Quick Fire Guide To Building Your Own Home

It might sound like a wild project, but more and more people are building their own homes. Often the first thing you will need is a piece of land with the right planning permission. Buying land and building your own home is one of the best investments you can make. You will be making an asset that will hold it’s value forever, and the land it is on will also become worth more too. 

So how do you get started with building your own home?

Photo by Milivoj Kuhar on Unsplash

Site

The site that your house will be built on is going to play the most important part for you. You have to make sure that the area is safe to live on. Most people aren't qualified to undertake all of the checks and then build the house themselves. You will, however, be able to act as your own contractor if you are comfortable doing so. This will be a time investment but is worth it for the end result. 

The site will need to be cleared, so your first step will be to hire the right people and the right vehicles to clear the site. Grab hire, and a crew will be top of the list, along with portaloos and other comfort things. 

Foundations

There will be a trench dug to make the space for the foundations, and a foundation specialist can help you get this right. Other structures will be built for footing, and it will all need to be waterproofed well as they will be bare for a short while. 

Plumbing and Electrics

If you have one of these skills, then you will cut some of the cost considerably. The pipes that are laid at this point will be covered by concrete, so if you make a mistake, it will be a costly one. The electrics will run through metal conduits and concrete too. 

Concrete

The house slab will go down now. Hiring a contractor to install the slab foam board insulation and the 4-inch minimum gravel base. A plastic vapour barrier will go on top of the gravel followed by a wire mesh reinforcement. The concrete layer will be poured over all of the other layers. Giving a solid foundation. 

Framing, Siding and Roofing

Now the foundations are down, the bones of the home will start to be put in place. This happens very quickly, and if you are using a contractor, they will have multiple crews working at the same time. The windows and doors will take shape now too. The shell will be completed. 

Plumbing and Electrics - Part 2

All of the inside pipework and electrics will start being put in place now. If you are having a chimney put in it will also be built-in now. Once all of the rough-ins are done, it will be time for the brickwork. 

Drywall

After the bricks are done, drywall will be added. Many people choose to do this themselves. There are many step-by-step guides for drywalling. This is where it will begin to look like a home. 

Interior

Sockets, light fittings, and cabinets will be placed at this point. All of the design flourishes will also start being put in place now. 

Finishing

If you are a painter and decorator, then you can now have a lot of fun with you blank canvass. If not, you will get the joy of picking what will be on the walls, without the work involved. Counter tops will also now be fitted too. 

Flooring

Once there is less footfall, the flooring will be installed. If you have chosen carpet or tiles, then you want as few people with boots on walking on it as possible. Over a large dumpster for all of the debris you have. 

Garden

The final piece of the puzzle is the garden. And you will want something to match the quality of the home you have built. So work with a landscape professional to create something that works for you. 

The creative freedom you have when building your own home is unrivalled. And it can be the most enjoyable and stressful project you’ll ever undertake - but it will always be worth it in the end.