Successfully Building Your Own Home

Living in a home you have built yourself is somewhat of a romantic idea, but a feasible one nonetheless. With the right amount of planning, financial backing, and professional help, building a home can be a successful and highly rewarding experience that will give you an entirely new level of appreciation for your living space.

5 Essential Steps to Take Before You Start Building

Long before the foundations are laid, you must ensure that you are fully prepared to avoid disappointments and difficulties down the line. To help get you started on your journey, we have compiled a list of crucial steps to consider when building your own property.

1. Work Out an Accurate Budget

It is imperative to understand precisely how much cash you have to spend on your new home. Although having the perfect property is priceless, going over budget can get you into deep financial trouble and tarnish the entire process. 

Try to balance your wants and expectations with realistic estimates of how much you can afford to spend on the project. Over-budget if possible and consider every overhead, from architect’s and builder’s fees to paying rent elsewhere whilst the home is being erected. Many companies will be able to offer you cost estimates before you start building, so take advantage of this when calculating your budget. For a quote on the cost of your scaffolding, contact Hi-point Access today.

And don’t forget to take into account the ‘hidden costs’ that come with owning your own property, like insurance, property taxes, and interior finishings.

Once you’ve finalised your budget and know how much you will be spending, it’s time to secure some finance for the project. You may be able to secure a self-build mortgage from a provider, with funds being released at different stages of your project.

2. Find the Perfect Plot of Land & Get Planning Permission

One of the most important decisions you will have to make early in the process is where you want to live. Your search for the perfect plot of land will depend largely on your budget. We recommend that you spread your search as wide as possible to find the perfect place to start building and, eventually, hang your hat. Good starting points to consider are local land developers and farmers who own unused land. 

Once you’ve decided where you’d like to build, you should seek planning permission. It is important to thoroughly check that your permission will be granted before you decide to buy. Not only that, but it may also be useful to determine at this stage if your design plans are feasible for the area in terms of design, size, and materials.

3. Hire the Right Designer

You may have a deep interest in the design and build of your home. But knowing when to approach a professional is crucial. When it comes to design, the right architect will help you make your dreams come true. They will be able to help you finalise a design that is unique, compliant, and structurally sound, as well as advising you on what’s realistically possible within your budget and best practices.

4. Hire the Right Construction Company

With a detailed plan in place, it’s imperative to hire trustworthy tradespeople to ensure that the home is built responsibly, on time, and on budget. To ensure the safety of your contractors, we recommend you also hire reliable scaffolding. Hi-Point Access has years of experience helping businesses and individuals build safely and with confidence. Get a quote today.

When it comes to hiring contractors, remember that you are not only paying for their labour, but also their expertise. Seek recommendations and reviews to help you decide who to hire, and build rapport with your contractors to make sure that your expectations are understood.

You may choose a head contractor or project manager to lead the way, or you may choose to do this yourself, The latter can be a rewarding option, as long as you understand and are prepared for what you are signing up for.

5. Keep Your Expectations Realistic

It’s easy to get carried away when you’re designing and building your own property, but it’s crucial to ensure you keep your expectation realistic and are prepared for potential hiccups in the process. It is important that you keep to your plans and budget as closely as possible, as getting carried away and spending too much could lead to complications and delays which you’ll have to pay for.

Scaffolding Hire from Hi-Point Access

At Hi-Point Access, we have years worth of experience helping residents and businesses with construction and renovation projects. If you are considering building your own property, you’ll need to source reliable and safe scaffolding to ensure the safety of the contractors working on your property.

Here at Hi-Point Access, we’ve been working with countless clients in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire for years. Get in touch with us today to discuss your needs.

Call us on 0114 257 7600, email info@hi-pointaccess.co.uk or get a quote through our website today