The Self Builder’s blog

With the generous assistance of my father, I’ve tried to run this self-build project to the tightest of tight budgets. 

A dangerous game from reading around the subject, but really a necessary, well, a necessary if I want to actually live in this place.  

We spent a lot of time on the budget, mainly because we had it.  It took several months to get amended planning permission and there was precious little else to do while the planners did their work, other than run things through a calculator. 

There was at least three heads involved in the budgeting, and we used three very different methods.   

Two scientific, one from my quantity surveying background sibling, and the other from a collective of research and quotations, compiled by my father. 

Mine was not quite done on the back of a fag packet, I don’t smoke.  But I used the approximate square foot cost, for build quality, route, and area.  Multiplied by the actual size of the proposed dwelling. 

All three came out within a whisker of one another. 

So the budget was set, and our major concern was getting out of the ground, as we thought we had control of all the rest. 

A builder’s quote arrived to give us the shell of the house, roughly to the budget we had set, and with the exact materials we wanted to use. 

We held our breath for any nasty ground discoveries, but instead were delighted to here that the ground was of sound quality – the builder even referred to it as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of ground. Thus, as the house nears the end of the shell status, we thought we were on to hit our budget, or in the very least in control of it.  

Quotes are in, and some are higher than we expected, but we can find alternatives and different methods to hit budgets.  But one of the biggest shocks was an quotation to connect into the sewer system. 

We’d almost forgot about this quote, especially as the other services, including water connection, had quoted so quickly and been paid for. 

As there is a sewer man hole approximately two metres from the end of my new drive, we confidently left a contingency of £1,500 in.  We thought about the middle ground after reading the brilliant home builders bible. 

However, our friends at the water board think differently, and didn’t really want to even justify the exorbitant cost, which is nearer to £10,000.   

‘If you don’t like it you can use someone else, you’ve already paid for an inspection.’ 

And use somebody else, we shall – especially if I want a granite work surface in the kitchen, or even a kitchen for the granite to sit on.

Not a lot, one obviously deranged magician might say, but I think, that a name can mean a plethora of things.

Parents take extensive time, consult with various resources and books that help the process. To ensure, as well as, actually liking the name, you avoid dodgy shortenings and unfortunate connections with the in-situ surname, Richard Head springs to mind. 

Many also believe that a name can characterise a person, so why not a house?  How important is it to give it a name that will reflect well on its surrounding and be in-keeping with what the properties existence will be?  The majority will never think about it, but if you’re starting from the ground, I think it’s wise to have your own name, rather than become branded by the unimaginative. 

In fact, according to some selling agents, and we all know what they spout is gospel; a house’s value can be affected by its name.  Some are even advising people to re-name existing properties, especially those that have become burdened with generic numbers, those with ugly suffixes spring to mind, like 14a for example. 

I’ve been thinking about a name for my property for sometime, probably since the site was purchased.  It actual seems quite straight forward.  Most of the properties within the proximity of mine have names rather than numbers.  They range from Royal Oak Cottage to Abbey Lodge, so I need one slap-bang in the middle. My gaff will obviously be new and will have glorious open aspect views. The views will be over fields currently scheduled to be used for growing broccoli in the spring.  Can you see what is coming?  

I’ve just received confirmation from the local planning office, that my request has been accepted and approved.  Therefore, the property will eventually have a beautifully crafted name plate with ‘Newfields’ carved into it.  As it happens it also sits quite nicely with our surname. 

The council also advised, that the previous owners of the site, who decided to sell rather than build, had asked if the property could be called ‘Rose Cottage’.  How very unimaginative, the second most popular house name in the figures I found, hopefully I’ve saved or added a few quid with my choice.

Observing planning permission conditions is the name and doing it with ruthless efficiency is the game.  One I’m clearly rubbish at. Well that’s not actually true, I think my game is pretty good and I’m well on top of things.           

This however isn’t a one-way process.  You have to talk to those pesky folk at the planning office.  Man I’m going to miss those bad boys when this is all done.  After all they do make me feel really good about myself, even if frustration to the point of virtual explosion is a side effect. 

The latest conditions I’ve looked to satisfy concern the actual building materials to be used.  I think this is actually a sound restriction. After all, if I was left to my own devices, who knows, I might actually build my gaff out of breeze blocks, or should that be thermalites.

Mind you there isn’t a lot stopping me painting these materials any colour I want afterwards.  Anyway, I have to choose bricks and roof tiles that the planners are also happy with. 

I’ve spent a lot of time looking at all sorts of bricks, observing roof tiles and roof constructions around the area.  My research even included trying to use local-ish suppliers, just in case that was going to be an issue. 

So after what seemed like months of research, I got a couple of samples, being careful not to register with building merchants as I know that can mean trouble when trying to get reductions, especially off bricks. 

Now the minor incompetence at the planning office, which meant wasting ten minutes or so of my life, looking for a form that didn’t exist was a minor annoyance, but certainly not unexpected. 

I chased twice and waited three weeks in the end, but eventually I got the call.  Firstly the planned asked what colour the roof tiles were, I though that was fairly obvious by looking at them and my circling of the colour in the brochure, but no bother.  Approval granted.  Letter of confirmation duly received via 2^nd class post. 

All that’s left to do now is the very simple matter of getting the best possible price and supply!