NEW BUILD HOUSES
BUILDING A ONE-OFF HOUSE? THE FIRST MISTAKE IS STARTING WITH A DRAWING.
A new build house is the biggest project most people will ever take on. Get the early decisions right and everything that follows is more straightforward. Get them wrong the wrong site, the wrong planning route, a budget that was never honestly tested and you can lose months and tens of thousands before a single block is laid.
I help landowners and families across Derry, Donegal and the North West plan and build one-off houses, rural homes and replacement dwellings starting with the questions that actually decide whether a project will work.
THE QUESTIONS THAT DECIDE EVERYTHING FOR A NEW BUILD
01
Will this site get planning permission?
Rural housing is the most contested area of planning on both sides of the border. A field being yours doesn’t make it buildable. The reasons a site qualifies or doesn’t are specific and knowable before you spend anything.
02
Which planning system applies and what does it demand?
The rules in Donegal are not the rules in Derry. A site two miles from the border sits in a completely different regulatory world. Knowing which system you’re in, and what it will and won’t allow, is often the difference between a project that succeeds and one that stalls.
03
Can the site be serviced?
Access sightlines, water supply, wastewater treatment, drainage the unglamorous details that quietly kill projects. A site-suitability assessment in the Republic, or a failed percolation test, can stop a project before it starts.
04
Is the budget realistic?
Construction costs in 2025 are substantially higher than most people expect. A design you can’t afford to build is the most expensive drawing you’ll ever pay for.
RURAL PLANNING EXPERTISE, BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER
WHERE MOST ARCHITECTS COME UNSTUCK.
This is where most architects especially online and national practices come unstuck. And it’s where the real value lies for anyone building near the border. You don’t need to memorise any of that. You need an architect who already has. That’s the point of starting here.
In NORTHERN IRELAND, rural and replacement-dwelling proposals are assessed against the SPPS and retained PPS21 countryside policy covering ribbon development, infill, dwellings on farms, and replacement dwellings and, in this district, the Derry & Strabane Local Development Plan 2032 Plan Strategy (other councils are developing their own area plans which may already be live or due to be adopted at time of writing), which now carries the strategic countryside policies. Building Control runs through the council against the NI Technical Booklets.
In THE REPUBLIC, one-off rural housing in Donegal is assessed against the County Donegal Development Plan 2024–2030 including rural housing need, the distinction between Stronger and Structurally Weak Rural Areas, and scenic-amenity siting and design policy. On the build side, you’re into BCAR, the BCMS process, the Technical Guidance Documents, and EPA site-suitability and wastewater assessment for off-mains drainage.
WHAT A NEW BUILD PROJECT LOOKS LIKE WITH ME
1
Project Clarity Review — £450
I look hard at your site or proposed site: planning outlook, rural policy position, servicing constraints, budget reality and the best route forward. You receive a written action plan. If you appoint me, the £450 comes off your fee.
2
Site appraisal & feasibility
Confirming what’s realistically achievable on this site, in this system, before you spend on full design.
3
Design development
A house designed around your brief, your site and your budget. Buildable, not just beautiful.
4
Planning application
The right application, prepared properly for the system you’re in NI or the Republic with the supporting documentation it needs.
5
Technical design
A fully detailed, coordinated package your builder can price accurately and build with confidence.
6
Construction support
Guidance through the build so what’s on the drawings is what gets built — and the project closes out cleanly.
I ALSO DO PRE-PURCHASE SITE APPRAISALS
Considering buying a site before you commit? A Project Clarity Review tells you the planning outlook, access position, servicing constraints and realistic build budget before you sign anything.
The most expensive mistake in a new build project is paying for land you can’t build the house you want on. A site appraisal is the best money you’ll spend.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Landowners and families who are serious about building a home for the long term who value getting it right over getting it cheapest, and who’d rather know the truth about their site early than discover it the hard way. If that describes you, the first step is straightforward.
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