How easy is it to build my own house in the UK.?

Question

Is it cheaper this way buying land then building on it than owning a property outright?

Answer 1

Many people dream of building their own house .. there are many web sites dedicated to helping you make that dream come true (google for "Self-Build") ...

It is highly unlikely to be 'cheaper' .. UNLESS you (and friends) put in a lot of (unpaid) work yourselves = to save money, focus on the high value work - don't waste time bricklaying when you should be running the site and managing the overall build ..

Depending on what Builders you employ, you may also need specialist 'contacts' who can source materials at 'trade' prices .. (don't expect, for example, your bricklayers to source your Mahogany Panel Flooring)

Check out the Self-Build forums ..

Answer 2

Buying land that has planning permission and then building a house on it, is cheaper than buying one that has already been built.

The reason being, you are not paying the profit that a builder would expect to make when selling a complete house.

For example, where we live, you should be able to get a small plot of land with planning permission for £300K. The build cost would then be another £200K. So for £500K outlay you have a house that you could sell for £750K.

If you can find a piece of land that doesn't have permission and then get planning permission, the profit is obviously larger.

The problem is finding the land to begin with. Developers are all looking and seem to have the ready cash to acquire the land quickly, before most ordinary people get their act together.

Answer 3

"Easy" is not a word that springs to mind.
Finding land with planning permission is difficult (although it depends a bit on location).
The sheer complexity of building a house is daunting, plus you will have the pleasure of dealing with the building trade.
If you go to single builder who will do everything, it will be hassle. Use individual tradesmen (e.g. bricklayers, carpenters) and it will be about 50 times worse. For literally doing it yourself make that 100 times.
In the end it will cost you about the same as buying "off the shelf" if you use a builder. A fair bit less if you do it yourself, but you won't have a life for about 2 years.
You will get exactly what you want (or near enough) and it might be a bit cheaper (if you are very careful).
It will NOT be easy.

Answer 4

If you are not fussy about where you live you can buy a property that already stands far cheaper than you could building yourself. The issues involved in building for yourself are getting land with planning permission, getting access to mains drainage, gas and electricty (otherwise you're looking at builing septic tanks, oil tanks or solar installations as well), designing the property and getting it built, or selection e.g. a Huf house and choosing your options. Buying ready built has less processes to go wrong. If you do not value your time and you have the interest to do it, do self build.

Answer 5

It depends on the building really. If you're going for something totally innovative and one of a kind (like the type you see on Grand Designs) then I'd say it's more trouble than it's worth.

Recently, however, I have noticed pre-packed kits in the sort of Swedish style that have everything you need to build a house besides things like water and electricity supplied, walls, roof, windows, doors etc. and these do seem quite a lot easier and cheaper.

Sort of buying some flat packed furniture from Argos but on a much larger scale really!

Answer 6

Land building or non building must be found and cleared first, planning permission after submitting detailed plans for the house , service supplies water, elect , sewrage, road access, now a new one not to be on flood plain or no insurance, go free hold and convert the house as you can get planning permission for

Answer 7

There are three self-build magazines on the market (as far as I know): Self-Build, Build It and Homebuilding & Renovating - they are an excellent starting point for a beginner to self-build giving price guides, ideas for design, opportunities to purtchase land, tips and (on their websites) lots of forums with other self-builders.

It can be incredibly tough (as you've no doubt seen on TV) but the end results are spectacularly worth it, and if you have a proper, well-thought through budget and a good project manager (whether it's you or someone you employ to do it) you can make a substantial profit! Plus you get to live in a house you've designed and 'built' especially for you and your family's needs which would be worth it in my book! Good luck!