you need consent from the council before proceeding with any construction work.
If your home is being constructed on an untitled lot of ground, or if there has been previous industrial activity in the area, then a soil report should be considered mandatory.

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What is the difference between an architect, an architectural designer and a draftsperson?

An architect is a designer who draws up the blueprints and plans for a house.

A draftsman or architectural technician takes these drawings, converts them into technical sketches called ‘working drawings’, and then transfers them to different formats, like templates used by builders or engineers.

An architectural draughtsperson is in-between an architect and a design draughts person as they have some of their ideas but need someone else to take those designs over so that they can be turned into working drawings. They are also known as assistant architects, which often means you will find one on every building site with either an engineer, project manager, or builder before construction begins.

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How far from the boundaries do I have to build?

You need to be at least 50 metres away from your boundary line on all sides, but if you are within 55-60 metres, then it depends where you live in Essex, as different councils regulate differently.

An architect will make sure that this happens when designing a house and usually gets these distances right by including more square meters in their design (which costs more) so they can accommodate the extra space needed for gardens, driveways, etc.

It’s also important not only to consider how much space there needs to be between fences and buildings, but also the type of fences and buildings.

For example, if you want to have a wall around your backyard, then it will need to be at least two meters high, otherwise, it is not compliant with council regulations.

It’s best to talk through these things when designing your new house with an architect before going ahead, because they know which plans are more likely to be approved by councils in Essex than others.

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Who is responsible for the building consent process?

The council will usually be the ones to sign off on your building consent.
However, they’ll need a copy of the plans prepared by an architect before then, so it’s best to get them involved as soon as possible if you’re looking at having any kind of work done, whether that is just adding onto one room or completely rebuilding your Essex house altogether.
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How much will my consent cost?

This varies depending on which living areas in Essex require a new permit and how big those changes need to be, but typically there is no charge for getting these things assessed, such as with most planning applications, because councils don’t make money from this process like some other organisations do, managing new homes. Instead, their responsibility lies more with ensuring that you comply with all Essex building regulations.