You’re well on your way to building your new home and now it’s time to decide on a design, what it looks like. You can choose a package supplier who will literally design and build your home for you, an architecture company or another house designer. At the end of the day, make sure to choose someone who understands what you need and is able to produce a product that fits with what you had in mind and fits your budget as well.
Getting in touch with the planners in the early stages is the best way to figure out whether your project is possible and thus saving you from investing tons of money and wasting your time. Some local authority planning departments even offer advice prior to your application. This will help you get an idea of what your planning officer will and won’t accept in terms of general style, size and any materials stipulations. It’s a great way to give you the best chance of getting planning permission when it comes to submitting your application.
You can choose to use a package company to guide you through the design and build process; this is a good idea especially if you’re a first time builder. These companies usually offer standard houses with different built in options as well as totally custom designs, tailored to you. Other self-builders prefer to use an architect and main contractor – most like to project manage the build themselves, keeping a close eye on labor and materials so money can be used efficiently and saved where possible. The architecture company or package supplier usually favors a particular construction system, like brick and block or timber frame but don’t be afraid to voice your concerns and never shy away from sharing your ideas on specific building methods – this is your home, after all.
