Self build...

[beeefcake]

Anyone done it?

It's always been one of my dreams and may be possible in the not so distant future so I wanted to hear people's stories.

We did! It's a Potton home, timber framed, modern but not passiv/eco. Totally worth it but a tiny bit stressful in places  PM me if you want more info - I did a whole Facebook page/blog

Yes, and would do it again in a heartbeat, if only to use all the stuff I learned the hard way. Start getting the magazines and collecting info about the stuff you want. A good project manager will save you money and significantly improve your life expectancy.

Mine was my dream home when it was finished. Sadly it was not my dream marriage: building the house was supposed to bring us together but just ended up highlighting all our differences, so I didn't get to live there long enough.

The things I miss most about it are the underfloor heating (wet throughout); 100% block construction including all the internal walls for great soundproofing and heat sink; built in vacuum cleaner; and the small stuff like external power points and taps on all 4 external walls. Sigh. I still dream of doing it again but it would probably kill New DH.

Done it twice - bungalow to house conversion.

Read the books - Green Builders and Self Build Bible. Choose your spec - get as close to passive as you can. Choose your build route, find a PM or contractor. Find a design or designer (doesn't have to be an architect). Sort finance. Find a plot. Sort planning. Roughly in that order.