Self-building needs a mix of many qualities, but are you cut out for the challenge ahead?

Estimating Service -NEW from Homebuilding & Renovating. Find out how much your self-build is going to cost!

Design Ideas for Sloping Sites
A look at the design implications of building your own home on a sloping site

Renovate

In this section of Ask the Experts our team of Homebuilding and Renovating magazine self-build and renovation experts cover all aspects of renovating a house, including advice on conversions, basements, cellars, loft conversions, dealing with damp, listed buildings, loft conversions, restoration, soundproofing and wood treatment.

Conversions Find out more about converting a property Do I need a warranty for my renovation project? Are grants available for conversions? We plan to convert a church - should we get a structural survey? Read more...
Basements/cellars Find out more about how to transform an unused basement or cellar into extra living space Will the water table affect our cellar conversion? Does building a basement need planning? What should I consider before undertaking a basement project? Read more...
Structure Advice on how to ensure that the structure of your renovation project is sound An old extension causes problems Lateral movement needs professional attention Should our floor be breathable? Read more...
Damp Advice on dealing with damp Concerned about condensation? Why is my home still so damp? The walls of our old cottage are damp! How can we remedy this? Read more...
Listed buildings Advice on how to go about renovating or restoring a listed building Will my house be listed if I renovate? Can I reclaim VAT for work on a listed building? Read more...
Renovating old homes Find out more from our team of experts about how to renovate an old property Asbestos: What to do if you find it Repairing original timber windows Adding insulation - interior or exterior? Read more...
Restoration Our experts offer their advice on how to restore original features in period homes Removing Carpet Underlay Adhesive Restoring a fire surround via DIY Buying a reclaimed bath Read more...
Soundproofing Find out more about how to soundproof your house Can I soundproof my home? Read more...
Wood treatment Many older houses contain a lot of wood features, in this section our experts advise you on how to treat and maintain old wood Dealing with woodworm How can we treat our oak frames? Should we treat our oak beams? Read more...

Problem?

Do you have a question for one of our experts? Contact us with your question and, if selected, we'll forward your query to the relevant expert. You can also write in with your question to: 2 Sugar Brook Court, Aston Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 3EX.

Due to the high volume of enquiries we receive, we can not answer all queries. However, if selected, we will forward your query to the relevant expert who will shortly after provide a written reply.

Alternatively, if you can't find the answer to your query here, you could try our archive of How to guides or why not ask other members of the online community in the Homebuilding Discussion Forum.

More Expert Advice...

Getting started	DIY	Go green
Design a house	Renovate	Manage a project
Build a house	Design interiors	Design exteriors

From the publishers of Homebuilding & Renovating...

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