Calling upon decades of combined experience in building bespoke homes, the team here at Benjamin Allen has developed a simple 6 stage approach to the overall build process. This is designed to allow you complete control and greater flexibility throughout your self-build project.
We’ve never built the same house twice – and we don’t plan to, either. The process below is designed to guarantee a truly unique dwelling for every client, while ensuring the journey to completion is as smooth and enjoyable as possible for those who choose to partner with us.
At the start of your project, you might feel overwhelmed by all the options available to you. This is why your initial concept meeting is so important; it gives you the chance to share all your ideas and requirements, and it enables us to explain what’s going to happen at each stage of the build in more detail. Our consultants will use this opportunity to ask you important questions regarding what you need, how you live, and how much you want to spend on your self-build.
Once you confirm you are happy with our fees, we will provide you with a design contract that details all the key aspects of our working relationship. This will usually include an agreed list of drawings, which will be submitted with a request for pre-planning advice or full planning application. We’ll also outline your brief in full, so we are all clear on what you want to achieve.
At this point, we will engage an architect to produce a more detailed design brief, then develop the first set of proposed designs. Between us, we can discuss any alterations and revisions until we are all happy with what is being proposed. The final floor plans, site plans, elevations, sections and so on will be prepared for your planning application submission, and we will provide any reports necessary to validate the application. Build estimates will be shared at this stage. Please note that reports are chargeable.
We will submit your planning application to your local authority. We will liaise with the planner on your behalf and aim to ensure a decision is made within an 8-week timeframe.
By now, we will have the final build specification, and will be able to present you with more detailed costings so you can plan your budget. We will draw up a contract with details of your project requirements, payment schedule and completion date, and consolidate all the finer details into a document that will be an essential point of reference for everyone involved in the construction phase.
Once you have signed your contracts and any pre-commencement planning conditions have been dealt with, we will start our work at your site. Throughout the construction process, building control representatives and the warranty provider will monitor the build stages. Warranty certificates will be issued after the final inspection. We will formally hand over your dream home, and you’ll be able to start your next chapter in a stunning bespoke property, confident that your build has been completed to an exceptional standard of finish.
It’s important to us that your project unfolds as smoothly as possible and that you make the right decisions, especially when it comes to your level of involvement in the build itself. If you favour a hands-off approach, you may want to consider taking advantage of our full turnkey solution, which offers you a single point of contact from the design stage through to completion, with virtually no input required at ground level.
We can talk you through the advantages and disadvantages of each option and help you settle on a way forward that is aligned with your commitments and your budget.
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