Project managing your own house build - anyone done it?

[urterriblemuriel]

After scouring the local property market for the best part of three years, we've realised that the house we would like doesn't exist...well not anywhere close to our budget anyway! We are now planning to build our own and are in the early planning stages.

Both parents have done it, so it's not an alien idea to us. I am planning to project manage as I do not work (with guidance from parents) and feel reasonably confident as I'm pretty organised, good with figures and do not mind dealing with the variety of tradespeople. Has anyone else project managed the build of their own house? If so how did it go, any tips or amazing places of resource you found e.g. websites, blogs etc? Thanks

Interested! Here the tenders are coming in too expensive for the QS's budget for the plans.

Basically there is a massive boom atm, so demand for builders etc is very high and they can get away with charging a lot more than they would in a depressed or even average market. I'm hoping that by waiting a couple of summers to do it, we may save a bit.

By PM I'm hoping to save at least 10% but even if you hire people individually in the present market, they are still going to be more expensive than the average rate. Where are you rosings in terms of planning etc? Are you able to hold off a bit?

Aberdeenshire. One of those quoting asked for extra time and still could not get all the trades to price. The very large bypass has sucked up anyone with a driving license who is not directly employed.

One builder is interested in the project, so I need him to get his price down by working with the architect and then passing amendments back to building control. Our aim is to have an accessible 129m2 house where, after installation, the fuel costs and replacement of technologies are neutral over twenty years plus.

Any websites with experiences of sustainable building would help as the architects drawings are very specific but they use technology that is unproven to the builders.