Backland Development
0800 088 6248Free to call Free plot appraisal

Build a new home in your garden in Greenwich

A new home in your Greenwich garden can be built to sell, to let or for someone in the family, and the right design differs for each. A home for sale needs its own title, a structural warranty for buyers’ lenders and a layout with wide appeal. A family home might put level access or a shared garden gate first.

We talk that through at the start, because it changes the size, the specification and the legal set-up. From there we take the plot through design, planning, approvals and construction, handing over a finished home with its certificates and warranty documents.

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Timber-frame house under construction with scaffolding at the bottom of a back garden, seen from the patio
Planning authority
Royal Borough of Greenwich
Postcodes
SE2, SE3, SE7, SE9, SE18
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.3 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Greater London

What shapes a plot in Greenwich

Daylight is one of the first things the Royal Borough of Greenwich will check on a garden house. At midday on 21 March the sun in Greenwich stands roughly 39° above the horizon, so an eaves line about 5 m high casts a shadow of around 6.3 m. On 21 December the sun is only about 15° up and shadows stretch far longer.

That’s why the gap between your house and the new one, and the height of the new roof, are set by measurement rather than guesswork. A lower eaves line, a hipped roof or a single-storey section can make a real difference to the gardens either side.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Greenwich: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.5 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Greenwich on 21 March sits about 39° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.3 m. In December the sun is only about 15° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

From first call to decision

Once you ask for an appraisal of your Greenwich garden, we start with the paperwork: the title plan, any covenants, flood maps, tree and conservation designations, and planning decisions on nearby plots. A short call follows, then a site visit if the plot passes the desk check. You get our straight view of what’s realistic and what happens next, with no obligation to go further.

  1. Free plot appraisal

    We check the title plan, access, constraints and planning policy from our desk, talk the plot through with you, and visit if it looks viable. There’s no cost and no obligation.

  2. Survey and design

    A measured survey records levels, boundaries, trees and neighbouring windows. We then design a layout and house that suit the plot, the street and your budget, and decide whether pre-application advice is worth seeking.

  3. Written quote and build

    Once design and survey are complete you get a written quote. The build runs in stages — access and groundworks, foundations, frame and roof, fit-out and external works — with inspections at each key point.

  4. Handover

    You receive the completion certificate, warranty documents, Energy Performance Certificate, manuals and utility details, so the new home is ready to move into, let or put on the market.

Worth checking early

  • Your own garden gets smaller and the new home will be visible from your house, so screening and separation matter for both homes.
  • Planning can be refused, and money spent on surveys, design and the application isn’t recovered if it is — which is why we start with an appraisal.
  • You fund the build and carry the cost risk; ground conditions, sewer diversions or supply upgrades found later can move the price.

Your questions, answered for Greenwich

Can I build a house in my Greenwich garden and then sell it?

Yes. You keep the land while the home is built, then sell the finished house. Before building starts, the plot should be given its own title through a transfer of part at HM Land Registry, and if your house is mortgaged your lender must agree to release the plot. Selling a home you’ve built can change your tax position, so take advice from a tax adviser first.

Can I build a house in my garden in Greenwich and keep the land?

Yes. On our design and build route you remain the owner while we design the home, apply to the Royal Borough of Greenwich for planning, deal with Building Regulations and build it. The finished house can be sold, let or kept for family. Whether your plot can take a house depends on access, space, neighbours and local policy, and the decision rests with the council.

How long does planning take for a new home in a Greenwich garden?

The statutory period for deciding a minor application, such as a single new home, is 8 weeks from the date the council receives a valid application, in both England and Wales. In practice many applications take longer, and the council may ask you to agree an extension in writing. Surveys and design before submission add time, and conditions may need approving afterwards.

How close can a new house be to my own in Greenwich?

There’s no single national distance. Many councils use separation guides of around 21 metres between facing back windows and around 12 to 15 metres between a back window and a blank side wall, but the guidance used by the Royal Borough of Greenwich decides. Window positions, ground levels, roof shape and screening all affect what is acceptable, which is why we survey before we design.

Other options in Greenwich

Build in your garden near Greenwich

Find out what your garden could become

Free garden plot appraisal. No cost, no obligation, and a straight answer if it won’t work.

Get my free appraisal 0800 088 6248