Self-build for beginners PART 13 PRE-CONSTRUCTION GUIDE

Make sure that your insurance, health and safety, build and cost schedules and all documents are all in place before kick-off

- MARK STEVENSON

The secret of a well-run build is starting on the right foot. So the pre-start phase of a building project is the most important — it's where successful builds are born. But due to either inexperience or impatience, lots of self-builders start too early and with half-baked plans, their builds soon become derailed. Fortunately, with a bit of good planning and little hard work, this is avoidable by making sure you have the key pre-start tasks under control.

FINALISE THE BUILD BUDGET

Whether you like it or not, noney makes the wheels of self-building turn and if you don't have enough, your build will eventually grind to a halt. It's not unusual for projects to take a couple of years to get off the ground and what might first have seemed to be a healthy budget could become a challenge once inflation has been factored in. So the first step in the pre-start phase is to validate the build costs and make sure your budget is deliverable.

The best course of action is to tie down a project specification and source quotations from contractors and suppliers for all the key areas of work. Sounds easy, but with almost limitless choice, it's easy to go overboard by incorporating the latest fads. Do your research and differentiate the nice-to-haves from the must-haves so you know where to compromise if costs come in higher than expected. If you've not yet visited one of the Homebuilding 8 Renovating shows, now's the time as you'll find all the latest technologies on display along with the expert advice needed to know what to do with it. You can register for your tickets at: www.homebuildingshow.co.uk.