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As per one of my other posts, we will be relocating in the near future to Welsh boarders area.
Is the romantic notion of building your own house worth it? Does it work out more expensive than buying an 'off the shelf' property?
We would be looking at a 4 bed size house, nothing huge or 'Grand Design' just a bit more characterful than all clone new builds.
Thanks
Yes. Could be cheaper could be more. Don’t underestimate how much work is involved.
You need to want to ride your bike, you <i>really</i> need to want to build a house. On the upside when it’s done you can ride your bike again.
best thing I ever did. But lots of work (11mths @ 5-6 days a week)
Cost quite a bit less for a big house than buying from the market would have done
The best bit is you get to design your own house how you want to live in it, not moulded by how houses designed by Barrats or someone from 1875 wanted it.
as above you have to WANT to do it. It's not far removed from my day job so was able to use some of my skillz to help things run smoothly. There's not a lot of room to be a whimsical fantasist about things. You do have to be practical, pragmatic, and methodical. Well, you dont really, but if you're none of those things you're going to end up on one of those TV programs miles over budget and 4 years late.
Must be hard to do it cheaper than the big house builders with their economies of scale and complete disregard for quality.
You will be able to build something better for sure but I wouldn't be trying to do it from a cost perspective.
It's the land cost that is killing the self build venture for many. An individual plot is what it is, individual, house builders buy larger plots and get the land cheap. I'd love to do it and have more contacts than many to make it happen bit o can' find the land.
Bear - they only do it to maximise profit. They know a nice 4 bedroom house might go for £250k in a certain area. They could build 10 great modern energy efficient, light, spacious houses with nice gardens on a plot for £200k and make £50k perhoise so £500k profit. Instead they build 15 houses cramped up together with no parking, crap gardens, poor quality construction with small windows and rooms (why make 4 big bedrooms when we can cram 5 pokey ones in and charge another £30k?) for £125k each and sell for the same amount (because people are suckered in to thinking new houses are better and worth more) making £125k each and make £1.875m.
But you can build your own nice house as in the first example for £200k, saving you £50k and getting a better house for cheaper. Even if the land costs a bit more you should be able to build a nice house for the same price you’d pay for one of the crappy Barrett type crap holes.
We are definitely exploring the idea, as it may well be achievable in budget.
Where is the best place to find land?
I know there was a thread on here a few months back but I can’t find it now...
Where is the best place to find land?
Buy two adjacent 15 year old Barratt homes and pull them down as they're practically worthless
Well worth buying a copy of this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Housebuilders-Bible-12-best-selling-building/dp/1911346059/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521977652&sr=8-1&keywords=home+builders+bible
The costings will give you a good guide. For us building worked out significantly cheaper and we got what we wanted (open plan, dedicated bike room etc) however we already owned the land. We also had some battles with planning authority - so don't underestimate how difficult it can be!
Well worth the fight. Also - how hands-on are you? Significant savings can be made depending on how practical you are.
Would be worth it just for not having to deal with the developers.
We got lucky with our Barratt home, it wasn't the full blown horror story you sometimes hear about with new builds, but nonetheless every little cock up, bodged snagging repair or general display of incompetence or not-giving-a-shit from Barratt was accompanied with the constant thought of just how much profit they had probably made selling us an identi-kit white shoebox in a field between two motorways and an airport...
Not bitter though... 😉