Kit Houses United Kingdom

Are you considering building your own home? This helpful guide will provide insights and guidance around building a kit house in the United Kingdom

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Having the opportunity to design and build your own home is typically a once in a lifetime venture.

At Kirkwood Timber Frame, we are passionate about working with our customers to create a home that is tailored to them. No matter what stage of the self build journey you may be on, our team is here to help! Find out more below...

The benefits of kit houses in the United Kingdom

Whether you are looking to embark on a self build journey or bring a new and exciting residential project to life, timber frame kit homes offer a variety of wonderful benefits. From their versatile and durable structure to offering an eco-friendly alternative to building - it is no surprise that timber frame homes already account for 75% of all newly built housing in Scotland and 23% in England!

So why is timber frame the fastest-growing construction method in the UK?

It’s a quick and cost-effective self build solution
Offers versatility and flexibility
An eco-friendly alternative to construction
Increased energy efficiency and insulation
Excellent durability

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Commonly asked questions about kit houses

Is a timber frame home energy efficient?

Throughout the construction industry, timber frame homes can be recognised as the most thermally efficient form of building for several reasons, including thermal performance, airtightness and increased insulation levels.

Thermal performance

Thermal mass describes the ability of a material to absorb, store and release heat. In an ideal world, when building a home you want to use a material that has a low thermal mass such as timber which is a natural insulator. The small air pockets within the structure of timber make it much better at storing heat than other materials such as steel or aluminium. This has a positive effect in terms of energy savings, as less energy is required to heat the building meaning once your heating is turned on the heat generated lasts much longer.

Airtightness

Airtightness is a key component in creating a home that is energy efficient, as it focuses on the level of air leakage throughout a home. Air leakage can be defined as the flow of air through gaps and cracks in a building such as through the walls, roof or floors. The majority of modern timber frame homes are designed and constructed using high-specification software that ensures each frame is built with precision, creating a highly airtight structure.

Insulation

One of the many benefits of timber frame homes is that it's much easier to insulate than brick homes as there is more flexibility to put greater amounts of insulation between the walls without blocking the cavity.

The environmental aspect of kit houses

Now more than ever people are looking for building materials that are more sustainable than alternative methods. One of the main advantages of using timber frame is its eco-friendly properties.

Timber is a non-toxic natural material which means that it does not release any toxins into the atmosphere and instead stores carbon dioxide. It has the lowest carbon dioxide cost of any available building material and has the ability to cut carbon emissions by 0.9 tonnes per cubic metre of house.

In addition, timber frame kits have incredible durability as the usage rate is less than the amount of time it takes to grow and source.

Kit houses for self builders: The process

At Kirkwood Timber Frame, our goal is to make your self build experience as simplistic and stress-free as possible through our suite of services including architectural design, planning and building regulations, timber frame package creation, pricing your chosen package and engineering and manufacturing.

Architectural design

Our team is on hand to help from the very start of your self build journey as we have access to full architectural design services. The purpose of this stage is to gain a better understanding of what you want from your dream home and really bring your ideas to life through design. During this stage you’ll work alongside our planning consultants, designers and architects to perfect the layout and elevation, specification and energy solutions of your home.

Planning and building regulations

Obtaining planning permission is an essential part of the self build process alongside compliance with building regulations. This can often feel like a daunting process however, our experienced team is here to help guide you through the journey, minimising stress and helping you take that next step towards moving into your brand new home.

Package creation

The beauty of kit houses is that you have the flexibility to create a home that is specifically designed to your needs and tastes. From bespoke packages tailored exactly to you, to a variety of existing packages that give you the option of structure-only designs or full specification kits - there is sure to be something to suit everyone.

Package pricing

Budgeting is inevitably a large factor in your self build project and will determine what is achievable when it comes to designing your new home. At Kirkwood Timber Frame, we pride ourselves on transparency when it comes to pricing as our team provides clear quotations which give you full visibility of pricing throughout the process.

Engineering and manufacture

All of our timber frame kits are developed in our factory based in Sauchen, Aberdeenshire and are delivered to our customers fully ready for installation. Having perfected our methods, materials and processes, our 30 years of experience in the construction industry have allowed us to deliver outstanding homes to our customers.

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Looking for kit home inspiration?

Let's take a closer look at a few of the housetypes currently available for self build homes

Housetype

The Craig

138m²

Housetype

The Marr

234m²

Housetype

The Lyon

195m²

Why are people choosing Kirkwood timber frame as their dedicated kit house supplier?

With 30+ years experience designing and manufacturing timber frame kits for our sister company Kirkwood Homes, as well as other developers across the United Kingdom, we have established our position as a leading timber frame solutions provider.

Over 10,000 timber frame homes under our belt

Expert technical knowledge and skills

Flexible tailored packages

Top quality material and methods

Speedy delivery times

Outstanding customer service

How to set a budget for your self build project

One of the most frequently asked questions by people starting their self build journey is ‘how do I set a budget?’. Knowing where to start when it comes to cost can be a daunting prospect however, we want to help you get started.

From discussing why it's so important to set a budget before starting your self build journey to ways in which you can split costs into different stages of the project, our Senior Estimator, Martin Thomson answers the key questions about the costs involved in self build projects.

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