Unboxed Homes has been working on custom build development in Peckham, London with the last home available to buy at ‘warm’ shell.
Designed by architects Poulsom Middlehurst, Blenheim Grove is an innovative urban infill site, with a terrace of customisable homes that were flexibly permissioned so that some were available as houses or apartments. Apartment 62A is the last to sell, with buyers being able to buy at warm shell stage.
The 886sq foot home, which has a 178sq ft external area, is available at £669,995 as a warm shell or £699,995 basic or £799,995 as finished turnkey home.
Homes at shell are handed over without 1st and 2nd fix completed, giving buyers free choice of how to finish, such as with this CGI mock up of how the room could look.
What is a ‘warm’ shell?
The split level homes at Blenheim Grove can be bought at several stages, and like many custom build homes they offer the chance to purchase at shell stage. This is traditionally with the superstructure air and watertight, at which point the buyer commissions the developer or third party contractors to complete the first and second fix on the house, before going on to finish it.
Blenheim Grove, which is in a busy, urban environment, has a different model, with homes available at Warm Shell, Basic or Finished. Here’s how Unboxed explains it:
Warm shell: A shell built up to first fix – walls, plastering, wiring, and plumbing done and ready for you to fit out
Basic: A shell that’s built up to habitable level, with a simple bathroom and kitchen already installed, so you can get a mortgage, move in, and finish the fit out at your own pace
Finished: A ‘turnkey’ option where you pick from a list of options and Unboxed Homes complete whole home for you
NaCSBA member Unboxed understands that consumers can struggle to get to grips with some of the practicalities of custom building. To remedy this Director Gus Zogolovitch has created a series of YouTube videos that explain their sites and some of the principles involved, both on Blenheim Grove and its other live site, Pound Lane in Basildon. Check out the YouTube channel to listen to Gus explaining the warm shell concept.
