For most people building their own home is a distant dream that never really materialises. However, it need not be seen as an unviable alternative to the traditional pattern of property purchase and it need not be limited to mere fantasy.

Building your own home is unequivocally challenging and the methods vary immensely with regards to personal involvement, planning and financial outlay. It is however, an incredibly satisfying and fulfilling process that can produce a building that is as close to your idea of perfection as your imagination will allow, literally the home of your dreams.

Financial matters

Building a home from scratch can essentially cost as much as you want it to, or as much as your bank account will permit. The idea though is that it can actually be cheaper to build a home to suite your personal taste than if you had bought a property from a traditional development builder.

If you are in a position where you can put in a lot of time and labour and act as the project manager, the profit-margin can double and even treble. A hands-on approach, with some real patience, determination and a willingness to learn, can help produce a property that is not only your dream home, but a financial dream in terms of asset value compared to monetary investment.

Quality control

Tradesmen are of course, experienced and highly capable, and have the ability to do a great job with incredible attention to detail and painstaking accuracy. The question is though, do they have the motivation? Or, are they going to do a cost effective, acceptable job that enables them to be paid for their troubles and ready to get started on another project they have taken on come Monday?

The answer of course is that it depends on the company, the individual, the amount they are being paid, and a host of other things that can be out of your control. The reality is that there is no guarantee, unless you do something for yourself, that you will get the type of dedication and perfectionism that you are searching for.

Profit motivated builders, as they of course have to be as they work within the walls of a capitalist confinement, are the antithesis of the self builder, who is motivated purely by the burning desire for a high level of quality in his end result. Of course builders take pride in their work and in most cases rely on good reputations, but rest assured, there is nobody more bothered about attending to your projects needs and requirements than you.

Personal capabilities

And so follows the question you must ask yourself, do you have the sufficient drive and ambition to make this a success?
If so, and you are certain of your commitment to the cause, impossible is nothing, as the slogan dictates. However, one must not get carried away with empowering language and take a realistic look at their own individual strengths and weaknesses.

Whilst personal skill and effort is paramount to cost reduction for your venture, acknowledging early on where professional help will be required can prove to be equally as cost effective, not to mention time effective.

Property value maximisation

In terms of appealing to the big spenders, self-build properties are getting increasingly popular as the buying public come to realise that these homes not only benefit from higher specification than others, but the materials used are often of a higher standard, the attention to detail is second to none, and the end product itself is going to be 100% unique. This is always a strong selling point in a market that is saturated with new properties that are carbon copies of one another.

It is worth visiting show homes for new development estates as professional developers invariably do a lot of research into the preferences of their target customers. This will be able to pick up tips with regard to building a house that although unique, will still be appealing in terms of style and specification, to the masses.

Construction should always be planned with the buying public in mind if you want to maximise potential resale value. Design to your personal tastes and needs by all means, but try not to do so in a manner that will ostracise large sections of potential buyers when you come to sell.

The level of satisfaction

The sense of pride and pleasure after achieving something as monumental as building your very own home is beyond measure.

Showing your friends and family around a new home is satisfying, if you have done a place up it is even more so. But, to show people around a building you have built from scratch and for the most part (or at least a large chunk of it) with your own bare hands, really will give you an unrivalled buzz.

Also, on top of the pride, there is the practical advantage of living in your very own purpose built home which is tailored to your personal needs, demands and lifestyle.

No other property can compare to one you have designed and constructed yourself, there is no other way to ensure you get everything you ever wanted from a home, exactly how you had dreamed it.