Many people would like to build their own home but aren’t sure where to start. Understanding the process of building a house step-by-step will help you get to grips with what’s involved.

• Finding a suitable plot
• Arranging your self-build finances
• Setting and planning a budget for your self-build
• Choosing your construction method
• Choosing your home designer
• Gaining planning permission
• Deciding on your build route

Find a plot 

Finding the perfect plot is one of the most important steps to creating your dream home – but where to start? 

Subscribing to specialist plot finding websites such as Plotfinder or Plotbrowser can be a great starting point as you are able to search for plots in your chosen area. It will also provide you with information on pricing and availability of land. It is also worth letting local residents know that you’re looking to join their community so they can help to keep an eye out for plots when they become available.

But why look for just land? There’s always the option to buy an existing house and then remodel or knock it down and re-build. It can be the perfect solution to acquiring your ideal site and can also help to cut costs.

It’s worth keeping an eye on planning applications in the area too as applicants could be looking to sell on the land rather than build on it themselves.

Before choosing your plot, keep in mind that the land may have certain limitations that could limit your design. Planning permission and legal considerations can considerably impact the structure and design of your home. And remember, you need planning permission in order to self build, so be very cautious when considering plots that don’t have planning consent in place.

Arrange your self-build finances 

It is crucial that you have the funding in place to see your project through to completion. Running out of money part-way through your project can be avoided with careful planning. There are mortgage services available that are dedicated to the self-builder, which work on a stage payment basis, so funds get released strategically at crucial parts of the build.

If you need to sell your current home to fund your self-build, it is possible to borrow money before selling.

Set a budget for your self-build project

Once you know how much money you have available for your self-build it is important to plan your budget. Good budget planning is crucial to a successful self-build. Make sure that you have done the maths and have a contingency fund (usually at least 10%) so you know exactly how you are going to fund the entire project. It’s important to know how much to put aside for the different stages of the project. Be realistic about how much the different stages will cost you, focusing on what you want to achieve. 

If you’re selling your current home to part fund your project, make sure you have an alternative place to live while your project progresses and be realistic about the time frame involved.

Choose your construction method

Choosing a construction system is one of the key decisions made when building a new home or extending an existing property. While brick and block maybe the industry standard for most homes, a lot more self-builders are turning to different methods. Timber framed systems such as oak are a huge benefit to any build as they tend to be easier to construct, take less time to erect, are more energy efficient and some materials like oak can last for hundreds of years. It’s important that you choose your construction method early as this can effect the overall design.

Choose your home designer

When it comes to tackling building regulations and dealing with planners, it’s best to bring a professional in. When choosing a designer be sure to choose someone who understands exactly what you want and is able to work with you to fulfil all your requirements… and stick to your budget! Creating a beautiful oak frame home begins with exceptional design and it is essential that you choose an architect/designer who understands oak framing. This can help avoid issues right from the start and ensures that you make the most of oak framing structurally, aesthetically as well as taking into consideration scale and proportions

At Welsh Oak Frame our expert in-house team live and breathe oak frame design and are able to tailor the perfect solutions to your projects requirements, while also taking care of planning applications, building regulations and structural calculations.

Gain planning permission

Before you progress, you must ensure you have planning permission from your local authority, building control approval and any special permissions, such as conservation area consent.

Planning permission is an inescapable part of the process when it comes to building a new home. Factors which may affect your planning application can include:

• Local planning policies
• Nature, wildlife and biodiversity
• Sustainability
• Trees and hedgerows
• The neighbours
• Conservation areas
• Listed buildings
• Access

…and much more. Getting pre-application advice will give you a good feel for whether your plans will pass the formal application. They may also suggest any changes that could be made to give it a better chance of gaining planning consent.

Decide on your build route

‘Self-building’ encompasses a whole range of different build routes. The level of involvement you choose is entirely up to you, but of course, there are financial benefits of taking on as much of the work as possible. Going down the self-build route means you can tailor the process to suit just how much time and budget you can devote to your project. Self-building doesn’t mean you have to do it all yourself. Many self-builders team up with builders, package companies, groundworkers etc. to take on key elements of the project.