The term ‘new build’ should be used guardedly when speaking of residential property in London neighbourhoods like Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster.
The likelihood of obtaining a cleared plot on which to construct a new property is tiny, so the term generally refers to the practice of buying a property, knocking this down and then rebuilding it.
Experienced ‘new build’ builders West London
We have now done this for a number of clients and our experience in managing projects of this kind is considerable. As is so often the case in London, the problems presented by the physical architecture and construction are modest in comparison with the complexities of negotiating Planning Permission.
Regardless of which borough the house is located in, it is most likely that any approval will stipulate that the new house appear to be more or less a replica of the original when viewed from the outside.
On each of the projects of this kind that we have done to date, however, we have been able to knock down the original house, go down into the basement by one or two levels, rebuild the house with a new interior but looking much as it did before from the outside, include an additional floor on top, and yet still appease the Planners.
Maximising the footprint of your ‘new build’
This is no small achievement and, while it may sound a little excessive, it does have two sizeable advantages.
Firstly, the new house will be not only larger, but also square and true, with all floors level and all doors and windows matching, and with the infrastructure requirements of modern services designed in from the outset.
The other advantage is that work which is classed as ‘new build’ attracts 0% VAT, and this model can thus deliver a handsome saving on costs when compared to the remodelling involved in constructing basements and adding floors while leaving the original house in place.
