If you’re keen to build your own home in the coming year, there are a range of things you need to consider. Self building is an excellent way to ensure you have a home that meets all of your needs and is designed to suit your tastes.
But where do you begin when it comes to starting the planning process? An article for Planning and Building Control (PBC) Today recently offered some advice about things to consider before you get started.
The most important thing is to set your budget. It’s key to come up with a realistic figure at this stage, so that you don’t have any nasty surprises once you’ve started on the building process. If you’re not sure how much you need for your self-build project, you should ask a professional to look over your figures and see if they’re accurate.
One thing to remember is that you may encounter unexpected expenses during your self-build project. That means it’s important to have a contingency built into your budget to allow for any additional expenditure.
It’s advisable to get quotes from three different builders to make sure that you’re paying a fair price for the work and to help you set your budget.
When you’re choosing from different house builders, asking friends or family for personal recommendations is a good place to start. Looking for businesses that are endorsed by professional schemes, such as Trustmark, is also a good idea.
Prospect magazine recently suggested that self-builders may want to consider using modern methods of construction (MMC) to help keep their construction costs down and to speed up the building process.
According to the news provider, MMC offers a number of benefits, including reducing the build time and therefore making it easier to construct a home with the unpredictable British weather. “It also allows more energy efficient materials and building techniques to be used,” the publication added.