We estimate it will be three years from commencement until we are in our new house. This is based on the following rough timelines (with input from the architects):
- Design development (exterior and thermal focus) and prepare planning application – 6 months
- Planning approvals – 6 months
- Design (interior and details) – 6 months
- Construction – 12-18 months?
Our house purchase settled in March 2026, and we had already received a proposal from our architects (Maxa Design) by this time.
We selected Maxa Design as they had substantial experience in Passive House, they are a multi-person studio (more capacity to start sooner, and more diverse experience to draw on) and, importantly, their Director is a keen cyclist who will understand our need for cycling storage and workshop! We reviewed their project examples and liked the diversity, creativity and aesthetic of their work, and had good vibes after a videocall introductory meeting.
We had a kick off meeting with Maxa Design in late May 2026. This included visiting the house (currently tenanted). The architects took key measurements while they were there, to get an idea of room / building size and topography (as there is not any layout plan for the house). We also met with the architects after the site visit and highlighted key requirements in our design brief.
Based on starting in late May 2026, our very rough project dates are:
- Concept design – end June 2026
- Planning applications submitted – end 2026 / start 2027
- Planning applications approved – mid 2027
- Detailed design complete, construction documents prepared – end 2027
- Start construction – early 2027
- Construction completed – mid 2029
This of course assumes that everything goes smoothly, and there are no delays. Which is highly unrealistic, but at least it gives us a starting point.
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