Self build - to do list

JOS85

Hi all,

Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

We’re about to look for planning on a site we inherited. We have a clear idea of what the home we want to live in will look like externally. We are in the process of trying to engage and architect to help us with the interior and we have also spoken to an engineer who will help us with the planning etc.

Just wondering from those on here that have had experience in a self build. Is there any checklist you’d run through that would be a good guide line? A to do list even?

Also when would be a good time to apply for the mortgage?

I know this all may seem a little remedial but any help or advice would be hugely appreciated.

RedXIV

I'm in a similar position to yourself, except we're interested in a site that's for sale rather than inheriting one.

I've tried to come up with plans online using home.by.me but I am able to acknowledge my weaknesses and I'm not good at freestyling plans. I think you've the right idea, enough checklists and to-do lists will be very helpful to guide the build.

I don't have any to offer I'm afraid. But I can say that we applied for our mortgage and got approved in principle only a week or two ago which is useful in that it gives us an iron clad budget to stay within and hopefully a 6-month timeline to get the build started. Def make sure you apply for Help to Buy ASAP anyway!

I'll be following this with interest!

Gumbo

RedXIV wrote: »

I'm in a similar position to yourself, except we're interested in a site that's for sale rather than inheriting one.

I've tried to come up with plans online using home.by.me but I am able to acknowledge my weaknesses and I'm not good at freestyling plans. I think you've the right idea, enough checklists and to-do lists will be very helpful to guide the build.

I don't have any to offer I'm afraid. But I can say that we applied for our mortgage and got approved in principle only a week or two ago which is useful in that it gives us an iron clad budget to stay within and hopefully a 6-month timeline to get the build started. Def make sure you apply for Help to Buy ASAP anyway!

I'll be following this with interest!

6 month time line which started a week or 2 ago is not a lot of time to get started!

Engage an architect.
Prepare plans, agree plans and engage engineer for drainage and prepare drainage.
Lodge plans, from that date it’s a minimum of 15 weeks before you can lay a brick and that’s assuming you have no issues such as FI etc

Best of luck but get moving

RedXIV

Gumbo wrote: »

6 month time line which started a week or 2 ago is not a lot of time to get started!

Engage an architect.
Prepare plans, agree plans and engage engineer for drainage and prepare drainage.
Lodge plans, from that date it’s a minimum of 15 weeks before you can lay a brick and that’s assuming you have no issues such as FI etc

Best of luck but get moving

It would be faster if I could get the architect to reply to me I've already paid a deposit, including fees for site tests to a local one who's familiar with the site already. Just finding it impossible to get the dialogue going.

looksee

One thing I discovered was that architect/engineers to supervise the building of the property will not take on plans done by another architect. So make sure that your architect is suitably qualified to follow through.

The most frequent response to enquiries was 'we are not taking on work at the moment' or something along the lines of - we will do it but get in line, we can give you an appointment in two months. If you find someone free and available to go immediately you would need to check them out very carefully - how far can they take the project.

JOS85

This is where we are at also. We have spoken to the engineer who wants us to send on all relevant info and anything we have on the house. So we want an architect to draw the plans, make use of the space as much as possible and then send the plans on to him.

At what point would it be good to apply for a mortgage? It should be straight forward as a mortgage application goes, we’re both in long term employment, have approx 40% of build cost, FTB and would have no loans, rent or outstanding debts.

dannestor13

Hey there.