1997

SB Homes was founded by Stephen Byram, aged just 31, after years in the construction industry and having already won a Federation of Master Builders Award.

1999

SB Homes took on its first major development, buying Clough Lea Mills in Marsden, owned by Belgian firm, Bailley Ancion. In 1946, the managing director, J D Bailly, was appointed Belgian consul for the West Riding of Yorkshire – making Marsden home of the Belgian Consulate.

1999

Today, we have a fleet of machines, but in 1999 we bought our first piece of machinery. It was a proud moment.

2000

Stephen spent 12 months pulling the mill down by hand. A former employer of 200 people, the site was fascinating. We even found a Belgian Coat of Arms!

2003

In 2003, we finished the 80-home development. The residents in the apartments have beautiful views over the landscaped millpond, which is home to an abundance of wildlife.

2003-07

By 2003, Marsden was becoming a bustling, thriving village, and homes were in-demand by local families and people moving into the area. They couldn’t be built quick enough.

Stephen purchased his next big 80-home development, Deer Hill, built between 2003-07. Up until this point, SB Homes didn’t even have a logo. It had built such a reputation, that it hadn’t needed one.

But a very kind client was a designer and offered to create a logo for free – it stayed with us until 2023 and holds a special place in our heart.

2003

In 2003, we had our first ever logo, designed by a client. It stayed with us until 2023.

2005

Packhorse Court, built in 2005, sits in the centre of Marsden and its residents enjoy prime access to the village’s amenities and restaurants.

2008

It was the year of the Global Recession.

Nevertheless, we built 5 individual houses that sit in stunning greenbelt land above Marsden. ‘The Coach House’, previously a public house, was converted into 4 homes and a bungalow, which have unobstructed views of Marsden moorland.

2010

Ancion Court is a purpose-built community for people aged over 55. The 14 apartments were designed and built in 2010 to a Code-4 specification, as part of a sustainable and energy-efficient home scheme.

2012

SB Homes became a true family business, when Stephen’s eldest daughter, Sophie joined the business in 2012. Straight from university, with a law degree, Sophie was determined to make a success of her role.

2015

We bought Old Bank Works, which was once home to a joiner’s workshop, and the building was converted into modern living space.

2016

Daughter Amy became involved in the business, alongside her own endeavours, working in the show home and taking care of our marketing.

2017

Empire Works was another landmark development, with 70 homes individually designed on the canalside in Slaithwaite, Huddersfield.

2017

We hosted a charity ball, marking 20 years in business. We raised £22,000, shared equally between Kirkwood Hospice and Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.

2020

The year the pandemic hit. We made the decision to keep building, and even hit the headlines for managing to keep our sites going whilst social distancing.

2020

We built Olney Street, a small, one-off site of just two, high-quality, semi-detached 4-bedroom homes.

We also transformed the former Swan pub into a thriving hub of six commercial units to rent, and made headway with our Station House development.

2021

Our founder Steve was filmed for BBC News to discuss the construction market labour shortages and the impact it was having on housebuilding. He discussed the importance of encouraging more women into the industry.

2021

Station House was a former fire station, which had closed years prior to being bought by Byram Property Group in 2017. It had become an eyesore. We bought it and turned it into a build-to-rent scheme, offering affordable, accessible homes on long-term tenancies to local people aged 55+.

2021

Empire House was Slaithwaite’s Old Town Hall. For 30 years, the building had been offices. Recognising the need for local collaborative spaces, and following the pandemic, the need for somewhere to escape the working-from-home model, Empire House was born.

Now, it is a part-time home to almost 75 freelancers, business owners and directors, who benefit from the social and networking element.

2021

In 2021, we started building Hollin Gate, a collection of luxury detached homes in Linthwaite.

2022

We launched a discount scheme for emergency services workers to thank them for all their hard work.

2023

We gained planning permission for a 42-home development in Slaithwaite, at Lingards Road.

2023

Today, we truly are a family business. Sophie is operations and finance director, Amy is sales director and Hannah is head of rentals, working together to drive the business forward. With Stephen being one of nine siblings, we have a large extended family, and two of his brothers and several nephews also work in the business.

Sophie and Hannah’s partners are also involved, and we all share the same vision of passing it to the next generation.

The Colne Valley is part of our DNA and will always be, and as a family, we promise to uphold the intricacies that make it different from the next valley.