How Much Does it Cost to Build a House?

It should come as no surprise that this particular question fits into the 'piece of string' family of questions! There are a huge number of variables that affect the cost of Design your own house or self-building your home. This hasn't deterred many would-be grand designers. Not only has the concept been popularised by a number of TV shows, it is also popular with governments of any flavour who see self-building as a positive way in which to tackle the housing crisis.

Along with private individuals, social housing groups have also opted for the self-build approach with future tenants pitching in, learning new skills and building their own homes. Compared to the cost of buying 'used' housing stock, building your own dream home is generally accepted as being the more economical option. However, before you fire up the cement mixer and design your own home it pays to have a rough idea of the potential costs.

Land Grabbing

Land without planning permission costs somewhere around £10,000 per acre – although this varies according to the location and quality of the land. However, buying land without planning permission is a risky business and there is no guarantee that permission will be granted. Researching the local planning policies in the relevant area can strengthen your chances of being granted planning permission but, ideally, you should search for land with permission already in place.

This, of course, will mean that the value of the land will have blasted off into orbit. Generally, you can expect land purchase to eat up around one third of your budget. Architects fees and other professional services, including solicitors' fees can also vary widely and in these cases, it really does pay to shop around.

Professional Information

When it comes down to brass tacks, or stainless-steel ones for that matter, a really good place to start to get an idea of the cost of materials is Spons Architects And Builders Price Book. This is published annually and is the go-to-guide for - you guessed it - architects and builders.

If you've a reasonable knowledge of what's involved in a build, then you'll be able to create a ball-park estimate for your project. Obviously, build costs vary based on size, design, finish and location. A one-up/one-down tiny house project will clearly cost less than a five-bedroom detached family home and regional property price variations will also have an impact.

The 2017 edition of Spons states that a detached home will cost between £1375 and £1725 to build – although for superior quality, luxury new builds this could be a very conservative estimate indeed.

Professional Advice and Cutting Costs

Having the right team of architects or Architectural Services to design your own home is an essential cost saving aspect of self-building. Working alongside experts who understand the process, and also the pitfalls of the project, will help to keep costs exactly where you want them and ensure that over-spends, which are nearly inevitable, will be kept to a minimum.

Our Top 3 Rural Homes to Inspire You

In the past few years, it seems as though the homes most people find inspirational are those which were built to bespoke designs. Although there is still a select group who favour classic country estates and listed cottages, architectural design Leeds based homebuyers are seeking are those which they can have a hand in planning. If you are looking for inspiration, here are our top three homes we believe will inspire you when planning your own rural retreat.

Classic Architectural Design Leeds Estate – Harewood House

While the average homebuyer would probably not want to have a home built to this magnitude, Harewood House, Leeds is one of the most popular stately homes in the north of England. This is an example of architectural design Leeds is extremely proud of and one that inspires homebuyers to create a mansion built in stone; with hardscaping outdoors to carry through that classic country theme of elegance.

Imagine designing a home with fountains, a conservatory and built around an open space floor plan downstairs with luxurious bedrooms upstairs with a view of the lovely West Yorkshire countryside!

Building on Historical Elegance – Newark Park

The next of our favourite rural homes is located in Scotland, Newark Park. Simply discuss the elements of this 15^th-century masterpiece with an architectural design Leeds team and you can have a modern slant on one of Scotland’s most inspiring rural homes. Notice the built-in bookshelves and the amazing artistry on the ceiling.

An Odd Twist on a Rural Cottage – A Roof that Opens in New Quay, Wales

Here is one you really must get your Architecture Firm team to consider! Imagine laying down in your bedroom with the night sky in all its glory literally open for you to view whilst reclined in bed! While this is a tiny home built as a holiday cottage for visitors to New Quay, Wales, it isn’t hard to take a leap from a one room tiny cottage to a luxury mansion with one master bedroom with a roof that opens to the clear and beautiful night sky in rural Yorkshire.

The current trend is to design your dream luxury rural home with a team of creative architects and so these three homes are our top picks to give you an idea of just what you can have when you take the time to plan an inspirational rural home. Consult with your team of Leeds architects today for the home of your dreams inspired by these or other beautiful rural homes throughout the UK.

Don't Move, Improve

Design your own house

The Great Property Crash of 2019?

To move or improve? It's a question so old that it could almost be Shakespearian. Today, the question is made more difficult to answer by a couple of little issues; the sluggish housing market and dire predictions about crashing property prices after the UK leaves the EU.

In reality, Brexit is likely to be the biggest housing crash that never happened or about as damaging to house prices as the millennium bug was to computing systems. Whichever continent we decide to be part of (or not) Britain is still a small island and its residents still need housing.

That said, selling up at the moment is a slow and tortuous process and not a guaranteed one at that.  Home improvement offers some great benefits as an alternative and there are several advantages that it can offer which moving may not. Here are a couple of interesting ways in which improving could offer some additional benefits. Contact Architecture Company for more!

Extended Home Design for Extended Families

Build a house

For the average working couple with a young family; time, space and finances may all be under pressure. Childcare costs can eat up half that hard earned money and, if you don't take regular photos of the kids, it can be hard to remember which ones are actually yours when you get a rare chance to pick them up from school.

Creating a larger home or Build a house can open up an interesting option; recently retired parents (or in-laws) may be keen to downsize, free up some cash and spend more time with the family. Doubling up with them can reduce financial pressure for all parties and the 'free' childcare will be something that few working parents will turn down.

Extended families often lived together in the not-so-distant-past and the trend is one that seems to be returning. Today, the recently retired are usually in good health and many would appreciate the chance to build bonds with the next-but-one generation down. As they, in turn, find their care needs increasing, having you (and/or your kids) around can reduce both worries about the future and potentially crippling care costs. It's not a home design or home improvement option that works for everyone but can work extremely well for many families. 

Cash in the Attic?

Architecture Firm

Forget the attic, there's probably a significant chunk of cash in the whole house, if you choose to re-mortgage or take a second loan on your home. OK, so there's a danger that interest rates will rise over the next few years but that's what makes now the perfect time to take out extra finance. Low fixed rate loans are fairly plentiful and by taking a fixed rate five-year loan now, you can offset the chance of interest rate rises and, depending on the amount, quite probably clear the additional debt before the fixed rate period ends.

The resulting home improvement should, of course, by that time also have increased the value of your home. Whilst home improvement may not be completely stress free, it's certainly an attractive option compared to the uncertainty and cost of moving home.  

How to Design Your Own Home the Right Way

Self-builds have shot up in recent years. Programmes like Grand Designs have inspired many people to undertake the arduous journey that is building your own home. The process is not without its pitfalls. As regular viewers of Grand Designs know all too well, problems often arise and are very expensive to fix.

Costs spiral, tempers fray, and milestones are rarely met on time. However, if you take the right steps and design your own home properly, you should end up with a beautiful place you can enjoy living in for many years to come.

Be Prepared to Design Your Own Home!

Design your own house and building a home is a huge undertaking, but it is an important part of the self-build process. You could choose from any number of off-the-peg designs, but if you want a bespoke property that fits your wants and needs to perfection, you need to design your own home from scratch.

Be prepared to fight for what you want. Planning officers don’t always see eye-to-eye with people embarking on a self-build project. If you want to build a Tuscan-style villa in the Welsh countryside, be prepared for a few obstacles. You may have to compromise on some things, but if something matters, stand your ground!

Create a Project Brief to Design Your Own Home

A project brief sets out what you expect from the project, what your requirements are. This includes the architectural style inside and out, plus your budget. Make sure you spend a decent amount of time on your project brief. Think carefully about what you want. Do you want to build a family home or an investment property?

Sketch out some designs. Think about the layout of the rooms, how many bedrooms you need, what living space you want, outdoor features, etc. If you want a swimming pool, plan where it will it go. If you like the idea of an outdoor entertaining area, include this in your brief. Or contact Architecture Company for more!

Work with the Land

Assuming you have already chosen a plot of land for your planned house, look at the geographical features and see how you can make them work with your design.

Lastly, if you want to design your own home, aesthetics is not the only thing you need to think about. Heating, lighting and plumbing are all important. And if you want to build an eco-home, this needs to be planned out in detail from the very beginning of the design process.