Practical advice on building your own home

If this is the first time you have built a house, you may feel daunted by the prospect of turning your idea into reality.

Getting started

Building your own home can be both satisfying and stressful. Planning ahead can be helpful, but self-build plans often change during the project - for example you may decide to move a window or adapt a living area. Ideally any changes should be minimal and not impact too heavily on your budget.

However, hurried or vague planning will lead to rising costs and can push back the completion date. Remember that you will need to put in a planning and building regulations application. You can use the links below for more information on making planning and building regulations applications:

Designing and building your house

Local solicitors can provide names and addresses of architects and building contractors. Telephone directories also gives names of manufacturers and suppliers of 'kit house' product. Some building contractors and kit suppliers can provide a choice of house designs which, if suitable, may avoid or reduce the need to employ an architect.

However, an experienced architect can greatly reduce the amount of time and effort that you might otherwise spend climbing the hurdles involved in building a new house. More information about finding an architect can be found in the leaflet entitled, 'Finding an architect', published by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Considerations

Plan your budget very carefully. Work out what you can realistically afford to pay - particularly if you intend to borrow money - and allow for:

increases in interest rates
what you think the development is going to cost you
allow at least 15 per cent extra for contingencies from the start

Also bear in mind that if what you are borrowing is on the security of the house, the amount you can borrow will be based on the lenders estimate of what the final value will be - but you won't get the full amount until it is completed.

Project planning

Draw up a project plan, setting out what needs to be done, when and by whom from the earliest stages of finding the site to furnishing and moving into the finished house Also think about:

if you are going to sell your present home to help pay for the development
where you are going to live while building is taking place
what it is going to cost

Your skills

Honestly consider if you have the skills and experience to do some parts of the build yourself and whether you can rely on friends or relations for their skills, time or help with labouring. You will probably need to pay specialist contractors to do some of the work, so make sure you have planned for this.

Unless you have all the necessary professional skills, employ a qualified and experienced architect to design the house and make sure you provide them with a clear brief of what you want. You may also consider employing a planning consultant if your architect lacks a planning qualification or experience.

Rates

When you occupy your newly built home, you must contact Land & Property Services (LPS) to arrange for a rates bill to be issued. If your house has not yet been valued, LPS will send out a valuer to assess the valuation. A rates bill will then be issued based on the valuation. If your property has already been valued, you should contact LPS rating to advise them when you moved in. You can use the links below to find contact details for the relevant LPS office: