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.
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