Self-Build And Save Your Money
In spite of the recession, “self-build” homes are still popular. Why? Because they’ve always provided better value for money than simply buying a house. So what is “self-build”? It’s a home you build yourself, as the phrase indicates! It doesn’t have to mean LITERALLY by yourself, but you place yourself in the position as architect, planner, foreman of your property and let skilled workers do the job you order them to do. More people are opting for the “self-build” route – in fact, the army of “self-builders” in the UK outnumbers the amount of properties being developed by any professional developer. The intention of self-build is to make a home to your exact specifications, not a boiler-plate design that commercial developers use.
Already you’re likely thinking: “But I’m not a builder”. The pleasant news is that getting involved with a self-build project doesn’t mean you inevitably have to get stuck in with the actual development (as a matter of fact, just 5% of self-builders actually take a role in the actual construction of the property). Even when it comes to design, quite often this is delegated to a professional designer.. Self-build, by and large, is about you articulating (in plain English), what you need to the house designer – who then creates a plan based on your requirements. This design then becomes the blueprint the builders work to. See? You don’t need to have any active involvement in self-build. Even so, the DIY fantatic can use self-build as a chance to save some dosh by contributing toward the tasks of self-build they have experience in – it’s your shout as to how much involvement you want during the development.
Since you get total control over the details of the self-build, you can choose the latest in technology, while large developers fall behind since they’re working to strict boiler-plate designs. You can put in things like underfloor heating, automated climate, lighting and entertainment facilities throughout your entire home.
You must make sure the squad of workers you choose are total professionals and that they can work as a group. No doubt you will require workers with experience of some rather potentially dangerous machinery used in building, such as floor saws, wall saws, angle grinders with diamond blades, masonry saws and stihl saws. With a skillful team, you are also increasing the safety levels of the development.
This article is only an introduction to the concept of developing a home yourself, and I hope it will encourage those of you who are put off by the thought of planning a project of this kind of size. It needn’t be time-intensive, and you won’t need house building / designing skills, but you will need to be cautious as to who you hire, and you will need to cautiously work out the overall cost of the project.
