Yes is the short answer. But you will need to get in professional help with the build. The easiest way to do this is to choose a company that offers a “turnkey” approach. This is where you choose a design and confidently leave the whole build process to be done in your absence and then turn the key in the lock when the house is finished. But watch out for the variations in interpretation of turnkey, as it depends on the company. While a few companies will do everything for you, the majority will help you with this process and outsource elements of the build to third parties. Design and package companies predominantly concern themselves with the design and main structure of the build. They will help get the plans approved by the local planning authority, source around 50% of the materials needed for your build (the structural parts) and erect the main structure – whether brick and block or timber. After the structure has gone up, the remaining work and ordering of supplies needs to be carried out by a contracted builder normally suggested from a list of tradesmen familiar with their build system and/or project manager. Alternatively, a self-builder may do some or all of this work to save costs (around 10-14%). If you’d like to take this route, Potton (01767 676 400, www.potton.co.uk), Custom Homes (01787 377388, www.customhomes.co.uk) and Fleming Homes (01361 883785, www.flemminghomes.co.uk) are some of the many companies that provide it. To give you an idea of how much you save by doing the work yourself check out Potton’s prices. The company has three levels of pricing for their houses, depending on the level of customer involvement. With their standard package, for example, you can expect to pay £700-£850 per m² for a house if you self-build and project manage the work yourself. This is the equivalent of £140,000- £170,000 for a 4-bedroom 200m². With a project manager doing most of the work the price will increase by roughly 10-14%. But with a turnkey approach you would probably pay £1,100 per m² or £220,000 for a 200m² house. However, for a full turnkey approach you could try these: Baufritz (01223 235632, www.baufritz.co.uk), Huf Haus (0870 2000 035, www.huf-haus.com/gb) or Mikano (0161 266 1066, www.mikano.co.uk). For a full list of design and package companies see the directory in the March issue of Build It.