New Build Construction

New Build Homes Manchester
House Builders Greater Manchester

Renovat Construction builds new homes across Greater Manchester. Self-build houses, replacement dwellings and plot development from initial site assessment and planning application through to construction and handover. Every new build we deliver is designed and built to your exact specification, not to a volume builder's standard template. 25 years of construction experience in the region. Fixed pricing, certified project management, full Building Regulations compliance.

Building a New House in Greater Manchester: What You Need to Know Before You Start

Building your own home in Greater Manchester is more achievable than most people assume. The region has a diverse range of plot types, from infill plots within established residential streets in south Manchester and Salford to larger sites in the outer boroughs where greater land availability makes plots more accessible. Understanding what each type of plot requires in terms of planning, ground conditions and services is the most important groundwork before any money is committed.

Greater Manchester sits predominantly on a geology of glacial clays and drift deposits overlying Carboniferous and Permo-Triassic bedrock. In practical terms this means clay soils are common across much of the region, particularly in the inner south Manchester boroughs and Salford. Clay soils move seasonally as they absorb and release moisture, which means foundation depths need to be designed carefully, particularly where trees are present. The presence of mature trees within striking distance of a proposed new build is one of the most common causes of increased foundation cost in Greater Manchester plots. A trial pit investigation before purchasing a plot, or before committing to a build programme, avoids expensive surprises once the groundworks begin.

Services connections are the second most significant variable in new build plot cost after land purchase. Mains water, gas, electricity, drainage and broadband connections all need to be brought to the plot, and the cost of doing so varies enormously depending on the plot's location relative to the existing infrastructure. A plot within a fully serviced residential street in Sale or Stockport may need only short connection runs. A rural or semi-rural plot in the outer boroughs may require substantial infrastructure investment before any construction begins. We assess service availability and connection costs as part of every initial site evaluation.

How to Get Planning Permission for a New Build House in Manchester

All new build homes require full planning permission. Unlike extensions and conversions, there is no permitted development route for new dwellings regardless of plot size or location. The planning application is assessed against the Local Plan of the relevant Greater Manchester council, national planning policy, and any specific policies applicable to the site.

Greater Manchester's ten planning authorities have broadly similar approaches to new residential development within established residential areas but differ in their specific design expectations and their attitude to new dwellings in more sensitive locations. Manchester City Council supports residential infill development in accessible locations and generally takes a pragmatic approach to contemporary design. Trafford Council, particularly in its southern wards, applies stricter design standards around materials, scale and relationship to neighbouring properties. Stockport Council has specific policies on design quality in residential streets that require careful attention during the design stage.

The most common reason planning applications for new dwellings fail in Greater Manchester is inadequate attention to the character of the surrounding area. Proposals that are out of scale, use inappropriate materials or fail to respect the established building line of the street are consistently refused. We develop designs that respect local character while delivering the accommodation and specification our clients want. Pre-application advice from the council is available for most projects and we use this service routinely for complex or sensitive sites to understand officer expectations before a formal application is submitted.

Standard planning applications for new dwellings have a 13-week target determination period. More complex sites, or those attracting significant objections or requiring committee rather than delegated officer decision, take longer. We manage the entire planning process on your behalf including preparing drawings, writing planning statements, responding to consultee queries and negotiating with planning officers. For the full picture on planning across all ten Greater Manchester councils see our planning permission service.

Types of New Build Project We Deliver

New Build Construction Standards: What Current Building Regulations Require

New build homes in England must comply with the current Building Regulations, which set minimum standards across every aspect of construction from structure and fire safety to energy efficiency, ventilation, accessibility and drainage. The regulations were significantly updated in 2021 under the Future Homes Standard consultation and again for the 2022 Part L uplift, which substantially increased the energy performance requirements for new homes. Understanding what current regulations require is important when planning your new build because these requirements directly affect construction cost and the choice of building fabric and heating system.

Part L: Energy Efficiency

The 2022 Part L uplift requires new homes to produce approximately 31 percent less carbon than under the previous standard. In practical terms this means highly insulated building fabric, very low air permeability requiring careful detailing at all junctions, and either a heat pump or other low-carbon heating system in place of a standard gas boiler. New gas boilers are still permitted in new builds as of 2026 but the direction of policy is clear and a well-designed new build should plan for the heating technology landscape of the next decade rather than simply meeting current minimum requirements. We advise on the most practical and cost-effective approach to meeting Part L for each specific build.

Part F: Ventilation

Highly insulated airtight homes cannot rely on natural background ventilation through gaps in the building fabric. Modern new builds require a mechanical ventilation system to ensure adequate fresh air supply and prevent condensation and poor indoor air quality. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) is increasingly standard on new builds as it recovers heat from outgoing air, reducing heating demand while maintaining good air quality throughout the building.

Part M: Accessibility

All new homes must comply with Part M Category 1 as a minimum, which requires level or ramped access at the principal entrance, minimum door widths throughout to accommodate wheelchair access, and a WC at entrance level. Some local planning authorities in Greater Manchester impose enhanced accessibility requirements as planning conditions, requiring Category 2 compliance which includes additional features such as wider corridors and reinforced bathroom walls for future grab rail installation.

Self-Build Mortgages for New Build Projects in Greater Manchester

Financing a self-build differs fundamentally from purchasing an existing property. Standard residential mortgages release the full loan amount at completion of purchase. Self-build mortgages release funds in stages as construction progresses, which aligns with the way construction projects are paid for but requires careful cash flow management between stage payment releases.

Two main types of self-build mortgage are available. Arrears-stage mortgages release funds after each construction stage is completed and independently valued. Advance-stage mortgages release funds at the beginning of each stage. Advance-stage products are more helpful for managing cash flow but are offered by fewer lenders. Several specialist self-build mortgage lenders are active in the Greater Manchester market. We are experienced in working alongside staged payment mortgage requirements and coordinate our payment schedules with the stage payment structure agreed with your lender.

VAT reclaim is available on self-build projects under HMRC's DIY Housebuilders Scheme, which allows homeowners building their own home to reclaim VAT paid on building materials. This applies only to homes that will be used as the claimant's primary residence and must be claimed within three months of receiving the completion certificate. The reclaim can represent a meaningful saving on the total project cost and should be planned for from the outset.

The New Build Process: From Plot to Keys

Areas We Cover for New Build Construction

We build new homes across all of Greater Manchester. Self-build and infill plots are most commonly found in the established residential areas of south Manchester, Salford, Trafford and Stockport where the density of housing creates occasional gaps and opportunities. Larger plots with more scope for new build development are more common in the outer boroughs of Bolton, Wigan, Tameside and the fringes of the conurbation. We assess the planning prospects and site characteristics for any plot across the region before advising on viability.