In strict monetary terms, it is usually cheaper to build your dream home than it is to buy it. But in order to build your own house, you need to be organised, focused, patient and thorough. There are numerous regulations that are applied to house building, and you will need to comply with all of them when you build your own house – whether you are going to live in it, or sell it straight away. These regulations are there to ensure that the building is safe both throughout the build and once the house is finished and it is important that you are aware of them and comply with them.

Finding land

To build you own house, you must first own some land. Whether you are planning to build your own house on land you already own, or you need to buy a new piece of land, you must be sure that it’s land that you will be allowed to build upon. Even on the outskirts of large cities, a lot of land is designated as Green Belt land, and you will not be allowed to build here. If you are looking at plots, make sure that you will be allowed to build before you commit to buying.

Planning permission

You can find out whether you will be allowed to build your own house on your plot by applying for outline planning permission. You must do this through the council that your land comes under, and you should follow the procedures they set out. Because you are building the house from scratch, it’s a good idea to seek advice from your local planning office. They can often point you in the right direction and help you to sort out the paperwork you need to submit. They may also be able to look at your outline plans before you submit them and guide you on what may need changing in order to get permission to build.

Mortgages

You will need a loan in order to build your own house. Standard mortgage products will not be right for you, because they use the house as security for the loan and in your case, there is no house when you take the loan out. For this reason, you will need to investigate Commercial Build Mortgages. These are mortgage loans that are specially designed for people who intend to build their own house and you should do some research and perhaps talk to a mortgage broker or independent financial adviser to assess your options.

Building regulations

You’ve chosen to build your own house so that you can have a dream home to live in. Exciting as this is, you must be aware of the responsibilities you face as the owner of such a project. Find a builder who is aware of all the obligations that need to be fulfilled in a project of this nature, but also make sure yourself that everything is being done correctly. A building inspector will want to visit your site at various points of the build and will also want to ensure that you are complying with regulations such as Part L, a recently introduced regulation that covers the conservation of fuel and power in your home.

By making sure that you have complied with all the necessary regulations when you build your own house, not only are you ensuring that you have a safe property to live in, but you will increase the re-sale value of your property, which is important, because once you build your own house successfully, you’ll want to do it again!

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.