Lessons learnt in the self-build process

There’s no such thing as dipping your toe into a self-build project. Embarking on this process can be a rollercoaster and a steep learning curve all at once. The financial commitment, and huge amount of planning involved can be off-putting, especially as more self-builders are looking to build an efficient home that reduces unnecessary energy consumption.

With hindsight it’s easy to look back and reflect on the humongous highs but our self-builders are ready to reveal those lingering lows on their self-build projects.

1/ I’ve learnt to overcome the lows

If anyone knows all about the highs and lows of self-building, it’s James Mason, a self-builder from North Yorkshire who has completed two self-build projects since 2015. He currently resides in his second home, a timber frame construction self-build.

“One thing I have learned (and continue to) is that a self-build is never short of challenges and blockers,” he says.

“Everything can be going to plan, and on budget, and suddenly you find yourself navigating through delays that you hadn’t anticipated. Our plumber was ‘hit and miss’, he was called out to other jobs and abandoned work on our self-build. One thing to bear in mind as a self-builder…you have to be firm.

“Navigating our way through a global pandemic was our biggest challenge to date. Three lockdowns in and we found ourselves living in a rental home which was setting us back almost £800 a month – costs we hadn’t planned for.”

2/ I’ve learnt to prepare for the financial stress

Gareth Sullivan’s award-winning Steep Wedge House has scooped several accolades for its commitment to energy efficiency and the use of low embodied energy materials. The project, like any self-build, wasn’t always plain sailing, admits Gareth. He says: “The financial aspect of the build was stressful at times, and I’ll never forget when we started doing the groundworks and we discovered a manhole. I remember going home and not being able to say anything to my wife Barbara. I was so worried; we just didn’t know what we’d find. It could have been game over, but I met the council the next day to discover it was a redundant manhole.”

But the highs of this build ultimately outweigh any negatives. The Steep Wedge House, a great example of designing for comfort, received positive feedback in the local community who were delighted to see the reinvigoration of a disused piece of wasteland.

Gareth advises: “Be decisive and organised. Try not to change your mind too much as this can affect the cost of the build. Be disciplined with your budget and set aside portions of cash to each build ‘package’.”

3/ I’ve learnt that some things are out of our control

Any self-builder knows that one thing they don’t have control over is…the weather.

Aoife and Lar’s modern Georgian farmhouse self-build project in Ireland experienced delays due to storms.
“The weather in January 2019 was stormy and that caused some delays plus our plasterer let us down last minute and so we had to find someone quickly, reveals Aoife.

“Cutting and laying insulation in the freezing cold has to be a low point but we knew getting our hands dirty would save us cash. That said, there were plenty of highlights of the project. We visited the site every day and seeing new additions – especially progress on the staircase was so encouraging and spurred us on.”
 

4/ We’ve learnt to manage our expectations

Justin Metcalfe and Catherine Buttery created their family home on a well-sought after plot on Graven Hill in Bicester, which was offering a range of self-build and custom build plots.

Between June to September 2018, Justin and Catherine chased quotes, manufacturers and found tradespeople, something Justin describes as a “constant battle” due to the quality control element and the wildly different prices provided by tradespeople.

Justin reveals: “It has been a learning process. Although I am an architect, I had never designed a residential property as I specialise in commercial. I began researching what other self-builders were doing and looked at current trends. Be prepared to do a lot of research, talk to lots of suppliers and see where you can save money.”

5/ We’ve learnt to be confident and communicate with contractors

Building from scratch is a satisfying and fulfilling experience for some self-builders like Hannah Pike who built her upside down house. But there were plenty of learning curves and they discovered that visiting their site as much as possible helped.

Hannah reveals: “Visit your site as often as possible, chat to your contractors and provide encouragement. Communication is so important. By being there you are on hand to explain details that could otherwise go unmissed; we spotted several things by being present. Try to take on as much as you can. It’s not as difficult as you imagine so don’t be put off. We managed all the main connections, put over 80 reclaimed railway sleepers into place in the garden and replaced cracked pipes, we’ve gained so much confidence through the process!”

6/ I’ve learnt to slow down

Gareth Boyd completed his Scandinavian timber clad self-build in 2019 but realised his hasty approach at times resulted in avoidable mistakes.
“I’d definitely take my time a bit more if I could do this again. We rushed a few decisions to keep things moving and made a few mistakes along the way but it’s part of the process. I would highly recommend building your own home, but actually managing the process yourself definitely isn't for everyone. It is incredibly time consuming and stressful and unless you have flexible working hours or have someone who can help out during the day, it would be a mammoth task. Bringing in a contractor to look after it for you would definitely be a lot easier, but it does work out more expensive.”

Read an article on self-build project management and how to decide if it’s for you.

7/ I’ve learnt that sometimes it’s best to leave it to the professionals

Mulberry House is situated in 50 acres of remote farmland, 15 miles from York. It’s an impressive oak framed home with timber cladding created by couple Lucy Newton and Sam Hopkins.

Lucy tells us: “We’ve learned so much. Sam is a real perfectionist, and this has been to our advantage. Yes, there were lows – cutting through our telephone line when we installed our water pipes, and we didn’t have much of a social life in the last six months. We have worked tirelessly but it has been worth every minute.
“Do I have any regrets? I do wish we’d got more professionals in at points. Battening walls to prepare for plasterboard for three weekends in a row is tiring!”

8/ We learnt to get stuck in!

Last but not least, there was no let up for Marie and Stuart’s schedule while working on their quirky self-build in Yorkshire. Marie explains: “We did anything we could on site. We worked on insulation, decorating, accepting and scheduling deliveries, tidying up, arranging contractors and sourcing self-build materials.”

Explore Saint-Gobain’s Self Build website for valuable hints, tips, and valuable information.