Self Build Homes - Starting With A Good Foundation

Following the announcement by the Housing Minister that the Government will encourage lending for self build, we thought we would drop this blog post.

The popularity of self build homes in on the increase and many people dream of living in a home that they have designed specifically to suit the needs of them and their family. Before that can become a reality however there are a few steps that need to be taken.

Finding A Plot
Finding a piece of land and deciding that you want to live there is the beginning of the process then you need to see if the plot you have chosen is suitable for the home you wish to build.

There are a variety of different factors that will affect the suitability of the land from type of soil, slope of the plot to the proximity of rivers, burns and trees. Having a proper land survey carried out which involves soil samples and test bore holes is valuable and, when digging out your foundations can quite literally prevent you from pouring money down a big hole!

A Good Foundation
Foundations are not just about digging a big enough hole and pouring concrete into it. This is the beginning of your home and one of the most important parts to get right. If the foundations are laid well, if they are the right kind and they are strong enough then you are off to a flying start with your self build.

Foundations come in three main forms strip, raft or pile and your architect is best placed to be able to advise which type will suit your build and plot.

Site Preparation
You have had test bores done, you know what kind of soil you are dealing with, your architect is happy with the positioning of rivers and trees and any slope is being worked around – you are now ready to clear the site.

This part of the preparation doesn’t require any real expertise unless there are large trees that may need to be felled. Many trees have preservation orders on them and you can’t touch them so its best to find out from your local planning office if that is the case before revving up your chain saw!

If you do have to remove any large trees you are best to leave the site to settle before commencing any building works. Removal of large trees or a large number of trees can change the equilibrium of the surrounding soil and may have an impact on the foundations required.

At each one of these stages you will find the expertise of your architect invaluable and having them on board right from the beginning could save you time and money.

Bringing in an architect even before you have settled on a plot and bought it makes good sense.

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