WE LEARNED...

TAKE A LOOK at local planning history to help you work out what property styles are likely to be accepted or rejected.

TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBOURS before you start your project, but don’t assume that you have their support.

GET SOIL SAMPLES done before you demolish an old building. It is all too easy to tear down the existing structure, but you may end up with nowhere to live if you find any problems with the land.

WHEN IT COMES TO PLANNING your living space, draw out the furniture on the floor to make sure you are going to have enough room to move around and to fit in everything you need.

THE POSITION OF SOCKETS and switches must be thought about carefully. And then think about it again. Then get three other people to check out the placements and give their opinions.

ALLOW A MUCH LARGER BUDGET for landscaping than you anticipate. This is often a very important element of the project and usually gets left until the end, when the money has been used up. Landscaping can make all the difference between a successful and unsuccessful home.