Building your own home can usually work out more affordable than buying a home that is already built. But any financial savings you make will come at a cost. To build your own home from scratch there will be many obstacles to tackle, planning permission will need to be granted and a whole team of builders employed.

We have started thinking about the process as we have a small parcel of land that could fit a bungalow on. It would be in an ideal position for a holiday home. If you are thinking about doing something similar it is worth considering the following:

Contact The Planners

The planners are the ones that can put the stop on you building your own home. So, you want to make sure everything is handed in early on. Don’t start spending money until you have your planning permission approved! Good news in October 2020 it was announced that the government would encourage councils to make it easier for people to build their own homes.

Temporary Access

Whilst your property is being built you might need to build temporary access for the construction machines. Each mat you lay on your land can get quite dirty but the mat washing system keeps them in tip top condition so the construction machines can safely go about their business. Other than temporary access you need to think about other ways to prepare the plot before building commences. Clear away old plants and get the groundwork’s ready.

Being Flexible

You will have to be flexible with your timelines. Builders can be hard to schedule effectively. There will be times when work grinds to a halt, whilst you await some vital component or staff member to arrive back on site. Try not to be disheartened. Take the suggested timelines with a pinch of salt.

Being Realistic

What ever you think you will spend, allow for a contingency. You need to be realistic; problems might be encountered; costs will add up. Prepare for the worst case situation and then be pleasantly surprised when things go better than that! So, don’t forget to plan that contingency, ideally 10% should hopefully do the trick.

Getting The Right Workmen

It is so hard finding the right workmen. Make sure you ask around, see who your friends and family have used and perhaps go and see the work for yourself. Referrals are the best way to stumble upon the right workmen. Building your own home is a mammoth task, it will seem almost impossible if you don’t get the best people in to help.

Be Very Clear

Don’t assume messages between builders will get passed on. Also, double check that your builder understands the plans that are drawn up. In our house a builder started preparing a wall for a beam to go in. But fortunately, my husband came home in time to tell him he was holding the plans the wrong way before he destroyed anymore of our house.

That was just a small renovation project rather than a completely new build. I am sure there will be so many more instances of this if there isn’t good communication between everyone involved when its on a much larger scale.

When your new house is finally ready you can finally relax. All the sweat and tears invested in the project was worth it in the end.