- Plan ItBack
- Design ItBack
- Build ItBack
- Homes
- Products
- CostsBack
- Self Build Cost Calculator
Estimate your project costs instantly with Build It's interactive self-build cost calculator
Calculate Now - Costs & Finance
- Contracts & Warranties
- Build It Estimating Service
Get an accurate, detailed cost breakdown of your project
Submit plans
- EventsBack
Login/register to save Article for later
As the National Custom and Self-Build Association’s (NaCSBA) new Self-Build Representive, I’d like to invite you to share your views with me on how we can improve and encourage more self-building in the UK.
I’m delighted to be a member of the executive committee, but I don’t see this position as a solitary one. To be effective, I believe it is vital to distil the opinions of everyone involved in self-building and to use this incredible forum to air your views and make changes for the better.
One of the first issues that I would like to tackle is the additional charges, such as the affordable homes levies, which are better targeted at developers rather than individuals. This is because the extra costs demanded by local authorities can scupper even a well thought-out plan. I would also like to see some sort of common sense applied to the need for surveys, particularly ecological studies, before outline planning is approved. The stresses involved in buying a plot, only to discover some technicality can prevent progress are huge. Let’s get some realism back into what level of risk can reasonably be borne by self-builders.
Finally, I’d like to promote self-build as an option for the many rather than the few. While there will always be the traditional ‘grand design’ projects for those lucky enough to be able to take one on, I’d like to see more schemes made available to those with modest budgets.
If managed correctly, many more of us can experience the thrill of living in a home we have designed exactly for our lifestyles, rather than what some commercial developer thinks we might like, while having one eye on their profit margins.
The benefits of sharing skills and the economy of scale associated with simultaneous development can help bring the costs of self-building a home right down.
I can be contacted via email at [email protected] or you can leave a comment below.
I welcome your views; I’d be delighted to hear from you!
You may be interested in
I think self build is a great thing to do for those that are fortunate enough to be able to undertake this.
After spending over 10 years in the trade I came to realise that many people take on building work or self build without a clear understanding of what they are about to take on.
I am in the process of writing a book on this matter and in it are some fresh ideas about how to manage the process right from dealing with the architect right through to completion.
I have interviewed many builders, interior designers and architects to date and it is shocking what has been coming back. Apparently around 60% have not given thought to what the interior should look like.
A further 50%-60% of drawings received by builders from architects are wrong or there are significant details missing. Is it any wonder that building is fraught with problems? Where does the responsibility lie? Are the trades as bad as everyone makes out?
What writing this book has done is highlight to me how unprepared people are when it comes to this. It is as if they get caught up in the idea of it and forget to consider the reality.
As someone who regularly refurbishes houses for investment, as well as someone who has been on the tools myself, I share through the book ways in which to make this process easier. These are systems and processes I use when we refurbish a house and are proven to work. The last project we did we saved 15% of our budgeted costs and this was an extensive fire damaged re-refurbishment!
It helps that I have come from a practical background but I am going to be sharing ten years experience and learning from the ground on how to do this more effectively, so those wishing to build their dream can do so with greater confidence.