Self build - anyone done it?

(24 Posts)
popsgran Sun 27-Jan-13 14:55:21

you need an architect who is PP savvy and knows his way around council demands.You must have a project manager if only a part time experienced builder who you trust.
i have done to keep your eye on the ball,mpney etc.When its finished it is wonderful.A unique home that you built.wonderful

Sunnyshores Sun 27-Jan-13 14:48:48

Oh dear! FIL situation doesnt sound ideal (I hear you!!) and if 1 year of stress isnt going to result in your dream home, then I cant see many advantages for you.

Maybe the PP will encourage you, but if not it will increase the value of his investment anyway, but I'd try not to sound too encouraging, in my FIL experiences any little sign can steamroll into it being a done deal.

achillea Sat 26-Jan-13 23:14:07

My DP is desperate to do a self-build. Made redundant and would jump at the opportunity but we're all settled in secondary schools etc so missed our window now until they leave home.

alarkthatcouldpray Sat 26-Jan-13 22:51:48

I know, would miss my corner shop!

Am prob going to out myself but farm was bought as an investment and ILs don't live there.

Good point though about kids being isolated, there would be nobody close by for playing outside with and no pavement to play on anyway.

All food for thought...

achillea Sat 26-Jan-13 22:35:56

Hmm I wonder if dear FIL isn't fulfilling his own dream through you? Perhaps you could help him design his dream home on his farm - maybe that's what he would like?

Or perhaps he's doing what a lot of proud fathers do - try and set their kids up with a nice home. I do think it's a good idea when you have dcs to live somewhere near other people or the children can get very isolated. On the other hand having FIL next door to do some babysitting might be quite nice.

M&S nice but pricey, I wouldn't use that exclusively (until dcs left home).

alarkthatcouldpray Sat 26-Jan-13 22:30:07

Sunnyshores the area where the farmland is would be considered an exclusive one. We wouldn't be able to buy something outright there.

You are right though, my heart isn't really in it...but FIL is v keen we look into it ( and quite controlling, a whole other thread). I don't mind exploring the possibility but we are kind of in limbo while we wait for pp... I also fear interference from him re design of house - he already expressed quite strong views contrary to what I would be looking for in the house.

alarkthatcouldpray Sat 26-Jan-13 22:25:16

achillea the geography is strange. The plot is 5-6 miles from where we currently live. There is a massive Marks and Spencer only a few minutes drive from the farm! Yet it is on a proper country road, surrounded by fields etc. I would be happy to live in the location but the driving everywhere issue is a specific worry iykwim. Conversion or extension not an option in current house sadly.

Our budget would let us move to an already built house which is bigger than our existing one if it needed work done. Not sure if such a project where you have to live in the house while it is being sorted out would be better or worse than self build.

Sunnyshores Sat 26-Jan-13 22:24:24

Have you looked at what £250k would buy you in FIL's area? And then compared that to what you would have if you self built for £160k?

Money-wise as your £160k doesnt include the land cost, I would have thought your self-build should end up valued at £250kish. You should probably get this confirmed by an EA once you have plans. So, it could be a wise investment.

To be honest though, it doesnt really sounds as if your heart is in a move to the country enough for the year of stress to be really worth it? Or do you think perhaps you could fall in love with the idea if you saw what amazing 'perfect' house you could build? SelfBuild Mag for inspiration, or if near there is a Self build centre in Swindon with model houses, Self Build shows in places like Manchester and London, Potton website and showhomes, BorderOak website...

achillea Sat 26-Jan-13 22:09:01

If you don't want to live in the country, you may be doing the wrong thing. Might be easier to get a loft conversion or an extension!

alarkthatcouldpray Sat 26-Jan-13 20:22:43

Thank you for all replies.

We wouldn't be building it ourselves. I would have concerns about project managing it ourselves since we are both quite clueless about the whole thing. And hiring a PM obviously makes it more expensive.

Our budget if we were buying an already built house would be £250k. I have scaled back hours to be at home with kids, so this may change in future. If we build it's more complicated since I wouldn't want to rent/live in a caravan so we'd have to raise the deposit ourselves. Have been quoted 25% deposit for self build mortgages, so this would reduce our budget to £160k (unless we remortgage the house which I guess is a possibility).

The things that put me off are the hassle, how long the whole thing would take, not really having a clue what we're doing... Have no help with DCs so popping out to the site to eyeball something wouldn't be just as easy as it sounds. Also have always been a city girl (though living in suburbia with DCs) so worry a wee bit about having to drive everywhere if we live in country.

Thermalkaty thank you for your offer of information. At the moment I feel like I'm swimming in honey and don't even know what questions I should be asking. Hopefully we will hear about pp soon and I will be able to articulate what I need to find out and will be keen to avail of your expertise then.

Will definitely look into kit houses. I just want a wee bit more space, not a project, a hobby, a grand design or a money making scheme so the simpler the better. Will keep you posted on any progress.

Sunnyshores Sat 26-Jan-13 16:44:40

Self build to what degree? Build yourself? Project manage builders? Get project manager to manage builders? I think with some of the kit houses you can get a more or less fixed price to complete.
If you love FIL's location and cant afford similar house in the area, then its definitely worth considering. If you're not really keen on living there and can afford similar in preferred location - then save the stress and walk away. There's no denying it will be more difficult and costly than you imagined. That said, I'd love to do it!!

achillea Sat 26-Jan-13 15:47:44

I should think the only disadvantage of self-building would be that you would never want to move out. You would get very attached to it - perhaps less so if it's a kit house, but I find it hard enough to move and leave my lovely kitchen behind.

Agree about never DIY plastering. A fine art indeed.

lalalonglegs Sat 26-Jan-13 12:32:25

Do you mean actual build yourselves or commission a house to be built for yo? If it's actual build it and you don't have any skills, I wouldn't even begin to think about it.

ThermalKaty Sat 26-Jan-13 11:58:23

I've done severla gutting a shell & total refurb. jobs. Very rewarding but you DO need a lot of skills (I will never ever again try plastering!). Your better bet is to employ someone to help you, and employ someone for the bits that are difficult (either because of equipment or skills). It will depend on what you want to build as to the best way to do it (eg. if its a timber frame). If you'd like to send me a message & more info I can help. I have many years of experience in the design & building industries as an architectural designer, self-builder & project manager.

Its often VERY difficult to get PP on farm land so if you get over that hurdle you may find that a sympathetic local builder is worth their weight. However if you want a personal, special design then it might be worth thinking of using a proper architect to get exactly what you want (they may well save you money in the long run). Just enter into this decision armed with as much info as you can find.

Have you seen the Self Build Assoc.?

Lafaminute Fri 25-Jan-13 22:46:51

I did it - they say you have to build FIVE shock houses before you know what you're at!! I would probably agree. It was tough enough (what kind of door knobs do you want??? I for one had never given much thought to door knobs before being asked this) and then of course you are responsible for every aspect of the house - good and bad. I would build the house differently now but of course your planning will dictate to a certain extent the style and size of your house. If you are going to go ahead think really hard about every aspect of how you live now: how you use your kitchen, how you spend your evenings, would you really need 5 loos, make your utility room really work (I'd make mine bigger/bedrooms smaller/room for a sofa in the kitchen), make sure your floors are easy clean says she who bankrupt us getting her dream tiles only to find they are hideously impractical as indeed are your sinks etc because if you buy a house most of these decisions are made for you so you can blame someone else for the silly intricate taps and so on.

Selks Fri 25-Jan-13 22:41:20

There are some great 'kit' houses around. My friend did this in Scotland, where it's quite common. Lovely house at a good price with fantastic eco credentials. I'm rather envious!

achillea Fri 25-Jan-13 22:36:22

It depends how much money you have I guess. What is it that you don't like about doing it?

Anifrangapani Fri 25-Jan-13 22:32:05

If you have money then get a project manager,but be really clear on you brief. Good luck

tigerdriverII Fri 25-Jan-13 22:31:03

Our neighbours are self builders, they did it with an extension not the whole house. I would say that some competent builders would have taken maybe 6 weeks to do it, it wasn't huge. The self builders took about 3 years. For us that was three years of banging, hammering, etc etc. not a problem if you are building on family land...

alarkthatcouldpray Fri 25-Jan-13 22:27:13

We are awaiting PP. FIL is v keen we do it, just not so sure myself!

Anifrangapani Fri 25-Jan-13 22:22:01

Speak to your local planners. It sounds as if it is a rural area if there is enough landto gift it to you. If they are comfortable with building in that area. That will give you an idea if it is a pipe dream or a practical idea.

angelinterceptor Fri 25-Jan-13 22:15:19

Then there is the while hassle of planning permission.
We are trying to do this in a plot on my DF farm - replacement dwelling so you would have though fairly straightforward.
Think again as we have had out application in nearly 2 years!

We were told a decent sized house could be built for around £200k.
For similar in our area would be twice that.

lalalonglegs Fri 25-Jan-13 22:08:28

I haven't done it (although I'd love to) but I do know quite a lot about it as I used to write about it - in fact, I still do occasionally. Imo, you have to really want to do it as it is an enormous hassle and if you don't keep a very close eye on things, they tend to go wrong. If you go to this site and scroll to the bottom of the page, there are several examples of budget projects that will give you an idea of what you can get for your money. Unless you have very specific ideas on design (which I do grin), I would be tempted to look at kit houses in your shoes.

alarkthatcouldpray Fri 25-Jan-13 21:41:36

We are considering building our own house on a plot of land owned by FIL (will be gifted to us if we go ahead, he is a farmer). He insists it will save us money to build for ourselves. Neither DH or myself have any knowledge of building or any relevant experience. We are in a modern 3 bed plus box room house, for it to be worth our whole moving would prob be thinking 4 bedrooms, small study, lounge, dining kitchen, bathroom, cloakroom and (joy of joys) a utility room. To buy a house this size in our area would cost around £300k in walk in condition.

Does anyone have experience of a similar project? Is it madness to even think of it with no experience behind us?

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