Top tips when self-building

IT’S daunting, it will take more time and may even well end up causing you a few sleepless nights. However, the sense of accomplishments when your home is finally built will give you greater satisfaction. Taking the self-build route might sound like you are on your own and open to more problems. If you are truly committed and want to succeed, putting a plan in place is half the battle. You will need plenty of advice but here are some general tips to note:

Know what you want:

What do you want to build? What sort of heating system do you prefer/ how many bedrooms will you need? This sounds simple but if you don’t know for sure at the outset it can frustrate your project further down the line. Knowing what you want from the start is more helpful than you think.

Planning permission: This can without question pose the biggest delay and obstacle to your self-building aspirations. Acquiring full planning is necessary before proceeding. Use all the leverage you have to get this process right from the outset. Make sure a pre-planning assessment takes place and get your solicitor to make sure there are no right-of-way snags that could slow down the process.

Project manage: Whether you decide to oversee the build yourself or hire a professional, you need to decide either way. The former gives you full control of the build, but by hiring an engineer you will be adding a professional aspect to the decision making. Hiring all tradesmen on your own takes time and can be frustrating. This can all be a bit overwhelming to the new self-build enthusiast.