Pre-build essentials
Here are some of the key things you need to consider before ‘going on-site’ with your build
Once you have purchased your plot there are a good number of steps you need to take before you can begin building your dream home…
Designing your new home
While some self-builders do design their own projects, you’ll more than likely need a designer on board to help you formulate plans for your dream home. This might be an architect, an architectural technologist, an architectural designer or an in-house designer at a package company.
Finding a suitable designer and completing the design process is likely to take at least a couple of months, and may well take considerably longer. You’ll then need to apply for planning permission…
Applying for planning permission
The cost of submitting a planning application varies across the UK, but is currently £462 in England. However, the real cost of obtaining planning permission arguably comes from preparing the plans and documents (the design fees) in readiness for submission and any accompanying surveys (such as ecological surveys) that may be required.
You should find out whether your local planning authority has approved your scheme after eight weeks — although more complex schemes can take longer.
News of approval doesn’t necessarily mean you can start work. Make sure you look at the planning conditions attached to your planning consent — for instance, you may need to seek approval for your chosen roofing or cladding materials.
“Planning conditions are the small print that allows a consent to be issued while leaving the finer detail to be resolved later. Some may even require resolution before any work can commence. It’s vitally important to make sure the planning conditions are capable of being satisfied, as failure to do so will prevent the build from starting, and may even invalidate the consent and render the plot worthless,” says self-build expert Mark Stevenson.
Building Regulations
All new homes need to adhere to the Building Regulations, and for this reason a building control inspector will visit at key stages of the build to inspect the work and ensure it complies. These stages include: excavation for the foundations, pouring concrete for the foundations, building the oversite, building the damp proof-course, drainage, a visit prior to completion and a final visit on completion. A completion certificate will then be issued following the final inspection.
Before beginning work on site, there are a couple of key decisions you’ll need to make. The first relates to the route you take: whether to opt for a full plans application (which is certainly advisable when building your own home) or submit a building notice. The second relates to the question of who will carry out your inspections: your local authority building control department or an Approved Inspector from a private company.
Lining up your project team
You can establish contact with and line up a builder, main contractor, package company and/or subcontractors during the design and planning processes, but you won’t get an accurate quote for the work until your Building Regulations drawings have been finalised.
One of the best ways of finding a good builder and subcontractors is through word of mouth — ask your designer, friends, family, neighbours who’ve undertaken projects, and anyone else you know locally who’s built their own home, for recommendations. Much like finding a designer, choosing a builder requires plenty of research. It’s best to meet with them to discuss your project and to ask them to quote (your designer can help you prepare tender documents for this purpose). It’s also a good idea to visit a project they’ve completed and to talk to previous clients.
The best builders and subcontractors will be booked up months in advance and therefore you may have to wait until
they’re available to start your project — so starting your search as early as possible can help here. Again, if you’re dealing with a package company then your start date will depend on how busy their order book is (you’ll likely wait three months or so).
Bringing services to site
Getting services to your site (if necessary) can cost as little as £500 or more than £10,000, depending on the site’s location, what services you need, and whether the connection needs to be made across private land (in which case you’ll need to secure a wayleave to grant access) or public highways (which may involve road digs by approved contractors).
If the cost of bringing in mains gas and drainage is prohibitive, it may be time to investigate the off-mains alternatives, such as oil, LPG or a renewable heating and hot water system, and a sewerage treatment plant for drainage.
It’s important to note that, while electricity is not essential during the build, a water supply is often needed early on.
Where will you live?
This is one of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make prior to your build (or perhaps even while buying your plot). Some self-builders are in a position to remain in their existing homes while building. However, many need to consider an alternative, such as:
Staying with family or friends; the average self-build project takes around a year on site, so if you plan to rely on someone’s hospitality, be sure to be realistic about the timescale of the project.
Renting temporary accommodation; this is an option, but an expensive one.
Living on site in a caravan, a static or perhaps in an outbuilding built first.
CIL exemption
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) imposes a fee on the creation of new homes, which is determined by the local authority and is based on the size of the house. The good news is that, subject to certain criteria, self-builders are now exempt from paying CIL. Find out more in our complete guide on page xx.
Reclaiming VAT
One of the major benefits of building your own home is that you can reclaim VAT on most building materials. Vat-registered builders and subbies should also zero-rate their invoices, while, of course, if they’re not Vat-registered, they shouldn’t be adding it to bills in the first place!
In general, you can reclaim for all materials that are fixed into the house, but the interpretation of this can be complex. For instance, you can reclaim VAT on timber flooring, but not carpet.you cannot reclaim VAT for design fees or services. You can only make one claim (using the VAT 431NB form available to download at: www.gov.uk/vat-building-new-home/howto-claim). Don’t underestimate the time you’ll save by keeping your VAT receipts safely in one place as you go along.
There are a small number of self-build VAT experts who can aid with this process and can help you maximise your reclaim.