There are many benefits to building your own home. 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.
What's more, self-builders often achieve a larger home and garden compared to buying a new home on the open market - the average self-build project is 247m²*, more than double the size of the average new-build developer home. And, as an added bonus, self-builders typically enjoy a handsome profit of 25% on their investment*.
Once you've decided to build your own home, there are some key questions you need to begin answering: where will you build your new home, what do you hope to build, how will you finance your project, who will build it and how will it be built, for instance. Follow our in-depth beginner's guide to find out how to start this incredible journey...
Pre-build essentials
Here are some of the key things you need to consider before going on site' with your build
Once you have purchased your plot there are a good number of steps you need to take before you can begin building your dream home...
DESIGNING YOUR NEW HOME
You'll likely need a designer on board to help you formulate plans for your dream home. This might be an architect, an architectural technologist, an architectural designer or an in-house designer at a package company. The design process is likely to take at least a couple of months, possibly considerably longer. Then you'll need to apply for planning permission...
APPLYING FOR PLANNING PERMISSION
Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av Homebuilding & Renovating.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av Homebuilding & Renovating.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
SOLAR MYTHS DEBUNKED
We ask the experts about the truth behind 12 common myths around solar panels...
Experience pays
Seasoned renovators Sue and Jim Savege put their knowledge and skills to the test when renovating and extending their 19th-century Scottish cottage
10 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN EXTENDING YOUR HOME
You've got your plans in place and are close to getting started on site, but what other key tasks need completing to keep everything on track? Here's what you need to consider...
Lofts Conversion glazing
Extending upwards is a great way to gain extra space but it is crucial to get the glazing right to capture views, control the light and prevent overheating
A modern slant
After buying an east London Victorian terrace, one couple decided to extend it outwards and upwards to make it fit for 21st-century living
A BUILDER'S VIEW
Make sure you get accurate quotes for your project by following this key advice
12 tips for tackling a slow renovation
Taking on a renovation project? Consider our tips on doing it in your own time and undertaking the work in stages to avoid the pressures of a strict deadline
PLANNING LOOPHOLES
If you get familiar with some of the lesser-known rules, they may just help you get approval for your project
Pastures greener
Having built their previous home themselves Paul and Johanna Suter decided a custom oak frame self-build in a verdant setting was the perfect choice for creating their family home
In perfect harmony
Susi Clark's long-held wish for creating a combined home and workspace came to fruition on a tricky sloping site
