The Metrotile Guide to Self-Building – Research and Planning

Most of us have probably watched shows like Grand Designs and fantasised about building our own homes. Not only does self-building give you the chance to have everything exactly the way you want it, it also means you could save a small fortune.

But is all the time and stress of self-building really worth it? In the first part of our three-part guide to self-building, we take a look at some of the most crucial things you’ll need to think about when researching and planning the building of your dream.

Materials

What is your house going to be made of? Bricks, wood, straw bales – the options are endless. Do you want standard windows, or custom-made ones? Radiators or underfloor heating? Solid wood floors or polished concrete? Each of these decisions needs to be made and each will have knock-on effects for the rest of the build.

If you’re going to be doing most of the work, make sure you pick materials you can sensibly cope with yourself. Metrotile’s lightweight roofing materials are popular with self-builders because they’re up to seven times lighter than traditional alternatives. This makes them much easier to handle and quicker to install, which could make a huge difference when you’re sitting on a half-built roof, struggling to get your building wind and watertight before the next shower starts!

Tradespeople

How involved do you want to be with the day-to-day building work? Are you going to be getting your hands dirty, or just project managing? Either way, unless you really are a jack of all trades you’re likely to need some tradespeople eventually. Plumbers, electricians, kitchen fitters – you’ll need to research them all, get quotes, compare prices and check references. Fail to do this properly and you could get stung with excessive bills and/or substandard work.

Money

Unless you’re super rich, chances are you’ll be funding your build with a mortgage. For self-builders, mortgages come with their own set of rules.  Your bank may only release the money to you in instalments and require you to hit certain points in the build – such as getting it wind and watertight – before they’ll hand over the next chunk of cash.

Make sure you’re aware of any government incentives you might be able to claim. For example, new build houses are usually eligible for a hefty VAT refund – often in the region of £10,000 – taken from the cost of your building materials. There are also several schemes to help with the cost of making houses more environmentally friendly, such as the government’s Green Deal and Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs). So do your research and make sure you’re not missing out!

To see just how straightforward installing a Metrotile roofing system can be, please take a look at our series of free video tutorials guiding you through the whole process. And for general advice or to find out more, give us a call on01249 658 514 or drop us an email today!