From the site to the keys
Seven phases, each with a clear result and a clear part for you.
Building a private house takes years, and most of the decisions are made long before the first stone is laid. We set out the whole route at the start, agree the fee for each phase before it begins, and stay with you until the last door closes properly.
Seven phases, one route
01
Meeting and site
2 to 4 weeks
What you receive
A written reading of the site and of what the local plan allows, with a proposal for the next phase.
Your part
Tell us how you live, show us the plot and share any documents you already have.
01
Meeting and site
2 to 4 weeks
What you receive
A written reading of the site and of what the local plan allows, with a proposal for the next phase.
Your part
Tell us how you live, show us the plot and share any documents you already have.
02
Concept
6 to 10 weeks
What you receive
Two or three ways of placing the house on the site, shown in sketches, a working model and a first cost frame.
Your part
Walk the site with the model, react honestly and choose one direction.
02
Concept
6 to 10 weeks
What you receive
Two or three ways of placing the house on the site, shown in sketches, a working model and a first cost frame.
Your part
Walk the site with the model, react honestly and choose one direction.
03
Design
10 to 16 weeks
What you receive
Plans, sections, elevations and a material palette for the chosen house, with an updated cost estimate.
Your part
Decide on rooms, sizes and materials, and visit samples with us in the studio.
03
Design
10 to 16 weeks
What you receive
Plans, sections, elevations and a material palette for the chosen house, with an updated cost estimate.
Your part
Decide on rooms, sizes and materials, and visit samples with us in the studio.
04
Building permit
10 to 20 weeks
What you receive
A complete bygglov application to the municipality’s building committee, prepared and followed by us until the decision.
Your part
Sign the application and answer any questions the municipality asks through us.
04
Building permit
10 to 20 weeks
What you receive
A complete bygglov application to the municipality’s building committee, prepared and followed by us until the decision.
Your part
Sign the application and answer any questions the municipality asks through us.
05
Construction drawings
12 to 20 weeks
What you receive
Detailed drawings and descriptions that builders can price exactly, plus a tender we run on your behalf.
Your part
Compare the tenders with us and choose the builder you want on your site.
05
Construction drawings
12 to 20 weeks
What you receive
Detailed drawings and descriptions that builders can price exactly, plus a tender we run on your behalf.
Your part
Compare the tenders with us and choose the builder you want on your site.
06
Construction
11 to 26 months
What you receive
Regular site visits, written site reports and a founder who checks every detail against the drawings.
Your part
Join the site meetings that matter to you and make the decisions the building asks for.
06
Construction
11 to 26 months
What you receive
Regular site visits, written site reports and a founder who checks every detail against the drawings.
Your part
Join the site meetings that matter to you and make the decisions the building asks for.
07
Handover
4 to 8 weeks
What you receive
Final inspection, a list of remaining work, the slutbesked from the municipality and a binder of every material and supplier.
Your part
Walk the house with us, note what you see and move in.
07
Handover
4 to 8 weeks
What you receive
Final inspection, a list of remaining work, the slutbesked from the municipality and a binder of every material and supplier.
Your part
Walk the house with us, note what you see and move in.
Questions we are often asked
How do you charge for your work?
We agree our fee before any drawing begins. For most houses this is a fixed fee for each phase, so you know the cost of the next step before you commit to it. For larger or less predictable projects we may propose a fee based on a share of the construction cost instead. Either way, you receive a written proposal after the first site visit and decide from there.
How do you charge for your work?
We agree our fee before any drawing begins. For most houses this is a fixed fee for each phase, so you know the cost of the next step before you commit to it. For larger or less predictable projects we may propose a fee based on a share of the construction cost instead. Either way, you receive a written proposal after the first site visit and decide from there.
Do I need a site before I contact you?
No. Many of our conversations begin before a purchase. We can walk a plot with you, read the local plan and tell you what the land would allow before you sign anything. It is often the most valuable work we do, because the site decides more about the house than any later choice.
Do I need a site before I contact you?
No. Many of our conversations begin before a purchase. We can walk a plot with you, read the local plan and tell you what the land would allow before you sign anything. It is often the most valuable work we do, because the site decides more about the house than any later choice.
How long does a house take from first meeting to keys?
Add the phases on this page together and you have a fair picture. Construction is the longest part, and the permit decision alone can take up to twenty weeks. At the end of the concept phase you receive a dated plan for the whole project, and we update it at the close of every phase so there are no surprises.
How long does a house take from first meeting to keys?
Add the phases on this page together and you have a fair picture. Construction is the longest part, and the permit decision alone can take up to twenty weeks. At the end of the concept phase you receive a dated plan for the whole project, and we update it at the close of every phase so there are no surprises.
How does the building permit work in Sweden?
The building committee of your municipality decides on the bygglov. It must decide within ten weeks of a complete application, and can extend this once by at most ten weeks. A permit applies at once, but building may only begin after a startbesked, and you may move in after the slutbesked. We prepare the application and follow it to the end.
How does the building permit work in Sweden?
The building committee of your municipality decides on the bygglov. It must decide within ten weeks of a complete application, and can extend this once by at most ten weeks. A permit applies at once, but building may only begin after a startbesked, and you may move in after the slutbesked. We prepare the application and follow it to the end.
Do you work with a particular builder?
We do not build ourselves. During the construction drawings we invite builders we know and trust to price the same set of documents, and you choose with our advice. During construction we act on your side, check the work against the drawings and approve each stage before it is paid.
Do you work with a particular builder?
We do not build ourselves. During the construction drawings we invite builders we know and trust to price the same set of documents, and you choose with our advice. During construction we act on your side, check the work against the drawings and approve each stage before it is paid.
Do you take on renovations and extensions?
Yes, when the existing building is worth keeping. The Sandhamn Boathouse kept its old trusses and boards and gained a new zinc roof and one large opening to the water. With a renovation we begin with a survey of what is there, because the condition of the building sets the budget more than the design does.
Do you take on renovations and extensions?
Yes, when the existing building is worth keeping. The Sandhamn Boathouse kept its old trusses and boards and gained a new zinc roof and one large opening to the water. With a renovation we begin with a survey of what is there, because the condition of the building sets the budget more than the design does.
Do you work outside Sweden?
We work mainly in Stockholm, the archipelago, Gotland and the Mälaren valley, because we want to be on site often during construction. Many of our clients live abroad for part of the year. We meet them by video between visits and plan site meetings around their time in Sweden.
Do you work outside Sweden?
We work mainly in Stockholm, the archipelago, Gotland and the Mälaren valley, because we want to be on site often during construction. Many of our clients live abroad for part of the year. We meet them by video between visits and plan site meetings around their time in Sweden.
A conversation about your site
Send us a few lines and a founder will reply within five working days.