NEW BUILD HOUSES
BUILDING A ONE-OFF HOUSE?
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 - BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER
UNDERSTAND WHATS POSSIBLE ON YOUR SITE.
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.
NEXT STEP
BOOK A PROJECT CLARITY REVIEW.£450.
When it can help You have a site in mind and want to understand the main planning and practical issues before commissioning a design. You're considering buying a property or site and want to identify the questions that need answered before committing. You're unsure whether an extension or renovation could meet your needs and budget. You've had conflicting advice and need a clear view of the next steps.