Self-build: 13 things to do before you start onsite

Once your planning permission is obtained, it’s time to pave the way for your project to begin, but much of it starts before you’ve even broken ground. Mark Stevenson shares his expert tips

- Mark Stevenson

There is no better feeling than the euphoria of securing planning permission to build your own home, especially if the road has been long and tortuous. Unfortunately, this brush with the bureaucracy of our planning system is only the beginning. Getting the build underway once permission is granted is no easy task and needs a good dose of determination to tackle everything that’s involved. Taking the right first steps is key and therefore the prestart phase of any building project is without doubt the most important — it’s where successful builds are born. Regrettably, the work and time involved in getting everything sorted to allow the building process to begin properly is often overlooked and underestimated, especially by first-time self-builders. Fortunately, while there’s lots to do, what needs to be done isn’t difficult and with a bit of careful planning and a clear understanding of the process itself you’ll soon be on site watching the build progress.

1 Setting up your team

Putting together the right team is vital to ensure your project starts properly and progresses smoothly. There are five key areas you’ll need to set up. Firstly, planning permission often comes with a range of conditions that will need to be discharged, so getting a planning professional on board who will identify any specialist consultants needed to help discharge these conditions will be key.