Case Study
Location, location, location.
How we turned an un-inhabitable bungalow with an incredible view into two ultra-desirable homes
Location
Hillcrest Road, Portishead
We took on risk and got creative to purchase a site with huge potential and amazing views, giving the owners financial freedom and creating a unique development opportunity for us.
The Challenges
- No planning permission was in place when we purchased the site
- Significant building issues, including asbestos in the buildings to be demolished, a sloping site and undulating rock strata for foundations
Our Approach
When a site came up with huge potential and awe-inspiring views, we knew we had to move fast.
The existing bungalow was un-mortgageable, so the purchase had to be in cash, and there was no time to explore Planning.
Based on our own experience and assessment, and after consulting with other professionals, we believed it was pretty likely that we could gain Planning Approval for two homes. We used internal funds to buy the site outright, the perfect solution for the owners who knew the land had potential but didn’t want the hassle or to wait for their money. It meant we didn’t need a third-party lender so that we could get on with the project.
The deal we agreed on was well above market value based on the site’s potential. We set to work with several specialists to prepare a high-quality planning submission. Thankfully we got approval on our first attempt. We followed this with a technical design process to get the other statutory consents in place, including Building Regulations, asbestos removal and demolition.
The Outcome
Since its completion, our development has been recognised for many awards, including:
- Winner – Federation of Master Builders, Master Builder Awards South West 2021
- Winner – North Somerset Council Building Control, Building Excellence Awards 2020
- Finalist – Bristol Life Awards 2020
- Finalist – Bristol Property Awards 2020
- Finalist – Local Authority Building Control, West of England Building Excellence Awards 2020.
Wonderful house
We are absolutely thrilled with the house and the fixtures, fittings and general workmanship are premier class. The level of service received to date in response has been exceptional."