What should you know before starting a self-build

Building your own home is a huge project to take on. Not only will it be time-consuming, but if you’re creating your dream home it’ll probably be costly. It’s a good idea before starting such a project to be completely prepared for any issues that could arise.

Insurance

Many things can slip your mind when you’re amongst the rush and excitement of starting your new build. Things like room size, design features and interior materials are the exciting details that can take priority over necessary paperwork. Insurance is one of the things that might just slip your mind. Your new build might just be one of the biggest expenditures in your lifetime, so going without an insurance policy is a risky business if you want your investment to be protected. Public liability and employer’s insurance will cover any injuries on site, and you should also consider getting insurance for the valuable tools you use. You can often find these insurance policies integrated into a complete self-build insurance package.

Site Surveys

When it comes to your building foundations, having a site survey is key in enabling you to budget effectively. Soil and ground types can be unpredictable and, if not budgeted for, could eat into your budget. With a top quality site survey, you’ll have a better understanding of the foundations required and therefore foreseeable costs.

Building Costs

Everyone likes to assume that they have enough money in the pot to create their dream home. However, it can be difficult to calculate the total cost of your self-build accurately. Arranging a detailed estimate from your project manager is a good way of laying all of the expenditures on the table to give you a true estimate of costs. Be sure to budget a contingency fund for any setbacks that might arise.

Need some help costing up the foundations of your self-build project?

Below Ground are specialists in piling and underpinning and can provide you with a competitively priced service with accurate costings. Get in touch with our friendly and knowledgeable team today for a quote.