Guaranteed Self Build Success: Part Three

Read part one for advice on finding a designer and planning permission...

Read part two for advice on finding a builder and dealing with on-site issues...

How is it that two self-builders, building similar houses to roughly the same specification, can have such varying experiences with costs and the time taken to complete their project? Luck does, of course, come into it but in the main it’s down to the management of the project and the ability to keep one step ahead of potential problems.

Nobody can pretend that self-building is completely easy. It’s not. It might not – in most cases – involve physical effort but it does demand constant thought and the only time to relax is when is it’s all over and you’re sitting back in your new home.

To make sure that things go as right as possible, there are a few simple rules to follow at each of the stages.

Once Work Starts...

Keep an eye on the design

Keep on thinking about how things are going to be. You can’t re-design on the hoof but you can minimise design conflicts by constantly keeping things under review.

Think ahead on materials

Think ahead for when materials will be needed and get them there on time and in the right quantities. Waste is expensive but running short can cost even more.

Think ahead on labour

Everybody working on your project is going to have other jobs on the go and they’ll need plenty of notice of when you’re going to need them. It’s a difficult balance for both parties to make. You are only concerned with your job and you won’t want to be kept waiting. They can’t leave their other clients in the lurch. That’s why it’s so important to keep in constant touch and to keep thinking ahead to when you’ll need them. Don’t go looking for a trade in the immediacy of your need. It will cost you.

Make your mind up early

Throughout the job there will be certain ‘choice’ items such as doors, sanitaryware and kitchens and so on. Many of these are on long delivery and you’ll need to make your mind up early if you’re not to introduce a delay.

Avoid changing your mind

Once or twice may be fine but if you make a habit of changing your mind you’ll delay the job and lose the windows of opportunity that tradesmen have set aside. Labour hates going back on a job and if you keep getting things done over, relationships will break down.

Make sure the trades have plans

Recover all old and out-of-date plans and destroy them. Make sure that the electricians have the right layout plans with your requirements clearly marked by coloured symbols. Check that the plumbers know where radiators are to go or, if it’s underfloor central heating, a detailed plan of the proposed layout. Check on the hanging of all doors and double check that this accords with position of electrical switches. Get a kitchen layout as soon as possible so that appliances and sockets are all in the right place and at the right level.

Gear up the inspections

You’ll need to make sure that the right cards or notice are given for the building inspector to attend. The same applies for the warranty inspectors and for any architectural progress certification.

Gear up the stage payments

If stage payments are reliant on a surveyor visiting the site, they may need notice. That may mean taking a flyer and asking them in advance of the stage being reached. But don’t, on any account, let them come before you’ve actually got to the stage.

Check on site security

Insurance will pay for stolen or damaged materials to be replaced or put right. But it won’t pay for the time lost and a bad break-in could set you back weeks. Get a lock-up. Make sure that all moveable items are safely put away. Keep the security fences up. Take valuables home if possible. Unwrap and de-crate saleable items.

Arrange approved contractors

Work within the highway or to public sewers needs to be carried out by an approved contractor. Most authorities have lists of approved contractors but there are often less than ten to each area and it can prove difficult to get onto their schedule. They are also expensive. Make the arrangements well in advance.

Site services

You’ll have arranged for quotations for a supply of electricity, gas and water at the earlier stages of the build. Water will be on site from the outset. Electricity and gas might not come in until the later stages. But you’ll need to gear them up for the supply and to make sure that you have all of the necessary meter boxes and ducting in place.

Keep abreast of the cash-flow

Most self-build projects show a healthy margin at the end. But that doesn’t always translate to a positive cash-flow and if you don’t get the right finance or your stage payments aren’t set up right, you could run out of cash part way through the job. Plan the cash-flow and identify where you’ll be running short. Plan purchases to take the maximum credit. Never get to the end of the week without having the money available for labour and if it looks likely, warn them well in advance so that it doesn’t come as a shock.

Keep accounts

Always keep receipts and enter them up each evening. That way you’ll not be at a loss to remember what they were for a few months down the line. Clearly list the recoverable VAT. It’ll save you time later on and make it quicker to get your VAT reclaim in.

10 months and £135,000: How We Did It

Jason and Sarah Orme share their self-build story

Being almost too aware of the potential mistakes and dangers of self-build projects going wrong through my role as Editor on H&R magazine, when my wife, Sarah, and I decided to build our own home I was ultra-cautious to avoid any of the pitfalls that can cause a project to go off the rails. As this was our first self-build project and we (like all self-builders) felt we had a lot to lose, I ensured that the design, while catering to our needs, was not too ambitious. I knew that intricate architectural details would automatically add £1,000s to builders’ quotes; and I knew that problems on site were more likely to be caused by difficult details rather than straight lines. I also decided to contract out the materials supply for the exterior part of the project to a package company more experienced in self-build projects than myself: it ensured a regular supply of materials and no excuses for the builders to jump ship — and when I took over the interior specification, I made absolutely sure that everybody had everything when they needed it. I also consulted with the contractors to ensure that they were happy with what I was purchasing, and comfortable with installing it.

I visited site at least three times a week and my builders, chosen through recommendation by the local NHBC inspector, were fabulous. I went out of my way to ensure they were happy and initially employed them on a shell-only contract, with the promise of more work if the project set off on the right foot. As the project began to draw to a close, naturally the budget began to get tight — and as a result we decided that some DIY was essential and we did all of the decorating ourselves, saving (we estimate) around £5,000.

Despite that saving, we ended up spending about £10,000 over our initial (loose) £135,000 budget, largely on unforeseen landscaping costs and upping the specification of interior products, such as flooring and bathrooms — and moving in about two months later than planned, although that was largely down to the project slowing down significantly as we finished off the little bits. We felt happy that nothing had gone seriously wrong and although our mortgage is perhaps £10,000 higher than we intended, we count the project a success.

Read more about Jason Orme's Self-build...

Further reading:

• How to Stick to Your Budget
• Six Key Stages to a Stress Free Project
• Who Should Project Manage?