Budget

Although it can be less expensive to build a house than to buy one, the budget considerations must include expenditure such as the land, the building itself, connection to utilities and interior decoration and furnishing. You must set a realistic budget that includes a contingency sum, as you will almost certainly go over your original budget.

Land

Unless you are going to build a house on land you already own, you will need to find a suitable piece of land. This will need to fulfil all your requirements in terms of size, location and price, and you will need to ensure that you buy it through a legitimate land agent.

Drawings and Plans

In order to build a house you will need planning permission and extensive drawings from your builders and other trades to work from. Find an architect who understands what you want to achieve with your new home and who can provide designs for you to consider. Once you have decided on the way you want your house to be built, your architect can submit the plans and you will need to wait for approval. It may be a good idea to talk to your neighbours before you approach the planning office, particularly if you think that they might object to your ideas.

Builders

You will need to find a builder who has the time, experience and skills to build a house for you. Many builders specialise in smaller jobs such as extensions or loft conversions, so you must be sure that you approach builders who can handle a large project. For a job of this size, it’s vital that you feel you can have a good working relationship with your builder. This is a long-term project that requires plenty of planning before the job starts and a lot of management throughout. You will probably be talking to your builder on a daily basis, so you need to be sure that there will be clear lines of communication between you. Find several builders who are capable of handling the job, and then ask for competitive quotes. Ensure that they can call on the necessary contractors, such as plumbers, electricians, tilers and roofers when needed, so that the job progresses smoothly and ask about timescales and payment schedules so that you can manage your budget.

Guarantees

When you build a house, you want to be sure that the work is done to a certain standard and that you have a guarantee of workmanship. Large construction companies who build whole estates have guarantees backed by the NHBC, which sets standards across the UK. Home owners who build a house as a one-off or solo project can also have access to this type of guarantee. The NHBC offers a “Solo” guarantee, which sets standards for the construction of your home and monitors them throughout the building process. Your build is regularly inspected and the guarantee can be transferred to subsequent owners during its lifetime.

Before you start to build a house, make sure you are aware of the full scale of the project ahead of you, and that you are prepared to spend all your spare time and your spare cash to realise your dream.

The first step in your project is to hire the right builder. Use www.findalocal-builder.co.uk to get a list of builders in your area, and then look at our other advice articles to see how to make sure you choose the best builder for you.