The Benefits of a Self Build Home and Different Ways of Self Building.

Building Plots For Sale recognise that there are usually two main ways of getting a house, firstly the people who buy their house from one of the big volume house builders but also those who decide to take the plunge and build their home themselves for their family. The advantage of building your own home is that normally people can put their DIY skills to the test and usually build a fantastic home where great care and considerate has been taken in every detail of the design and build, It is usually these houses which are classed as "green" and environmentally friendly. The main benefit of these homes for the owner is that they are tailor made and therefore you are always happy with the end result. The same cannot be said for a house which is classed as "off the shelf" from the big house builders as the rooms do not always fit requirements, they tend to be expensive for what they are and sometimes owners complain about the workmanship involved. This would not happen if you were undertaking the project yourself.

More people tend to be building their houses than before because it does not seem to be as much of a daunting task as it once was and also many people recognise the cost benefits. However the main reason that people do not tend to build their dream home is the lack of good quality building plots for sale and land for sale. You often hear of self builders talk about their difficulty in finding and buying their plot, some people take years of looking around to find their ideal building plots for sale or land for sale and many simply give up and renovate the house that they are already in. It is simply a case of not enough building plots for sale and land for sale in their chosen area. If land was more readily available then the estimated 20,000 self builders in this country every year would greatly increase.

Therefore if you find that you can identify with the scenario above then we at buildingplotsforsale.org can help you. We will search for your ideal building plot in whichever area you prefer, often finding plots for people before they have even be offered to the open market.

The self build market has been growing steadily over the last thirty years for many reasons. Firstly TV programmes such as Grand Designs giving people a look at how it can all be done. Secondly people are realising how cost effective building your own home can be. Thirdly you get a home which is tailor made just for you which is priceless. The only hurdle for people is that they will have to search and search for the right piece of land. It has been speculated that self builds would treble if land was more readily available. In other European countries people self build a lot more than we do in this country, in fact almost half of all homes built in Europe are self build homes. America, New Zealand and Australia have a higher proportion than the UK too.

Benefits of Self Building

1. Easier way of getting onto the property ladder, prices can be much less than big house builders.
2. Self Build homes are greener.
3. Self Build homes are brilliantly and innovatively designed.
4. Self Build homes are built to a better standard, better housing stock on the market if more people self built.
Different Ways to Self Build

1. Between the Self Builder and a Contractor. This is usually the case, the self builder buys a plot of land, hires an architect and gets planning. A contractor is then hired to carry out the building work. Costs can be reduced by the owner perhaps doing some of the painting or garden but it is the contractor who does the bulk of the work. It is estimated that around a quarter to a third of self builds are done this way.

2. Self Build Communities. This is where a group of people come together with their skills and build a collection of houses. Most of the group will be within the construction industry and they all work on each others houses. Some of the groups are formed by the builders themselves. Others are formed by housing associations or agencies. Over the last twenty years about 100 projects have been built in this way. It is normal for about 10 to 20 people build 10 to 20 houses. It very cost effective to build homes this way.

3. Organised by the self builder who manages sub-contractors. This way is favoured by those on a tight budget. It is similar to the first way in that the self builder finds a building plot for sale or land for sale and gets planning. However in this case the owner works full time on the project or will work on the project as much as they can. They employ the relevant sub contractors such as plumbers and electricians but they oversee the work and make sure that they have all relevant tools etc….Normally self builders who do it this way have a very hands on approach to the build and often get involved. The savings doing the build this way can vary as it all depends how involved they become in the project. It is normally around 20-30% cheaper doing it this way than hiring a contractor like in scenario 1. It is perhaps half to two thirds of self builds are built this way.

4. Kit Home Providers. Again as in other scenarios the owner finds the land for sale or building plot for sale and then works alongside a kit home provider. These sort of housing projects are on the increase. Once the owner decides which kit home they want then they work alongside the designer and then they design their house and go for planning. The kit company supplies and erects the house. Sometimes they do some of the internal work too but sometimes the owner does this to reduce costs. It is estimated that about a tenth of self builds are built this way although they are becoming more popular in that they are erected really quickly and this holds appeal.
http://www.buildingplotsforsale.org