Compact creation

A tricky site ina built-up urban environment gave rise to a unique design opportunity for James Davies, director at Paper House Project

How to insulate an early 20th century home

If you are living in a semi-detached home, how can you cut energy bills this winter by improving your home's ability to hold heat, and even generate your own energy?

What is a ground source heat pump borehole?

We dig into the detail and explain how borehole arrays work, are installed and how much the system might set you back

Snagging

Avoid multiple niggling repair jobs by ensuring your self-build is fit for purpose before accepting the project as complete with your contractors

Do energy-efficient appliances save you money?

Can replacing energy-hungry boilers and dishwashers with energy-efficient appliances noticeably reduce your energy bills? Jack Woodfield investigates

Ahead of the curve

David and Rosie Reid have self-built in Scotland taking inspiration from Passivhaus designs to create their new curved home -

Beginner's guide to self-build

There are many benefits to building your own house. It is an opportunity to create a unique home tailored around your lifestyle. It can be a route to creating a home that will adapt as your needs change, for instance accommodating wheelchair use. It also offers scope to build a property that is low maintenance and energy efficient.

THE ULTIMATE BUYER'S GUIDE TO Insulation

As a self-builder you're in an excellent position to envelop your home with the best insulation. Find out how to choose and buy the right insulation to design and build a warm, energy-efficient home

The family bathroom

Great family bathrooms work hard to cater for everyone. Here's how to design a practical room that's stylish, too

How to design a pet-friendly home

If you own a pet, creating a home that perfectly suits its needs, as well as yours, requires some careful thought according to Natasha Brinsmead

FOCUS ON UNDERFLOOR HEATING IN THE BATHROOM

If you're thinking about including UFH in your bathroom, Tim Pullen takes a look at the options, along with the installation and running costs to help you decide if it's the right choice for you

BUILD PREDICTIONS FOR 2023

If you're planning a self-build, extension or renovation in 2023, you may be pleased to learn that there's some good news amidst the bad, according to builder Andy Stevens

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO CONVERT A GARAGE?

If you're thinking of turning your garage into living space, quantity surveyor Tim Phillips can offer expert advice on working out the costs involved for different types of conversions

Do you need planning permission to build a garage?

Ifyou want to add a detached garage to your home, whether you need planning will depend on your project falling into the Permitted Development camp or not, as planning consultant Simon Rix explains

OLD HOUSE NEW HOME: HOW TO DELIST A LISTED PROPERTY

Choosing to delist a listed building is a big step but hugely beneficial as Homebuilding’s Amy Willis explains, from first-hand experience

Mid-century revamps

Thanks to a few clever design interventions, these 1950s and 1960s houses have been transformed with the help of light, colour and style

A novel approach

Demolishing a series of rundown agricultural buildings created space for David and Simone Horn to build their oak frame home in the style of a Dutch barn

The perfect, remedy

One resourceful couple have transformed an old farmhouse that once served as a Victorian isolation hospital with stunning results

Back to life

Fiona and Iain Lindsay have converted a 500-year-old barn creating warm, contemporary interiors that let the character shine through

INSIGHT

Around-up of the latest self-build and home renovation news, products and events

Reclaimed wood flooring

If you're thinking of installing reclaimed wood flooring, we lay down the facts about where to buy it, how much it will cost and any potential problems to be aware of

How to insulate a period home

If you're living in a period cottage you may love the character but find the fuel bills daunting. What can be done to reduce energy bills without damaging the building?

Inspirational есо retrofits

Find out how these amazing eco retrofits enabled the homeowners to reduce energy bills and make their existing homes more energy efficient

Brilliant fireplace ideas

These stylish fireplace ideas will ensure your hearth becomes the centrepiece of your living space

HOW MUCH DOES A KITCHEN EXTENSION COST?

If you're planning that life-changing kitchen extension project, start by reading quantity surveyor Tim Phillips' ultimate cost guide

12 things to know about floor structures

Chartered surveyor Ian Rock offers a self-builder's guide to getting the ground under your feet structurally sound

Living attainably

Wanting to downsize without leaving the area she had lived in for 57 years, Heather Turner utilised a local planning policy to build a modest, futureproofed home on a shoestring budget

The renovation game

Jane and Craig have bridged the centuries with an imaginative link between an ancient cottage and its outbuildings

The next chapter

Looking for somewhere in the country with the potential to generate an extra income, Luke and Laura Thomas decided to head for Dorset to convert an old flax shop-cum-garage in the grounds of their new home

Coming home

First-time self-builders Lucy and John Hardwick have chosen the turnkey route to build their charming oak frame home in Northamptonshire