Custom Build — Stamped with Individuality, Quality & Exacting Standards

Within the industry, we have a strong delivery record and plenty of well-deserved recognition for building outstanding custom homes. This service is perfect if you already have architectural drawings, a suitable plot and planning permission. Coldwells Build will manage and coordinate the construction of your ideal home. 

A twilight shot of a modern, cantilevered house, looking from the outside in. The lights are on inside the property and floor to ceiling glazing allows you to see right inside the home. A man and a woman can be seen sitting on a couch watching TV. The home’s materials include board marked concrete and timber cladding.

Partner with a leader in green homebuilding

Recent custom home & renovation projects

Passivhaus isn’t all we do. We also create the highest calibre custom homes with award-winning construction and outstanding customer service. Our expertise and highly-skilled workforce helps bring design-led spaces to life.

See Award-Winning Projects
A modern home of stone, timber and glass sits atop a sloping gravel driveway, with a flat sedum living roof and a green vintage car in the carport.

Lynwood

Contemporary split-level, stone and timber home

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They have certainly delivered our dream home

Bringing together three different buildings isn't a straightforward project, but thanks to Coldwells Build, it was completed to a high standard and came in on budget.

Client: Danny Tazioli | Cornival, Aberdeenshire

Custom Build Budgets – How To Stay On Track

At the start of a project, it’s easy to get carried away with ambitious design concepts. When the time comes to build, you could find construction costs are beyond what you planned to spend. This is preventable. Our 3-point guide can help avoid budgets sliding out of control. 

Work with an architect who has a track record of collaborating with builders in the design phase to provide cost visibility from the start. 

The architect manages the design, and the builder and architect work together to calculate construction costs. When costs are tracked during the design phase, the risk of budget blowouts decreases.

With early, practical input from the builder, potential issues can be ‘designed out’ before leaving the architect’s desk, saving time on rework at a later (and more costly) stage.

See our projects in

Custom Build — FAQs

Our award-winning process means that every home we build is guaranteed to meet the distinctive needs and lifestyles of our clients. Take a look at the questions we’re most frequently asked to discover if custom build is the right option for you. 

  • As principal contractors, we'll take care of everything. We start with an initial meeting, followed by:

    • Site measure up/survey
    • Collaborating with your architect to finalise construction details
    • Engaging professional subcontractors and suppliers
    • A detailed quote
    • A fixed price contract
    • Managing and coordinating the full construction process
    • Independent building inspections
    • Commissioning and handover of your home
    • Following up at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months to ensure your home is defect free
  • We specialise in building Passivhaus homes and Custom homes. We are also happy to consider renovations. 

  • As principal contractors, we are accountable for driving and coordinating the entire construction process - which means you can leave the project management to us. In doing so, you'll benefit from our established links with trusted suppliers and specialist craftspeople.

  • If you haven’t already commissioned a bespoke design, we would encourage you to come direct to us. We partner with Scotland’s leading architects to create the best homes, based on our client's brief and budget.

    We recommend you work with an architect who collaborates with builders in the design phase to ensure cost visibility from the start.

    This simple but fundamental difference saves money and time. It turns the relationship between builders and architects into a positive alliance, which fosters not only creative collaboration, but most importantly, budget control.

    The architect manages the creative design, and the builder and architect work together on construction science and costs. When construction costs are monitored and tracked in the design phase, the risk of budget blowouts decreases.

    It’s also an opportunity to identify any construction related challenges early on. With practical input from the builder, potential issues can be ‘designed out’ before leaving the architect’s desk, saving time on rework at a later (and more costly) stage.

  • We have regular site meetings to ensure that your project is being built exactly the way you imagined. At any stage, you are welcome to make changes if time permits and the changes don’t affect the structural integrity of your build. We understand the need for flexibility during the construction phase, so we are happy to assist.

Detail shot showing the edge of PIR insulation stacked in a pile. The location, ‘Alford’ is written in permanent marker on the side on the insulation.

Our award-winning craftspeople

We’re fortunate enough to bring together a small team of highly-skilled individuals who are all committed to creating world-class homes. Through our dedication to training and promoting from within the company, we can ensure our values, skillset and standards are passed from one generation of craftspeople to the next.

Meet the Team

Press

Looking into the ensuite bathroom of a modern house. A modern black bathtub sits in the centre of the room. Floor to ceiling glazing allows light to flood into the bathroom.

ELLE Decoration

"Hidden discreetly behind a traditional-style stone wall, this Aberdeenshire new-build is a quietly modern marvel."

A twilight shot of a modern, cantilevered house, looking from the outside in. The lights are on inside the property and floor to ceiling glazing allows you to see right inside the home. A man and a woman can be seen sitting on a couch watching TV. The home’s materials include board marked concrete and timber cladding.

The New York Times

"In Scotland, a Minimalist House That Keeps the World at Bay"

A cantilevered, timber clad house. A granite stone boundary wall surrounds the property.

Dezeen

"A marriage of stone salvaged from a dilapidated farmstead with timber and board-marked concrete to create The Arbor House."

Coldwells Build Manuals – Download Yours Now

Our free guides on house building offer practical, real-world, expert advice. Start your journey today.

All Manuals

Passivhaus: Financing Guide

Explore a range of funding options to support your Passivhaus build, including green mortgages, government loans and more.

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