Choosing a build route

Self-build is a broad church — you needn’t lay a single brick if you don’t want to!

Self-build is a broad church and there are many routes to getting an individual home built. However, generally speaking, most self-builders choose one of the following routes:

● Project managing the entire build themselves,

including hiring and coordinating subcontractors like plumbers and electricians to complete the build, as well as buying most of the building materials.

● Choosing a main contractor or builder

to manage and coordinate the build on their behalf. In this case, the builder or main contractor will often take on the job of buying all or the majority of the building materials.

● Choosing a professional project manager

to coordinate their build.

● Building their own home by hand

— the ultimate DIY route.

● Outsourcing the project to a package company,

many of which coordinate everything from initial design concepts right through to completion. Other package companies may offer the opportunity to decide on the level of service required.

Only 16% of self-build projects are undertaken on a DIY basis, with the majority (57%) of self-builders choosing to instead project manage subcontractors to build their house for them*. The reality is that most self-builders use a combination of the approaches outlined. One popular route involves commissioning a package company to build the ‘superstructure’, with the self-builder managing the groundworks before and interior fit-out after (first and second fix work, decoration and the like).

Choosing the right self-build route for your project is a decision only you can reach, but there are undoubtedly a number of important factors that will influence this choice — your finances, how much time you can devote to the project and how capable you are at carrying out jobs yourself, for starters.

Those looking for significant cost savings need to understand that the more work and time they put in, the more they will save. The Homebuilding & Renovating Self & Custom Build Market Report 2017 found that people who build their own homes through DIY save 25% on their build costs against those who simply manage their own projects, while self-builders taking on the role of project manger saved 17%, compared to those who used a professional main contractor.

Choosing a construction system

There are a number of different build systems to choose from — no longer is the choice simply between timber frame and masonry. In most instances, your chosen construction system will have little impact on how the exterior of your home will look, as most cladding materials can be used with all the main construction systems.

Construction systems can be broadly divided into on-site methods, such as masonry and ICF, where the majority of the structure is built where it will stand, and off-site methods, where the main structure is constructed elsewhere and delivered to site to be erected. The latter tends to result in a faster build once the materials arrive on site.

There are essentially three things to consider when deciding: price, quality and speed. If you are not too concerned with how your house looks ‘under the bonnet’ or feel unable to make this decision, then it might be best to hire a professional to do this for you. Your chosen architect, structural engineer or builder may have preferred methods of working and in such cases you would be well advised to work with your appointed specialist on the systems they know and like. Alternatively, they may offer advice on the most cost-effective or suitable construction system for the home you hope to build.

Conversely, if you have your heart set on a particular construction method – maybe oak frame for its character, or another timber frame because you hope to project manage once the superstructure is built – then it’s a good idea to approach a designer or package company well versed in that construction system right from the outset. Each construction system has its own set of parameters and design challenges, and designing a home with said construction system in mind is a cost-effective route.