The "Sunday Times" Building Your Own Home

Introduction 6; What is self-building? How is it different to buying a house? Choosing your level of involvement; 1 Budget and Finance 12; How your budget varies according to build management and level of finish; Additional costs to consider; Working out budgets for a new build, a conversion and a renovation; Typical pitfalls; How to raise finance; Managing the spend; VAT, insurance, stamp duty and capital gains tax; 2 Finding The Perfect Plot 42; How to find land; Who can help; Pinpointing potential; Replacing vs renovating buildings; Assessing restrictions; Plot purchase; The legal process; Planning permission; 3 Design 80; Architects; Package companies; CAD design; Interpreting plans; Designing the house you need; Flexible options; Individual room planning; The garage; Checklist; 4 Sound, Lighting, Security 120; Planning for home automation; Lighting: now or later? Building in security; Hidden extras; Allowing for contingencies; Building regulations; Main areas to consider; 5 Contractors and Project Management 140; Project management vs DIY; Employing tradespeople; Accredited bodies; How to find contractors; Legal, health and safety issues; Hiring equipment; Buying materials; 6 Planning the Build Stages 168; Working out the schedule; Stages of a self-build; Managing costs; Information flow; Coping with changes; Examples of real-life building schedules; 7 Construction Methods: The House Main Frame 188; The timber frame house; Post and beam; Brick and block; New building methods; Environmentally-friendly building; 8 Construction Methods: Inside and Outside 212; Foundation types; Getting services to site and connected; Temporary service options; Roof types and restrictions; Wall types and construction; Floor types; Doors, windows, Interiors; Exterior work: drives, walls, sheds, paths, landscaping; 9 Surviving the Build 258; Where to live during the build; Storage; Moving costs; Dealing with problems; Typical pitfalls and how to avoid them; 10 Case Studies 272; Case histories of six types of self-build project; Budget build; Mid-build; Top-end build (hexagon); Beam and block; Environmentally friendly; Renovation; Index 298