The Good, The Bad and The Downright Mad – Self Build Homes

The term self build homes is a bit of a misnomer. Very few people actually roll up their sleeves, start mixing concrete and invest in a nail gun. The truth is most self builders will hire an architect and only get their hands dirty when it comes to the final decoration.

There are many arguments for and against self building and the main one is cost versus hassle. There is no doubt that building your own home is cheaper than paying a premium to a house builder and if you truly go down the DIY route its even cheaper. However the stress involved in finding land, laying foundations and creating a home far out weighs the stress of simply moving into one.

That said we are still curious about those who take on the challenge of self building. Over three million of us regularly tune into Grand Designs and watch the ups and downs of self build projects. As a nation we lag behind many other countries with amount of actual self building that we do. Only 10% of homes in Britain are self builds compared to 80% in Austria and 60% in other parts of Europe.

Taking on a true self build project can be as daunting as it is exciting. If clambering up an A-frame brandishing a nail gun is your thing then DIY self building is for you. If however you want the ability to ensure that your new home fits your lifestyle as much as possible but brandishing a paint brush is your limit then hire an architect.

When it comes to self build projects an architect can be worth their weight in gold, time saved and hassle avoided. They will project manage all the other construction professionals required and keep you updated regularly. Engaging an architect prior to selecting your plot of ground can reap great dividends. That gorgeous bubbling stream that you see meandering through your back garden could translate as a genuine flood risk come the April showers, when seen through an architects eyes.

So before your project gets off the ground, weigh up the good points (lower cost), the bad points (loads of extra stress) and decide if you are of the DIY variety of self builders (you get to use a nail gun) or if you want an architect to protect you from all of the stress. Whatever you decide, happy self building!

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Self Build Homes – From Foundations Upwards

You have bought your plot, had soil surveys done, any trees removed and the site cleared – you are ready to start digging! Your builder may even have pegged out a plan on the ground so you have an idea of the foot print of your self build home.

Materials can start to be delivered and now is when you have to be organised. You need to leave enough room around the build for scaffolding, bricks and blocks to be laid out, you need to make sure that any deliveries made do not hinder other services being installed such as gas, electricity, telephone, water and waste and you should ensure that lorries have good access to the site.

Sticking a sign in a prominent place to indicate the location of your site to delivery drivers is also a good idea, saves your bricks from begin delivered to your new neighbour two doors down!

If you are not planning on living on site then you will need somewhere secure to lock valuable tools etc. away or hire a security guard to watch over the site and protect it from what may be costly vandalism. If you do decide that a caravan on site is the way to go you will need to get permission from the local council.

Once the footings are up to ground level you will see the shape of your self build home start to take shape. The ground floor walls can now be started and once complete, scaffolding erected for the start of the second floor.

Once the build reaches just below roof height more scaffolding will be required to take the build to truss height. By this point you will clearly see the size of your self build home. A third and four scaffold lift may be required to complete the roof and gable end. Once the roof trusses have been felted and battened, the tiles or slates can be put in place and your roof is water tight.

Adding in the windows and doors will make the whole build wind and water tight and the internal fixes can begin. Pipes for plumbing, water and heating go in and all electrical wiring can be put in place. If you have ever been annoyed by a lack of sockets or switches and by trailing wires tucked around door frames and skirting boards, now is the time to solve both these issues.

Stud walls, staircases and floor boards complete the internal layout and the first fix. Plastering of the walls can now begin. Floor covering and tiling work can be done and a final fix on the plumbing, joinery and electrical wiring can be completed.

With pipes connected to the sewer and cables connected to the electricity supply your home will almost be ready for you to move in. Painting, decorating, kitchen units and bathrooms suites finish the place off.

There is a lot of work connected with a self build and you should be prepared for it to take some time but the final outcome will be worth the wait. If you feel you want to, you can project manage this whole process yourself but if it seems daunting to be dealing with builders, joiners, scaffolders, plumbers and electricians, not to mention building inspectors then your architect can be your project manager.

If you have enjoyed this article then click here for more self build information.

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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Top Six Points To Consider Before Beginning Your Self Build Home

Throughout history human kind has created shelters and although technique, materials and construction methods are different, the basic instinct to build a home is still strong. Many people aspire to design their own home and whether you are looking at self build homes in Glasgow or self build homes in Edinburgh there are a few basics you need to get right in order for the project to run smoothly.


1. Engage An Architect
This may well be the most important thing you do before beginning your self build home. An architect has experience in all areas of construction and can see you through from ground breaking to completion and all issues in between.
See additional information - "Appointing an Architect"

2. Budgeting
Get your budget sorted from the beginning and don’t allow the costs of your self build home to spiral out of control. Set your budget with help from your architect and have a ten percent contingency fund available if possible. This means considering buying a plot, creating access, the actual build, first and second fixes and interior decoration. Using the experience of your architect to set realistic budgets will actually save you money.

3. Mortgage Agreement
Many banks will agree self build mortgages and will release pockets of funds as each build stage is reached. Your architect can help ensure that these milestones are reached timeously so that your project can be completed and handed over to you at the right time.

4. Buying A Plot 
Anyone considering a self build home needs a plot of land. Here again your architect will be worth their weight in gold as they will be able to see flaws that the average layperson cannot. For example is the plot properly serviced or are the utilities half a mile up the road? Is the plot sloped, sited under an electricity pylon or will those picturesque trees and that little river cause a problem?  Watch the following short video which explains the important things to consider when buying land.

5. Applying For Planning Permission
Applying for planning permission and associated building regulation approval can be daunting if you are unaware of the finer legal points involved. A local architect will often have connections with the local planning office and will have developed a relationship with the officers working there. This can smooth the planning permission process as the architect will have a good idea of what will pass and what wont before handing in the plans.
See additional information - "Why don't all Planning Departments work the same way?"

6. Finding A Builder
Finding a builder and agreeing terms can be an important consideration for your self build home and you are probably best to use a local firm where possible. Asking for names of previous customers and contacting them for a testimonial can prove enlightening. Often an architect will have contacts throughout all the trades required for your self build and will be on site to manage each one.

These are just some of the considerations for your self build project and throughout the entire process you will find the services of an architect invaluable.

So, planning is vital and engaging an architect should be seen as an investment in your vision.

If you would like to discuss the benefits and financial sense of engaging a professional architect please get in touch to book your free consultation and get your project off to a flying start!

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The Importance Of Site Inspections

Today, I've returned from a property where the home owner has for several years entered lengthy debate with an Architect, Builder, Engineer and Surveyor regarding the ingress of water into her property.

I cannot go into specifics but wanted to state that the professionals and the builder all attempted to prevent water from entering the cavity of the house and thus eliminating the potential for the water ingress above her window specifically.

We on the other hand confirmed that the root of the problem was poor water proofing detailing above the window lintel and that regardless of trying to stop water entering the cavity that the priority needed to be to repair the defective detailing above the window thereby eliminating any chance of ingress should water still make it into the cavity.

Now you would think that is common sense but unfortunately there are many professionals out there who think that they know what they are doing 'because they've done it that way for the last 25 years!' whereas infact a good and professional architect who is working with everchanging planning policies and warrant regulations is at the 'coal face' and can very quickly guide all of the design team and contractor on the correct way to do things, particularly where changes occur in what is commonly understood to be 'best practice'.

I will leave you with a thought. If you were doing a self build and spending approx £150,000 - £200,000 please make sure your architect has the construction knowledge, detailing experience and ability to properly inspect a project on site. I know we do...

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Establishing The Boundaries Of Your Plot #Ask The Architect

Here's an interesting one. How do you establish the boundaries of a plot?

A quick tip is that the red line or thick line on your Title Deed often relates to markers on an Ordinance Survey plan. These are typically visible on site. You need to be aware that in our experience Ordinance Survey Plans can be inaccurate ie I have at times seen them being out by 700mm. It's quite excessive isn't it?

Solicitors always panic about getting the correct title plan shown however the reality is the 1:1250 scale on a Title Plan really is not sufficient to accurately locate a boundary on site particularly if the site is in the middle of a field.

What prompted this post was simply that I have returned from a site where a field was being carved into 3 plots all of equal width. Or so we thought. The 1st plot is built and the boundary line is established and correct to the title, however when we measure our Client's title it would appear that the plot owner immediately adjacent has positioned his timber post 800mm into our site. I have measured this several times in both directions across the site and checked the overall outline dimensions of all 3 plots and there is no doubt about it, the adjacent plot is incorrectly defined. So what to do now?

Well as an Architect I often need to remember that I am dealing with my Client's future neighbours therefor a polite call asking for a brief meeting on site and mentioning (without being inflamatory) where I thought the problem lay is sufficient to get all parties out to site to discuss.

Remember if you are scaling from a 1:1250 Title Plan it is very easy to be 100mm out. Always seek professional advice.

Self Build Strathaven, Even More Images

Just back from Strathaven again today and have taken a few more pictures. Follow the complete house build photo library here

Strathaven Self Build. Image Updates

The build at Strathaven is progressing at quite a pace. These are the photographs from last week and I hope to take more tomorrow when I am on site. Find out more about self build at
http://www.blockarchitects.co.uk/self-build-homes/info_39.html

New Build House, Uphall, Broxburn

I wanted to write today to let you all know that at block architects we have and can assist with the certification of your new build even when we have not designed the house through our company. Our Clients on this project Mr & Mrs Swanston received a very good drawing package from their Building Consultant who was unable to certify the build due to the fact that the Consultant did not have adequate PII cover.

The main contractor being a great Advocate of our business invited us to act on behalf of the Client who accepted our fee proposal to certify the build. This involves 8-10 site visits at key intervals throughout the build:-

• Site Scrape


• Foundation Trenches


• Visual Drainage Inspection


• Foundations


• Timber Kit Erection


• Windows Door and Roof Coverings


• External brick or block


• First Fix


• Completion

Following key site inspections at the above stages we will Certify the build esuring that the banks interest is looked after as well as that of the Client's interest.

Our Certification covers the build post 6years from construction. Now in theory there should be little to no come back on this certfication process as the build has been inspected regularly.

Where does this differ to e.g NHBC sign off. Well they are similar however I know from previous experience that NHBC do not necessarily conduct the same number of site visist as I would. The only draw back with this is that if something should go wrong with the build with NHBC cover that they will fix it but to my knowledge do not compensate for the heartache of post construction repair and remedial works.

In my opinion it's always good to get an Architect or Project Manager involved in the inspection stages. Make sure that the Professional has adequate cover.

If you want to find out more about this you can contact us through our official web page or please feel free to contact me by email

Update on Strathaven Self Build

Following my recent visit to the site in Strathaven South Lanarkshire we have posted today some pictures of the foundations and underbuild. Great progress made by the contractor in only a week.

As Part of our service we are certifying the build which means that we will visit the site on say 9 -10 occasions to inspect the built at the key stages of construction.

Particulalry where self build is concerned this is necessary for funding purposes. As most people borrow money from the bank or building society these organisations will look for an Architects to inspect the build and provide certifcations. Architect's carry Professional Indemnity Insurance which can be called on should the Client require to challenge the policy.

However at block architects we are very knowledgable in self build and consider that you will receive a fantastic service. Click here for our self build video tips.