Step 4 of 5 · Full design from fundamentals
The Blueprint
Most homes are designed around the builder. Yours will be designed around you. Every room, every junction, every switch — thought through before a spade goes in.
What it is
No limits. Down to the last tap and handle.
Your home designed from fundamentals — how you live, the light, the site, the structure. A complete design you can build from, price from and live in.
What’s included
- Whole-house design: layout, form and elevations
- Structure — simple elements designed in-house, the rest coordinated with a chartered engineer
- Services layout: heating, ventilation, electrics, lighting and plumbing positions
- Kitchen and bathroom layouts
- Every fixed finish specified to the exact product
- Hard landscaping, drainage and driveway layout
- Organising, briefing and attending all surveys
- Planning drawings
- Building-regulations package
- Tender pack and contractor shortlist
How the fee is set
A fixed fee, agreed before you commit to the full design.
Stage 1
Brief and concept
A fixed fee, paid upfront. Ends with an agreed Cost Plan — and your total fee fixed at 8% of it.
| Build cost | Stage 1 fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £500k | £4,950 |
| Up to £1M | £7,500 |
| Up to £2.5M | £9,950 |
Stage 2
Developed design and planning
45% of the remaining fee. Paid 50% at start and 50% at sign-off.
Stage 3
Technical design, specification and tender
55% of the remaining fee. Paid 50% at start and 50% at sign-off.
The fee only changes if you change the brief or the budget by more than 10%. Drawings are released once paid. Builds over £2.5M: bespoke proposal.
Tailored Selection
As hands-on as you like. Room by room.
First we set the design direction together: the metal finish, the timbers, the stone, the palette and the feel of each room. Then, category by category, you choose how involved to be.
Free Rein
You source anything you love. We check it fits, complies, arrives on time and sits within budget.
Shortlist
We narrow the field to the best two or three. You choose.
Mix them however you like. A sample box comes to your door, and up to two accompanied showroom days are included. Anything you’d rather decide later goes into the tender as a Provisional Sum with a selection deadline — so nothing holds up the build.
See it before it’s built
Walk through your home before a spade goes in.
- Stage 1
- 6 photoreal concept views
- Stage 2
- An interactive 3D walkthrough
- Stage 3
- 6 final photoreal views
- Changes
- One round of re-renders after design changes
Two rounds of revisions per stage are included.
Paid by you, at cost
Surveys, ground investigation, structural engineer, energy and SAP calculations, planning and building-control fees. Paid directly by you, with no mark-up.
Available as add-ons
Bespoke joinery design, garden and planting design, Build Watch site inspections, extra renders or walkthroughs. See add-ons.
Not included
Loose furniture and soft furnishings. Contract administration and site management — that’s the Single Point, or Build Watch for inspections only.
FAQ
Questions
How is the fee worked out?
Stage 1 is a fixed fee based on the size of the build. It ends with an agreed Cost Plan. The total fee is then fixed as a lump sum at 8% of that Cost Plan, with a minimum of £15,000. It only changes if you change the brief or the budget by more than 10%.
Who pays for surveys and the structural engineer?
You do, directly, at cost, with no mark-up from us: surveys, ground investigation, the structural engineer, energy and SAP calculations, and planning and building-control fees. We organise, brief and attend them all — that coordination is included.
Do you do the structural design?
Simple structural elements are designed in-house. Anything beyond that is coordinated with a chartered structural engineer, so it’s all part of one joined-up design.
Do I have to choose every finish myself?
Only if you want to. With Tailored Selection you choose, category by category, whether to take Free Rein or have us Shortlist the best two or three. Anything you’d rather decide later goes into the tender as a Provisional Sum with a deadline.
How many revisions are included?
Two rounds of revisions per stage. Beyond that, further changes are charged at our hourly rate, agreed with you first.
Does the Blueprint include managing the build?
No. The Blueprint ends with the tender pack and contractor shortlist. If you’d like us to run the build too, that’s the Single Point. If your own builder runs the job, Build Watch gives you stage-matched inspections and a written report after each.
All five steps
- 01 The Clarity Session A focused 2-hour session on your home or plans, followed by a written action plan. £495 on site · £345 by video
- 02 The Navigator An engineer in your corner while you build it yourself. £850 per month · 3-month minimum
- 03 The Feasibility Study We find out whether — and how — your difficult project can be done. £3,500 standard · £6,500 listed, heritage or major structural
- 04 The Blueprint Your home designed from fundamentals — how you live, the light, the site, the structure — down to the last tap and handle. 8% of the agreed Cost Plan · minimum £15,000
- 05 The Single Point The complete service: we design it, then run it. One number to call from first sketch to final key. 15% of construction cost · minimum £40,000
Designed around you.
Start with two hours and a clear plan. If we go further together, the fee is credited.