Insights
Short explainers from Elizabeth Homes on building a bespoke home — knock-down-and-rebuild, design & build, self-build, finding a plot and what land is worth with planning. Each with a full transcript.
Straight explainers
Building a home, or bringing a piece of land forward, throws up the same handful of questions again and again. Which way to build? What does it actually cost? How long does it take? Is it better to knock down and rebuild, or renovate? And what is a plot, or a site, really worth once planning is factored in? These short explainers answer those questions plainly, from people who do this for a living rather than sell a product.
Each one comes with a full written transcript, so you can read instead of watch if you'd rather, and every topic has a longer written guide when you want the full detail. They're deliberately free of jargon and sales pitch: the point is to help you make a good decision, whichever way it takes you.
Watch & read
If you've got a tired house on a good plot, the big question is whether to renovate it or knock it down and start again. Here's how we'd weigh it up.
InsightsDesign and build means one team designs, specifies and builds your home. Here's how we deliver it — with a fully agreed spec and price from day one.
InsightsSelf-build is about getting the home you actually want — without having to manage every part of it yourself. Here's how it works.
InsightsGood building plots are scarce, and the best rarely reach the open market. Here's how to find one — and how to know what it's really worth.
InsightsIf you own land or a large garden, the single thing that changes its value most is planning permission. Here's how that works.
Go deeper
The explainers are the short version. Our written guides go further — costs, planning, VAT, timelines and the honest trade-offs behind each route to building a home or realising the value in land. Start with the ones below, or browse them all.
