Advice on House Design

A good design is the basis for everything that can be good about a self-build project. Jason Orme explains how to approach this critical issue.

One of the main reasons why people build their own home is to create an individual house that exceeds – in terms of design quality – what they can buy from a developer. Taking that into account, it’s amazing how little attention many self-builders pay to the design of their new home. Not only can the design of your new home decide what it will look like from the outside, it will impact on how you live in it, the end value of the new home and, crucially, how much it will cost to build. A successful design is the starting point for a successful self-build project — and, therefore, a bad design can set your project off on entirely the wrong track.

First of all, don’t get ahead of yourself. We all dream of our new home at the point at which we decide to build our own homes; yet any house design has to be a reaction to the individual aspects of your specific plot: the orientation; the neighbours; the overriding architectural vernacular; the slopes and shape of the site. Only when you’ve bought a plot can any designer worth their salt really come up with a design — so, while you’re waiting, spend your time fruitfully, coming up with ideas about what you want to include (features such as dressing rooms, fireplaces and so on) and sourcing fittings.

Once you’ve got the plot, chances are there will already be a house designed for it on the existing planning consent. In short, ignore it. The plot’s developer will have come up with the least controversial scheme in order to get the site through planning permission. You should start again — by all means using the general footprints and size of the house as a starting point, but always ensuring that you get what you want.
At this stage, most self-builders have two options: to employ a professional independent house designer or to approach a package company, who provide both design and construction services. In many ways it depends on how you want to approach the project — many people find that they want the individual design generated by a local designer; many people equally find that package companies are perfectly able to come up with brilliant designs (package companies either produce bespoke plans or can alter their standard designs to fit individual needs) at, most importantly, a price that is based on realistic build costs. Investigate both options and see previous work.

By the time you approach your designer you should have specific ideas about what you want from the house you intend to build and a realistic idea about how much you can afford to spend on the construction. Many designers like to see a scrapbook consisting of magazine clippings showing spaces you would like to create, features to include and so on. You should also spend time analysing what rooms you would like and how you intend to use them — for example, do you need a formal dining room or will a kitchen/diner be a better use of space? A good designer will spend time researching the local streetscene and talking to the planners about what may or may not be acceptable.

Your designer will then come up with plans based on your initial brief. You should study them closely and visualise, where possible, what they mean in reality. It also pays to double-check how the new house will sit on the plot and begin to analyse what type of external finishing (brick, stone, timber or render) the design will require.
A good design will not only look good and fit the architectural style you’d like to achieve  — it will also help the project run more smoothly. If you want to build to a budget, keep the design simple – anything deviating from the standard box-shaped house will add to your costs – but at the very least ensure that your designer is well aware of your budgetary constraints and is designing with that in mind.

In terms of value, your design will have a critical influence. Don’t automatically assume that cramming in as many bedrooms as possible – developer style – will increase value. Increasingly, house buyers like to see open spaces and larger rooms and are perhaps willing to sacrifice that small fifth bedroom if it enables them to have a dedicated dressing room, home office or so on. Above all, consider your potential market. Will young families be moving into the area – in which case, your dream modern open plan arrangement may not be as wise as you think. Consult with estate agents and get a feel for what people want from a new home in the area.

FEATURES TO CONSIDER

• Dining hall (rather than a poky hallway).
• Breakfast/living kitchen (rather than a smaller kitchen and separate dining room).
• Double-sided fireplace — creates an open plan space that can be easily separated off.
• Jack and Jill bathroom — for the kids to mess up.
• Wetrooms — if you haven’t got the space for a large en suite.
• In-built storage.
• Niches — if lit well can look very effective.
• Home office/study — essential for today’s lifestyle.
• Games/TV room.
• Double-height spaces.
• Use of basement/attic space.

Fees

House designers work on a variety of fee arrangements. Most will be happy to work on a fixed-fee basis with additional work charged by the hour. Some architects who will be retained to supervise the project (and some who won’t!) will charge a percentage of contract sum — in which case, you’ll need to ensure that you keep costs in check. Many package companies will include ‘free’ upfront design as part of their package — but be aware that you are likely to end up covering design costs as part of the overall contract sum. Regardless of which route you use, you should expect to pay between £2-10,000 in fees for the design of an average four bedroom home. For larger projects using prestige architects, fees in excess of £50,000 are not uncommon.

Read the rest of the 30 Minute Guide to Self--Build:

• Advice for the First-Time Self-Builder
• Advice on Finding a Plot
• Advice on Labour
• Advice on Projects
• Advice on Planning
• Advice on Finance