New Builds in Livingston, West Lothian (10)

Building a home is not a quick, straightforward process. That’s why the time needed to build a new property can be quite long. The build time also depends on the size of your new home, the layout, the location, the type of property and how many tradespeople are working on it. New build construction can take up to a year.

How to get planning permission for a new build

If your new home is being built by a property developer, you won’t need to worry about getting planning permission yourself. However, if you’re building your own home from scratch, this is an important stage in the process.

In order to get planning permission you’ll need to submit an application to your local authority. This will include everything from the design of your new home to any disturbance to your neighbours and whether any trees need to be removed. Your local authority will then make a judgement. The process takes an average of 8 weeks.

One of the most important things to consider when building your own home is your budget. What’s more, often big projects run over budget so it’s worth saving more than you think you’ll need.

When planning your budget, consider the following:

• Cost of the land

• Cost of any surveys

• Cost of utilities

• Cost of legal fees

• Cost of designs

• Cost of planning permission

• Cost of materials

• Cost of labour

• Cost of a structural engineer

• Cost of insurance

  To learn more about budgeting for a new build house, please see our house building cost guide.

It’s difficult to say exactly how much a new build costs as the price will vary from property to property. If you’re buying from a developer, the price will be clear up front. However if you plan to build a house yourself, you’ll need to consider the following factors:

• How big will your new home be?

• What will the layout of your home be?

• What type of materials will you use?

• How much labour will you do yourself?

• What’s the condition of the land where you’re building?

New build cost

To help you plan your budget, let’s look at a few example new build costs. Below we’ve covered average costs for 3, 4 and 5 bedroom homes:

• 3 bedroom new build cost: £126k - £300k

• 4 bedroom new build cost: £196k - £500k

• 5 bedroom new build cost: £280k - £600k

Another way of calculating the cost of your home is to look at the average new build cost per m2. Depending on your plans, the average new build cost per m2 is £1,800.

Looking for further information and prices? Check out our house building cost guide.

What is involved in new build construction?

New build construction will usually follow the below process:

1. Buying the land

2. Preparing the land

3. Foundations

4. Superstructure

5. Roof

6. Utility installation

7. Drainage

8. Ceiling, staircase and walls

9. Flooring

10. Connecting utilities

11. Decoration

    You can discover more about this process in our house building cost guide.

Remember, it could take a year to build your new home so it’s important to hire the best contractors for your project. You’ll be seeing these professionals regularly so ensure you choose tradespeople you can trust.

Once you’ve spoken to a contractor, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I feel comfortable around this worker?

• Are they willing to answer all my questions?

• Do they have the right experience and qualifications?

• Do they have positive reviews on Checkatrade?

• Can I see examples of their past jobs?

• Are they happy to explain the process to me?

• Is their quote competitive?

If you answer yes to most of these questions, you can be sure you’re hiring the right contractor for your job.

Want to speak to new build companies in Livingston?

If you’re planning to build a new home, you'll need to find a range of trustworthy professionals to do the work. Luckily, we can help you find the right contractors for your job. Our members pass a variety of checks to ensure they have the right qualities and experience needed.

One way of finding new build contractors in Livingston is to use our free search feature. Type in your postcode and we’ll show you a variety of professionals who are waiting for your call.

Or, try our request a quote feature. This is the perfect option for busy people and we’ll do the hard work for you. Just fill in the information about your project and we’ll pass your details on to three new build companies in Livingston. They’ll then contact you directly with a quote. It couldn't be easier!