Building your own home

Before starting your build you have to consider what type of home you want to build, including its size and the materials it'll be built from.

Once you have a rough idea of how big your house will be you need to buy a plot of land that's big enough for it.

Although you may have an idea of how your house will look in your head, always hire an architect and design your home with them.

You can't get a standard mortgage when building your own home. You need to get a special mortgage designed for self-builds.

Before you can build your home you need to get permission from the council in the form of planning permission and a building warrant.

Once you're ready to start building your home you must decide who'll build it for you. This could be a single building company or a number of different contractors, or you could choose to do some of the building yourself.

It's up to you to make sure your home is connected to the standard utility services.

It's important to make sure your build is fully insured with both site insurance and a structural warranty, in case something goes wrong.

Once your house has been built you can claim back VAT on some of the materials you bought.