Our integrated service covers all aspects of the Design and Build, to a wind and watertight Shell for fit-out by others. We assume you already own a site, but if you have found one you like, then feel free to give our team a call. We can help with the decision-making process and undertake a site appraisal to help you consider the development potential of the site.

We can also deal with planning and building warrants; we have a dedicated architectural team that takes you through the entire Design process.

To find out more about individual elements of MAKAR’s homebuilding, head to our Process page.

Yes, we have a dedicated architectural team who takes you through the entire Design process, included planning and building warrant.

In general, the first five Design stages can take approximately 6-9 months, including the development of your design and going through the Planning and Building Warrant consents.

A house typically goes through production in 8-16 weeks. On-site assembly of the prefabricated panels is typically undertaken in 5-10 days, and our teams will then stay on site for a further 6 weeks to ensure that the shell is 100% wind and watertight.

Internal fit-out time depends on your location and the availability of local contractors you have chosen, but this typically take 15-20 weeks after the external shell is complete.

Find out more on our Process page.

Size is not everything - although popular TV shows would have you believe that bigger is better, this is not necessarily the case!

We encourage you to think carefully about the spaces that you need. Remember that well-designed and carefully constructed space can have far more value than a large, but poorly designed space.

We would encourage building a home that is not larger than you need, or will need in the future, as much as to save on building materials and future energy costs.

Book onto our regular tours of our Paradigm show home, by our Inverness workshop.

All MAKAR homes use the same kit, which far exceeds baseline Building Regulations. We achieve U values of 0.15 W/m²K (walls) and 0.12 W/m²K (roof). We use timber-framed triple glazing which typically has a U-value of 0.93 W/m²K.

Our costs fairly reflect the high-quality, healthy materials that we use, and the entirely integrated service that we provide. Many other house builders offer kits using cheaper, petrochemical-based products, which we believe are harmful long term to both the environment and the occupants of those homes.

We aim to take all the hassle out of building a home, and our highly-experienced team will guide you through every aspect. Aside from the design and construction, this can include dealing with Statutory bodies, bringing services to the site, dealing with drainage and groundworks and ensuring commissioning takes place.

Our brochures on our Signature and Optima homes have more details about each home type.

Another phrase for ‘breathing wall’ is vapour permeable. This means that moisture, in the form of vapour, is able to move through the wall construction, from inside to outside, due to the properties of the construction materials. Think of a top-quality, wind and waterproof jacket that is also able to breath.

Because we use breathing insulation, including Warmcel recycled newspaper and wood fibre board, our floors, walls and roof are able to allow moisture to pass from inside the building to outside.

Breathing is a particularly important aspect of the MAKAR system. Many other modern constructions reply on a plastic-based vapour barrier to stop moisture getting into petrochemical-based insulation that don’t have breathing properties. This results in moisture getting trapped inside the building, and relies on energy-losing ventilation systems to deal with it. The MAKAR breathing wall contributes to a healthy indoor atmosphere.

Find out more on our Process page, and explore our key suppliers for our breathing walls.

Most older homes are very air leaky, and suffer from draughts. This means higher energy bills and can create an uncomfortable environment.

Modern homes, on the other hand, are very air-tight and suffer few leaks. This means that energy bills are lower, but a ventilation system is required to refresh the internal air periodically.

Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) is a type of whole-house ventilation. Because MAKAR homes are airtight to a high standard, we use MVHR to ensure indoor air quality is maintained. Moisture can be dealt with using the breathing wall, but we also have to refresh our indoor air to deal with pollutants and CO2 build-up. The MVHR unit transfers the heat of outgoing stale air to the fresh incoming air, ensuring that you lose as little energy as possible, and that fresh air delivered around the home is pre-warmed.

Find out about our MVHR suppliers on our key suppliers page.

We use two types – a recycled newspaper cellulose called Warmcel, and wood fibre boards.

Warmcel is a recycled newspaper insulation with very low embodied energy, as well being an inert material with no off-gassing of Volatile Organic Compounds. Warmcel is natureplus® certified, recognising a product that meets the highest standards from raw material sourcing or extraction, to low emissions and clean production methods. The hygroscopic properties of Warmcel helps moisture to naturally migrate to the outside of the building fabric without building up on structural elements. Boron salts added to Warmcel deter vermin, insects and mould growth as well as providing fire retardant properties. The specific heat capacity of Warmcel provides comfort in both winter and summer as both insulation and thermal mass.

Wood fibre boards are fitted externally and around windows to provide a full insulation jacket to the house. Like Warmcel the boards deter vermin and insects, and are suitable for external installation, behind the rainscreen cladding board.

Find out more on our Key Suppliers page.

Most of our projects to date have been in Scotland, but we can also build throughout the entire UK and Ireland. We are fully equipped to manage projects in various locations, ensuring the same high standards of quality and efficiency. Our off-site construction and rapid assembly process is a key factor in this.

The location of your site in relation to our Inverness HQ will impact transport and labour costs, though most other costs will remain unaffected. Regardless of where your site is, we are committed to delivering exceptional service and craftsmanship.

In short yes, many MAKAR homes use some type of renewables: This includes solar panels, air and ground source heat pumps, back-boiler wood burning stoves, rainwater harvesting and PV battery systems. Solar PV and solar thermal panels can be installed in our workshop, negating the requirement for scaffolding on site.

We are dedicated to building ‘fabric first’ homes, which reduce energy requirements in the first instance, and we add renewables based on our customers’ preferences in order to complement this approach.

Get in touch to speak to the Design team about your preferred strategy for energy and renewables.

You can also find out more about our heating and renewables partners on our Key Suppliers page.

Energy bills vary according to your own habits, your site conditions and the design of your home. Using Passiv Haus software we are able to model the likely energy requirements for space heating, based very accurately on the MAKAR system – down to the number of screws in the walls! According to the UK government a typical UK three-bed house will use over 15,000 kWh of energy per year on heating, lighting and cooking whereas a typical MAKAR three-bed will require just over 3,000-4000 kWh per year.

MAKAR are fortunate to be very busy at the moment and we are therefore not engaging in bespoke projects or extensions. Our focus is on delivering our popular Signature and Optima Home designs and mixed Housing Developments.