This interactive journey aims to help you work out the most appropriate ‘route’ for you to get your self build project off the ground. There are lots of different ways of undertaking a self build project, and everyone’s personal situation is unique, their financial capabilities can vary enormously and no two building plots or self built homes are exactly the same. So this illustration is only a guide. We believe it will help you work out the best way of tackling your project. You may wish to seek professional advice for your own circumstances, and we cannot accept any liability for the conclusions drawn from the information provided on this website.
To start exploring the various options click on the big sign.
As we progress you may want to copy and paste useful tips and data into the Jotpad facility. All you have to do is click the 'Add text to Jotpad' at the bottom - try it now if you like. This will record everything and you can save this as a Word file or PDF so you can print it out later, or refer back to it on subsequent visits to this portal.
People who team up and decide to build as a group can save significantly on the price of their land, and the construction cost of their home. Usually there are ten to 20 families in a group and by buying land at a 'bulk' rate and then splitting it up you can reduce the individual plot price by around 30-50%. The construction costs can also come down if you share the cost of expensive building tools and equipment (eg you jointly invest in a communal cement mixer or a fork lift truck), you collectively bulk-buy key materials, and you share design fees.
We have assumed savings of 40% on average build plot prices, and an additional 19% cost saving on construction costs, and these figures are factored into the next section of the Journey.
The cost of building a home varies enormously - generally the closer you are to the South East of Britain the more expensive it will be. In the more remote rural areas it can be a lot cheaper, as land and construction costs are often much less. So think hard about where you want to build, and if your budget is tight it might be worth considering if it's practical to relocate to somewhere that is more affordable.
For a the average cost of land in is £ for a 1/15th of a hectare; the average cost for all English regions - including London is £. Construction costs are than the national average.
So, you are most likely to build your self build project in region and you plan to do it as a .
The next key issue to address is the size of the house you want to build.
You need to think hard about this and take into account your current and future need for space. One of the most important things to avoid is building more than you need - as, apart from it costing more to construct in the first place, you'll also end up paying more to heat it and possibly more in Council Tax too.
There are six indicative homes illustrated on the right. Click on the one that most closely resembles your likely space needs.
Two bedroom bungalow
about 80sq m
Three bedroom dormer bungalow
about 100sq m
Confortable three bedroom house
about 120sq m
Generous three/four bedroom house
about 150sq m
Generous four/five bedroom/2 bath house
about 200sq m
Very large five/six bedroom/4 bath executive house
about 300sq m
To give you an idea of a house size the traditional three bedroom semi has a typical floor area of around 90 sq m; so a 300 sq m house is more than three times as big.
So, you are most likely to build your self build project in and you plan to do it as a . You want to build something like a
Now you need to work out how much you have available to you to buy a suitable plot of land AND build your self build home.
So take some time to work out what you realistically have available to you. You might be fortunate enough to already have a stash of cash sitting in the bank. For others you may need to sell an existing property, or secure a mortgage. Other sources of finance include short term loans from financial institutions or friends and family.
One of the biggest problems would-be self builders face is that they think they can raise a certain amount, when in reality they can't. You should be very pessimistic when working out the funds you might have available to you. Remember to set aside a contingency sum, and that you may need to pay legal, removal and other professional fees, and mortgage providers will want a fee for setting up any finance you require.
Once you've worked out a realistic amount of money that you can raise to buy a site and build your home enter this figure into the calculator on the next screen.
Please enter the total budget you have to cover the cost of the land you hope to buy and the construction cost of the home.
This needs to a rounded figure, to the nearest £1,000, between £60,000 and £9,999,000.
When you are happy with your figure click the green arrow button to get feedback on your choices.
A typical of a 1/15th of a hectare (1/6th acre) costs £ in
You have a unrealistic budget for building your home and buying your plot.
You have a very tight budget for building your home and buying your plot.
You have a reasonable budget for building your home and buying your plot.
You have a generous budget for building your home and buying your plot.
Many people do some of the basic building work themselves – such as the decorating and landscaping. However you can’t really do everything as certain works (for example the electrical installation) needs to be done by a certified professional. You should also take into account that doing it yourself will sometimes mean the job takes longer (so financing costs can increase). And bear in mind that the older you are the tougher it may be to do the work.
