Five things you need to know!

The VAT Question

If you’re building a house from scratch, your project qualifies for zero rating for VAT purposes — a huge saving on labour and materials of 20 per cent. In general, the only things you can’t claim back are the initial professional fees (for example, designer fees) and non-fixed items such as furniture and carpets. If you’re renovating or extending, you’ll pay the full rate unless the house has been empty for more than 10 years, in which case it is treated the same as a conversion and is zero rated. For properties empty for between two and 10 years, a reduced rate applies.

Package Companies

So-called package (or turnkey) companies will offer an inclusive design and build service, usually based around timber frame construction systems. They have a lot of benefits, including the marriage of design and build costs at an early stage.

Warranties

Get a structural (10-year) warranty on your selfbuild project. You won’t be able to remortgage without one, and warranty providers/inspectors can provide useful assistance in addition to building control inspections.

Health & Safety

The latest CDM Regulations around health and safety on site are applicable to self-build and renovation projects. Make sure your designer and/or main contractor makes reference to them early on.

How Long?

The average self-build project takes around a year on site and at least a year in the pre-planning.