Building your own home is a life goal for many, but if you don’t plan accordingly in these 3 areas – your project can quickly snowball in the wrong direction.
1. Financing your project
When your Architect is taking the brief from you, they will ask what is your budget? We always ask this question on our first meeting prior to being appointed, we can then provide you with advice if it is achievable. The building plot will usually be the largest outlay for the project, labour costs will be the next biggest outlay followed by materials. Your architect’s fees will be between 8-10% of the construction cost; if you also want them to project manage this fee will increase. Don’t forget the otherconsultants, council fees, surveys, new access roads, landscaping and utilities and service connections can be a significant outlay depending on your location. How much your project will cost is based on the current cost per square metre/foot which can vary significantly depending on if you are working with an existing property, constructing a new-build, and your chosen specification. To achieve an accurate project costing – you will need detailed construction drawings, a detailed specification and a schedule of work – without any one of these items, a contractor will not be able to provide you with an accurate cost and your budget can escalate out of control.
When your Architect is taking the brief from you, they will ask what is your budget? We always ask this question on our first meeting prior to being appointed, we can then provide you with advice if it is achievable. The building plot will usually be the largest outlay for the project, labour costs will be the next biggest outlay followed by materials. Your architect’s fees will be between 8-10% of the construction cost; if you also want them to project manage this fee will increase. Don’t forget the otherconsultants, council fees, surveys, new access roads, landscaping and utilities and service connections can be a significant outlay depending on your location. How much your project will cost is based on the current cost per square metre/foot which can vary significantly depending on if you are working with an existing property, constructing a new-build, and your chosen specification. To achieve an accurate project costing – you will need detailed construction drawings, a detailed specification and a schedule of work – without any one of these items, a contractor will not be able to provide you with an accurate cost and your budget can escalate out of control.
2. Other consultants
There are many additional consultants and surveys you will require throughout the project, this is based on the site complexities, constraints, location and design. The consultants or surveys you require will depend on the existing site for example, if you have existing trees or utilities on site, if the site is on a slope, in open countryside, the ground conditions, if a watercourse runs through the site, if the site is in a flood zone.We identify the site constraints, and advise who else you will need to appoint within the initial project stages so you have a full overview of who needs to be involved with the project. Other consultants can include Structural Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Land Surveyors, Tree consultants, Ecologists, Drainage consultants, Eco-Consultants, Transport Consultants, Archaeologists, and Landscape Architects.
There are many additional consultants and surveys you will require throughout the project, this is based on the site complexities, constraints, location and design. The consultants or surveys you require will depend on the existing site for example, if you have existing trees or utilities on site, if the site is on a slope, in open countryside, the ground conditions, if a watercourse runs through the site, if the site is in a flood zone.We identify the site constraints, and advise who else you will need to appoint within the initial project stages so you have a full overview of who needs to be involved with the project. Other consultants can include Structural Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Land Surveyors, Tree consultants, Ecologists, Drainage consultants, Eco-Consultants, Transport Consultants, Archaeologists, and Landscape Architects.
3. Selecting your contractor & managing the build
Your chosen contractor will depend on how involved you want to be in your project.You may want a TurnKey service, or you may want to project manage yourself. Tendering your project with a detailed tender package will enable you to compare like-for-like quotes, and working with an architect and/or quantity surveyor will ensure you will obtain the relevant advice with regards to choosing the correct building contract between yourself and the contractor, and monitoring the build and contract through the construction phase. Be realistic about the time and skillset you are able to put into your project and which elements need to be undertaken by a consultant and/or main contractor and evaluate if this would be more or less cost effective. Remember – there is a reason why Grand Designs chooses to show projects where the client choses to project manage the build themselves with no experience –it is more likely for things to go wrong, and it makes great TV!
Building your own home is a life goal for many, but if you don’t plan accordingly in these 3 areas – your project can quickly snowball in the wrong direction.
1. Financing your project
When your Architect is taking the brief from you, they will ask what is your budget? We always ask this question on our first meeting prior to being appointed, we can then provide you with advice if it is achievable. The building plot will usually be the largest outlay for the project, labour costs will be the next biggest outlay followed by materials. Your architect’s fees will be between 8-10% of the construction cost; if you also want them to project manage this fee will increase. Don’t forget the otherconsultants, council fees, surveys, new access roads, landscaping and utilities and service connections can be a significant outlay depending on your location. How much your project will cost is based on the current cost per square metre/foot which can vary significantly depending on if you are working with an existing property, constructing a new-build, and your chosen specification. To achieve an accurate project costing – you will need detailed construction drawings, a detailed specification and a schedule of work – without any one of these items, a contractor will not be able to provide you with an accurate cost and your budget can escalate out of control.
When your Architect is taking the brief from you, they will ask what is your budget? We always ask this question on our first meeting prior to being appointed, we can then provide you with advice if it is achievable. The building plot will usually be the largest outlay for the project, labour costs will be the next biggest outlay followed by materials. Your architect’s fees will be between 8-10% of the construction cost; if you also want them to project manage this fee will increase. Don’t forget the otherconsultants, council fees, surveys, new access roads, landscaping and utilities and service connections can be a significant outlay depending on your location. How much your project will cost is based on the current cost per square metre/foot which can vary significantly depending on if you are working with an existing property, constructing a new-build, and your chosen specification. To achieve an accurate project costing – you will need detailed construction drawings, a detailed specification and a schedule of work – without any one of these items, a contractor will not be able to provide you with an accurate cost and your budget can escalate out of control.
2. Other consultants
There are many additional consultants and surveys you will require throughout the project, this is based on the site complexities, constraints, location and design. The consultants or surveys you require will depend on the existing site for example, if you have existing trees or utilities on site, if the site is on a slope, in open countryside, the ground conditions, if a watercourse runs through the site, if the site is in a flood zone.We identify the site constraints, and advise who else you will need to appoint within the initial project stages so you have a full overview of who needs to be involved with the project. Other consultants can include Structural Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Land Surveyors, Tree consultants, Ecologists, Drainage consultants, Eco-Consultants, Transport Consultants, Archaeologists, and Landscape Architects.
There are many additional consultants and surveys you will require throughout the project, this is based on the site complexities, constraints, location and design. The consultants or surveys you require will depend on the existing site for example, if you have existing trees or utilities on site, if the site is on a slope, in open countryside, the ground conditions, if a watercourse runs through the site, if the site is in a flood zone.We identify the site constraints, and advise who else you will need to appoint within the initial project stages so you have a full overview of who needs to be involved with the project. Other consultants can include Structural Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Land Surveyors, Tree consultants, Ecologists, Drainage consultants, Eco-Consultants, Transport Consultants, Archaeologists, and Landscape Architects.
3. Selecting your contractor & managing the build
Your chosen contractor will depend on how involved you want to be in your project.You may want a TurnKey service, or you may want to project manage yourself. Tendering your project with a detailed tender package will enable you to compare like-for-like quotes, and working with an architect and/or quantity surveyor will ensure you will obtain the relevant advice with regards to choosing the correct building contract between yourself and the contractor, and monitoring the build and contract through the construction phase. Be realistic about the time and skillset you are able to put into your project and which elements need to be undertaken by a consultant and/or main contractor and evaluate if this would be more or less cost effective. Remember – there is a reason why Grand Designs chooses to show projects where the client choses to project manage the build themselves with no experience –it is more likely for things to go wrong, and it makes great TV!
Your chosen contractor will depend on how involved you want to be in your project.You may want a TurnKey service, or you may want to project manage yourself. Tendering your project with a detailed tender package will enable you to compare like-for-like quotes, and working with an architect and/or quantity surveyor will ensure you will obtain the relevant advice with regards to choosing the correct building contract between yourself and the contractor, and monitoring the build and contract through the construction phase. Be realistic about the time and skillset you are able to put into your project and which elements need to be undertaken by a consultant and/or main contractor and evaluate if this would be more or less cost effective. Remember – there is a reason why Grand Designs chooses to show projects where the client choses to project manage the build themselves with no experience –it is more likely for things to go wrong, and it makes great TV!
