How are New-Build Homes Built?
Discover what goes into the creation of a new-build apartment
Like the smell of a new car, there’s something special about living in a new-build home. Equipped with brand-new appliances and plenty of contemporary style, these homes are not just easy on the eye but also built to last.
If you are currently on the market for a new home, it’s natural that you might wonder – how are new-build developments actually built? With our in-depth guide, you can discover what goes into the creation of a new home.
What is a new-build home?
A new home is a newly constructed apartment or house that has never been lived in before. These are usually part of a larger development or area regeneration and have been built according to the latest building regulations.
1. Planning and design
No home can be built without a careful design plan. This comes from the big brains of developers, engineers and architects, who create a comprehensive design plan for the new apartment building. Considering influences like location and environmental factors, an architect will dream up the idea for the building’s layout and exterior design. This ensures your home does its job while looking pleasing to the eye.
2. Preparing a construction site
Once the perfect design is envisioned, it’s time to put it into reality. This starts when a developer clears an area of land and builds a construction site in its place. After installing electricity and drainage, and some temporary office sites, the real work can begin.
3. Foundation
The foundation is the key starting point of any building. To put it simply, a housing development cannot exist without the stability provided by the foundation. To lay this down, builders dig trenches and pour in reinforced concrete, creating a stable basis for the wooden framing of the building. Using a combination of wood or steel beams, framing helps to provide a framework for each floor and roof, giving the building its strength and shape.
4. Plumbing and electrical
The unsung hero of any home, plumbing and electrical systems are crucial to pretty much every day-to-day activity. Before the walls are closed in, pipes are laid for water supply and drainage, while electrical wiring and fixtures are put in place for things like power sockets and Wi-Fi. Once this is all installed, any crucial wires are boarded up with plaster/plasterboard dry-lining.
5. Insulation
One of the benefits of living in a new-build home is that they are a lot more energy efficient than older properties. Built using energy-efficient materials that regulate temperature and keep your home warm, you won’t have to worry about running up your energy bills like you would in an older home. Once your plumbing and electrical is all wired up, insulation is added to the walls and ceilings, ensuring you can enjoy a cosy night in, whenever you want.
6. Finishing touches
Now that the technical stuff is out of the way, your new home will really start to take shape. Your apartment development will be divided into individual apartments, with windows and doors installed to let in swathes of stunning natural light. Depending on the design of your building, the outside of the development will be finished with materials like bricks, stucco or glass, while luxury amenities like balconies or terraces are also introduced.
7. Interior design
Newly built apartments give you a modern and contemporary living space, at a more affordable price depending on the tenure used to buy. So at this stage, you can expect the introduction of sleek flooring, cabinetry, and countertops. Alongside the latest fixtures and appliances, your home will be painted from top to bottom – sometimes in a shade of your choice, depending on the housing provider! To create a truly beautiful living environment, landscaping will also take place around the building.
8. Quality checks
As a rule, quality checks will take place throughout the whole construction process. But quality assurance is also key at the final stages, where inspections take place to ensure compliance with safety standards and building codes. This is to ensure there are no last-minute snags or problems for home-buyers to worry about.
9. Move in
Once the apartments are ready, it’s time for owners to truly enjoy the perks of homeownership. Complete with the latest in contemporary fixtures and appliances, new-build homes are ready to enjoy pretty much as soon as you’ve moved in. All that’s left to do is to put a personal touch on your new home!
Looking for a new-build apartment? At Share to Buy, you can choose from some of the best new-build housing providers on the market. With affordable homeownership schemes like Shared Ownership and Discount Market Sale, finding your dream home has never been easier.
