From the initial planning and design to the day you collect your keys, a new-build home can be years in the making with many stages and milestones to complete along the way. We explain the step-by-step process of building a house on a development to help you understand the incredible work that goes into creating your perfect new-build home.

How long does it take to build a house?

If you’re thinking of buying a new-build home, one of the first questions you might have is how long it will take to build. The home construction process is very complex, requiring the skills and expertise of many different people across multiple phases, and so it’s typical for it to take around six to nine months to complete if your new home is part of a development.

There are various factors that can influence the timescale of building a new home, and your sales advisor at your new-build home development will let you know how long you can expect to wait until your perfect new home will be ready. If you reserve your home plot ‘off plan’, meaning it hasn’t started to be built yet or is in the early build stages, you’ll wait a little longer than if you reserve a plot on which construction is nearly complete.

The stages of building a new-build home

1. Planning and design

There is a lot of work that goes into new-build home construction, even before any ground is broken on the site. Housebuilders are required to carefully plan and design a development proposal to obtain permission to build it, working in close partnership with the local authority, and in accordance with rigorous government legislation and policies.

Once permission is granted, the site team can move in and the exciting process of building your new home can commence.

2. Site preparation and foundations

Groundworkers must carefully prepare the subsurface of your building plot before construction can begin, and this includes clearing the site of vegetation, grading (levelling) the land, and excavating for underground utilities to be installed. Then, the foundations for your new home can be laid up to the damp proof course level.

3. Ground and upper floor construction

Following the foundations, the ground and first floors (and any further floors) of your new home will be constructed; depending on the method used for your individual property, this may be blockwork and brickwork, or a treated timber frame with an external layer of bricks. Thermal insulation is also added into the wall cavities or frame, ensuring that you have an energy-efficient home to look forward to.

4. Roof trusses and tiles

Once the walls of your home are complete, specialist carpenters install the roof trusses and secure them to the walls. Roofers can then lay and batten undercoating, felt and tiles, and install the fascias and soffits, completing the roof phase of your new-build home construction.

Your windows and doors can then be fitted, and your new home will be considered ‘watertight’.

5. First fix: Plumbing, electrical and heating

The ‘first fix’ phase of house construction takes place after the walls and roof have been built and before finishing the internal plastering. At this stage, the internal walls, floors, and ceilings are constructed, and pipework for heating and plumbing is installed, along with cabling for electricity and broadband internet, and floor insulation that helps to ensure your new home is cosy all year-round. If you’ve chosen any optional extras to personalise your new-build home, they’ll start being added at this stage.

The plasterer can then finish the new walls, ready for the second fix phase.

6. Second fix: Fixtures and fittings

When plastering is completed, the home moves on to the ‘second fix’ phase, and your new-build home really begins to take shape. Bathroom fixtures including sinks, toilets and bathtubs, and internal doors and joinery mouldings are installed, and electrical fixtures such as sockets and switches are connected.

7. Flooring, fittings and interior finishes

Your new-build house really becomes your new home at this stage, as your choice of kitchen is fitted, the walls and floors are tiled with your selections, any carpeting is laid, and the interior is decorated.

8. Final inspection

Your new-build home will undergo multiple quality checks throughout its construction process, and its crucial final inspection will ensure that the property meets precise and rigorous building standards and that everything is in working order. Once your house has passed this inspection, the legal completion process can begin, and you’ll be invited to a home demonstration – where you’ll step into your finished new home for the first time!

9. A thorough clean before completion

A thorough professional clean is the final touch to your new-build home, so it is immaculately presented for you to receive the keys on completion day, and start moving in.

What goes into building a Bellway home?

When you choose a new-build Bellway home, you can be assured that it will be expertly constructed by craftsmen, using contemporary building methods and sustainable practices. What’s more, for your peace of mind, your new home will come complete with a 10-year warranty and insurance protection as standard.

But what exactly goes into building a new Bellway home? Here are some fascinating facts.

• 8,736 bricks – An average Bellway development will use an average of almost 9,000 bricks per home, which could stretch from London to Manchester if you laid them lengthways.
• 814 roof tiles – That’s the average number of roof tiles used per home on an average Bellway development. Laid end to end, their length would take you across the Strait of Dover to France, with a few miles to spare!
• 820 metres of electrical wiring – A typical Bellway home will be fitted with a greater length of electrical wiring than the total length of 16 Olympic swimming pools.
• 211 metres of pipework – The total length of pipework in a Bellway home could exceed that of two Premier League football pitches combined.
• 30+ tradespeople – From groundworkers and bricklayers to scaffolders and electricians, the skills of over 30 different tradespeople are required to construct a new Bellway home. They’ll also need the support of 14 different types of heavy machinery and equipment, including excavators, bulldozers, cranes, and forklifts.
• 304 trees and 4,180 shrubs – Bellway is committed to building communities, not just homes, and so hundreds of trees and thousands of shrubs are planted on every development to give back to the environment and create a place you’ll love to live in.

Common challenges when building a house

There are so many steps in the process of building a new house, that it’s not uncommon for challenges to arise along the way – from delays during the initial planning process, to periods of extreme weather that temporarily halt construction, or unanticipated supply issues on materials.

In many cases, the experienced site team can tackle these issues and mitigate any potential impact so that your new home isn’t delayed. However, in some instances the expected completion date of your home may be affected and you’ll be kept informed by your sales advisor if this is the case.

Delays are disappointing, but it’s important that you’re made aware of them – not only to manage your expectations but also so that you can arrange an extension to your mortgage offer, if necessary.

How to move into a new-build Bellway home sooner

If you’re hoping to get the keys to your dream new Bellway home more quickly, we’re here to help. Here are some ways you can buy with Bellway sooner.

• Reserve a Good to Go home that is ready to move into: Your sales advisor will be able to tell you about homes on your chosen Bellway development that are Good to Go, meaning they’re complete and ready to move into in as little as 6 weeks – great for first-time buyers or if you’ve secured a buyer for your existing home.
• Part Exchange your home with us: Sell your current property to us and buy your perfect Bellway home with our fantastic Part Exchange scheme, and we’ll even cover your estate agent fees.
• Find a buyer sooner with Express Mover: Take the stress out of finding a buyer for your home with Bellway’s Express Mover scheme, as we’ll work with a recommended local estate agent to sell your home sooner – with no fees – so you can reserve your new Bellway home.

Visit the Bellway website to find your nearest development of new-build homes, and discover the many fantastic reasons to buy new. You can also read about the potential wellbeing benefits of choosing a new-build home, and exciting and inspiring customer stories like how Amy and Jake’s cancelled wedding started their Bellway home love story.