THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO SELF BUILD

If you’re building your own home for the first time then there are few considerations to think about before approaching a contractor. Firstly set a sensible budget – Even if you have a fairly healthy sum to spend on your build, you’ll still want to use it widely work closely with your designer and your builder. Engage the right people – A good contractor with project management skills. Always take references and follow them up. Decide where to live – Where do you stay during your project? A lot of self-builders live on site if possible to keep costs down. Get connected early – with gas, water, electrics, phone, internet and drainage to sort out, you could have six different companies to deal with. Get costs and time lines from each, ideally before you buy the plot. Avoid money pits – the beginning of your project can be the most treacherous. Excavations and groundworks can unfold unexpected conditions that necessitate more expensive engineered solutions, such as piling. Be prepared with a soil survey to avoid any nasty surprises. Keep talking – engage from the beginning with your architect and your builder. Ask for detailed schedules and progress reports. Make yourself available to discuss issues. Protect your investment – get to grips with employer and public liability, Site insurance and structural guarantees. Reclaim the VAT – Self builds are zero-rated for VAT. For your scheme to count, it must meet the rules laid out in VAT notice 708. Basically constructing a new dwelling – with any pre-existing building being
demolished to ground floor level.

DESIGN & PLANNING

TCG have built up relationships with a number of architects who have great expertise within their fields. We will introduce you to them and assist in explaining your specific requirements. Good design is key to the end result. We also take pride in achieving full planning in several green belt locations by cleaver design and experience in planning guidelines. Despite changes to the planning laws green belt is still a difficult location to achieve the size and design you require and therefore a good understanding and experience can save years of disappointment and expense.

Thomas Charles Grant Ltd will lead you through the process of creating a bespoke home. We will discuss everything you need to know to carry out a successful project. We can provide detailed information on the steps to the self build process, budgets & finance. Finding the ideal location, designing your dream home, timber structural systems, masonry structural systems, heating options, project management, final checks and troubleshooting