Building a house

[RedRobyn2021]

We have a piece of land that we think we will be able to get planning permission on, but we know zero about how to go about building a house, Can anyone recommend any resources or sites we can look at for guidance?

Also has anyone here build their own house before?

I have - and I would not do it again. Especially having no specialist knowledge myself. And I think with supply issues it will be even worse now.

If you DO go ahead,

Make sure you get an architect experienced in designing houses and who doesn't design in stupid eccentric things that either can't be implemented or cost a fortune to do so. An experienced architectural technician is often a better bet as they seem to have a better grasp on reality and have often got more experience of the structural engineering side.

Make sure you get a builder with lots of good reviews and who is prepared for you to see at least 3 previous jobs and talk to the owners without them present. Make sure a schedule is set and that you pay by completed stage rather than any kind of day rate.

Also make sure you know where your gas, electricity and water come from. Although my house is close to others it turned out that the current supply was at capacity and I had to pay an extra £13,000 to have electricity supplied instead of the estimate of a few hundred.

There will be extras that you cannot predict - allow at least 30%. Mine came in at about 50% above due to electricity and other unexpected expenses. Expect even more if you want 'high end' appliances, kitchen, bathroom etc.

The website I found most useful was a self build forum Buildhub. Full of people who have built and are building their own home and many of them have expertise in one area or another and are very willing to help newcomers. Supportive emotionally too - or at least they were when I was on in 2017 and 2018. Most self builders seem to go through absolute pits or despair a few times during the experience and most are happy to share their disasters to help you feel better about your own.

Good Luck - whatever you decide.