Some ways to stretch your funds

There’s a common misconception that self build is a kind of super-DIY – an idea that, quite rightly, alarms most people.

In fact, only a tiny percentage of selfbuilders actually build their own house – and they tend to be either in the trade, with a load of construction mates they can call on, or willing to soldier on for what might be years.

In reality self build is more OIY — organise it yourself. Unless you can afford a ‘turnkey’ solution – that is, handing the whole project over to a package company, a contractor, an architect or a project manager – you either manage it yourself, employing professionals as and when required, or you work in tandem with one or more of those professionals.

These options encapsulate the self build dilemma. You are selfbuilding to create the home you want rather than a home built for someone else. At the same time you hope to save money by acquiring a new build without paying the 20 to 25% profit a developer might expect to make.

In practice, most selfbuilders use those savings to improve the specification of their build. But for those whose primary motivation is to reduce costs — perhaps because self build is the only way they can afford a property — then this can create real problems.

In that light, here are 10 ways to stretch your budget to the max.

1. Choose a simple design


The most space-efficient design for a house is a simple square or rectangle with a double sloping roof. Any intrusion into that basic shape — bay windows, dormers, balconies — complicates construction and adds to costs. This may not be deeply inspiring, but it does provide excellent value for money – especially if you ensure the internal dimensions are multiples of the standard sizes of flooring panels (2400mm x 600mm) and plasterboard (2400mm x 1200mm) to minimise waste.

2. Aim for expansion


If your budget doesn’t run to the size of house you’d prefer, consider a plot that has room for rear and side extensions under permitted development rules. These allow you to enlarge a house later, when it becomes affordable, but without the cost of further planning permission. Do, however, check the current requirements beforehand.

3. Plan, plan and plan again


The most successful self builds are invariably those where every detail has been researched, sourced and costed at the planning stage, or even earlier. This saves time — and therefore cost — throughout. It also allows you to snap up bargain items as they arise, often long before they’re actually needed.

4. Take the shell option

Here, a package company supplies and erects only the structural envelope of a home — i.e. the walls, roof, floor joists and external waterproofing membranes, making the interior weatherproof. Potentially this can halve the cost of the average kit house. Doors and windows may be supplied, too, or simply waterproof material fitted over the apertures. You will also need a prepared foundation, which a separate contractor, or the packager, may arrange. You are then free to complete the build yourself or hire in tradespeople as and when required. Some packagers offer a consultation service to provide advice throughout.


5. Choose attic trusses

Attic trusses are designed to support the roof while leaving the attic clear for accommodation or storage. Though more expensive than standard trussed rafters, which render the loft space unusable, they create an extra storey, which can be fitted out immediately or left until funds are available. An alternative is to build a roof out of SIPs, which require minimal internal support.

6. Choose a DIY-friendly construction method

A number of alternative methods of construction are specifically designed for those with minimal building skills. They include insulated concrete formworks (ICF), where interlocking polystyrene forms or panels are assembled like giant Lego bricks, then filled with concrete. Durisol is a variation of this, using blocks made from a mixture of wood waste and cement. Straw-bale construction creates walls from compacted straw, either free-standing or used as infills in a timber frame. They must be protected with breathable plasters, usually lime plaster externally and clay plaster inside. Courses and training schemes are available.


7. Use sweat equity


You may not be a skilled tradesperson, but if you are moderately fit you can still fit insulation into a timber frame, run wiring through joists and lay out pipework for underfloor heating. The professionals can then check the work and make final connections — though do discuss this in advance with them if you plan to work this way.

8. Find storage

Bargains, particularly large items, need to be stored somewhere secure and dry. If you don’t have suitable space at your existing accommodation, consider building a garage first on site, hiring a lockable container, a nearby lock-up or part of a neighbour’s garden.

9. Minimise waste

Building sites generate skip loads of timber offcuts, plumbing scraps and topsoil, and disposal is expensive. Consider how build waste might be re-purposed for shelving, cupboards, casing pipework etc. Topsoil can be saved for the garden, or sold. A friendly farmer may also be prepared to take spoil and hardcore.

10. Live on site

Spending weeks, or months, in a hired or second-hand caravan or mobile home may not be your idea of bliss — at least, not for long — but it can save you the cost of local rented accommodation, provide excellent site security and allow you to monitor the build on a daily basis. It also enables you to sell — rent out — an existing home, generating ready cash for your budget.

July 2019