How a house building company can make a self-build easier?

With a huge growth in the demand for housing over recent decades and a lack of individual, quality homes on the market, more and more people are considering the self-build option to have a home built exactly as they wish.

But instead of taking on the leg work of sourcing tradesmen, materials and project managing yourself, finding a house building company who can deal with planning, design and the build itself while ensuring your specifications are met, can make the process much smoother and efficient.

Here’s how a full-service building company like Vernacular Homes, can help you create a home that exceeds your expectations:

1. Keeping you on budget

A home is the biggest investment most people will ever make. As well as being a wonderful place to live, it should also be seen as an asset providing security for the future.

Keeping a build within budget is as much in the building company’s interests as it is the client’s. An unfinished or substandard build due to a poorly planned budget will result in a very dissatisfied customer and reflect badly on the business.

A specialist company will work with your budget, suggesting alternative solutions which could save costs without compromising on design. They will be able to guide you through the many elements, materials and variables involved in a build, drawing on their experience to help you make the right choices. The fee to hire such a company will likely be outweighed by the savings in terms of time, stress and any expense associated with uninformed decisions or mistakes along the way made by the self-builder.

2. Managing the planning process

Planning and building regulations are in place for good reason, ensuring any renovation or building work is safe, built to the correct standards and not detrimental to the surrounding area.

They can, however, impose more complications on the tricky undertaking of building a house. For a novice self-builder, the process can seem like a series of confusing jargon and hoops to jump through, making the process of achieving a dream home, a nightmare!

Bespoke builders are used to dealing with the planning process and will have good contacts among building designers and local authority personnel. Different local authorities have slightly different restrictions and requirements; an experienced house builder will be able to advise on the dos and don’ts to help give your application as much chance of success as possible.

3. Designing and planning

A full-service company will be able to assist and support on all elements of the architectural design.

They will understand the planning rules and restrictions within your area, navigating you through the whole process. They will be able to create a design and suggest any necessary adaptations to ensure local authority requirements are met, but most importantly, that your aims and dreams for the build are brought to fruition.

Without the expertise of a specialist company, self-builders may find this element of the process takes more time as the experience and knowledge to navigate and problem-solve is not in their skillset.

4. Ensuring proximity of utilities

Location, location, location – the old adage is as true now as ever. Being close to local schools, shops, transport links, countryside – whichever of these are important to you – must be considered carefully when choosing your plot. There are so many elements to consider – the self-builder may not know what they don’t know, but a seasoned house builder will have encountered them on previous builds within their portfolio.

The location should also take into account the proximity to important utilities such as water, electricity, gas and so on. All of these are important considerations that impact upon the cost and the level of difficulty of building on certain plots.

Again, a good bespoke house builder in Kent will be able to handle all of these issues efficiently while contracting or sub-contracting essential plumbing, electrical and other trades work using trusted, reliable and competent partners.

5. Interior design, fixtures and fittings – the final touches

These are the finishing touches where you can really be creative and add a personal touch. They are an integral part of the overall look of your build and a bespoke building company will include these items in their costs.

However, this stage is not just about the look of your home but also the practicality. As well as choosing the right colours and materials, you need fixtures and fittings that work with the way you live your daily life.

Fixtures are the items in the house that are deemed to be fixed, perhaps permanently, and won’t be moved or changed around. Fixtures include, but are not limited to, heating systems, lights, built-in wardrobes, kitchen units and others.

Fittings are items such as free-standing appliances like fridges and freezers, sofas, chairs, curtains paintings and more, which are more easily changed or moved around.

The options are endless and can perhaps be overwhelming for the self-builder. A good house-building company will have access to professional interior designers who can help make these many choices easier to negotiate and find the ideal look for your new home.