How much will my house cost to build?
The cost of building a home depends on a number of factors – the design, the materials used and the cost of using builders and contractors. Your architect, building surveyor or main contractor should be able to give you a figure based on the number of square metres. Use this as a rough guide and add on a healthy contingency of 10-20%.
Besides the build costs, you need to allow for the purchase of land, professional fees and insurance. Don't forget your own living costs while your new home is being built. Do you have somewhere to stay or will you be living on site in a caravan?
The design of your new home
A good starting point is to contact some of the firms who provide ready-made designs for self-builders. They will have several standard designs, which you can then adapt to suit you by working with their architects. Timber frame, steel and glass houses are among the most popular as well as traditional brick built houses and eco-homes.
Do remember if you're going for an unusual construction that home insurance may be more expensive. For instance, it's still possible to build new houses with thatched roofs but your insurance costs will be higher.
Alternatively, you can use an architect who will draw up plans according to your specific instructions. Try to decide on as much of the detail at the start as changing your mind during the building process will often add to the cost.
Depending on how competent you are, you can keep costs down by doing some of the work yourself and enlisting the help of family and friends especially if they are skilled tradesmen. For a less hands-on approach, you can hire a project director to oversee the building process.
There are a number of specialist websites and magazines such as Build Store and SelfBuild & Design as well as a forum at selfbuild.com where you can learn from others' experiences.
Generally, self-build homes are worth more than they cost provided the finish and quality are up to standard once they're completed.
