For many aspiring homeowners the opportunity to build your own house from scratch is a deeply appealing one. After all, while there is certainly a charm to a house with history, the classic Victorian or Georgian terraces weren't built to suit life today; our needs and tastes have changed in myriad ways since these houses were designed. For the interior designer and founder of Kinder Design Leo Wood and her husband Rupert Scott, director at Open Practice Architecture, when an unusual plot of land came up in south London, there was no doubt that they should snap it up and get building. Where some might see nothing more than a disused MOT garage, for this creative couple, it was an opportunity to manifest their very own grand designs. If, like Leo and Rupert, abandoned spaces, old garages and destitute plots give you a similar sense of excitement, then building your own house might be the perfect outlet for you. But there is plenty to consider before taking the plunge.
Their house, called The Coach House, is nestled at the end of a gravel pathway behind a block of street-facing terraced houses in south London. Passers-by might never know it was there. But where the typically shabby garage once sat is a contemporary, pale brick and iroko timber L-shape structure arranged around a leafy courtyard. The house is filled with light: the result of being wrapped on the north side with large windows looking onto the courtyard and ingeniously arranged smaller pocket and internal windows on the other sides of the house. Inside, the rooms are light and airy. The kitchen and sitting room occupy the ground floor and three bedrooms are arranged over the first floor. Natural materials and light walls dominate the spaces, though Leo’s flare as a designer comes through in her masterful layering of colour and textiles, which, she says, ‘brought in moments of personality, so it’s not all neutral or minimal’. An annex bought and developed after the main house is a riot of warm-toned ash. This later addition serves as a workspace with a loft bedroom upstairs. For the couple, it is the purest expression of their taste and how they like to live. ‘Being that we work in the industry, it’s also a helpful way of saying “this is what we can do”,’ says Rupert.
Though now, six years on, Rupert and Leo are delightedly settled into their house, both admit that a project of this scale is ‘not for the faint of heart’.
Before any creativity can begin, you need to find the perfect site – a task which, I am told by Leo, can take years. Rupert explains that there are several ways to find a site, but two of the most common are sites advertised through estate agencies and those up for auction. Despite their professional experience, Rupert and Leo still turned to the help of a planning consultant and solicitor to help them assess theirs before putting in an offer. ‘They help to give a sense of what, if any planning permission you may need and any legal issues that might be linked to the plot’, Rupert says, adding that both are essential for avoiding ‘nasty surprises’. Other helping hands may come in the form of a quantitative surveyor, who can give you a vague idea of the potential costs involved (though don’t take these as final costs - more on that later).
Planning permission, incidentally, is one of the key roadblocks that you might face. The lengthy process examines whether your plans are in line with local building regulations, will affect local wildlife, or obstruct your neighbours light. A trick, says Rupert, is to buy a plot that has already received permission for a structure similar to your plans, though this can cost as much as 50% more.
Once you have the land and your architect-drawn plans in place the fun can begin. It's now time to assemble your team, and for that you will need a good contractor. ‘We decided to have a look at the RIBA awards in the local area to find successful projects of the size and type that we were planning and then approach the contractors who had worked on them’. You will want to get quotes from a few. Do not, advises Rupert, just choose the cheapest one. ‘Sometimes that can lead you into a world of pain. You have to ask yourself if their costs are realistic, and gauge whether their previous projects will inform yours’.
According to Leo, one of the absolute cardinal rules at this early stage is to build connections with your neighbours. ‘Long before we even started the build, we made sure to pop round and say hello to our neighbours. It can make a world of difference if you establish good relationships and communicate about what you are planning to do’, she says.
Equally important is ensuring that you haven’t been over-ambitious with your costing. ‘People tend to get it wrong financially as they take the early costs provided by the planning consultant and architect as how much it will cost without leaving enough for contingency,’ says Rupert. ‘There are so many things that can crop up - from connecting to the local utility providers down to adding more plug sockets. You want to leave as much as 20% of the cost of the build for cushioning’. Often overlooked too is the cost of landscaping.
While it can be a great investment to build your own house from scratch (not to mention less expensive than buying a ready-built one), the costs can add up if you’re not careful. Rupert suggests that it costs roughly £3,500 per square meter. This is before you have paid for your team of architects and contractors. Depending where you are planning your build, this can be significantly less than buying a house, but it can also be more. If you hope to sell your house for a profit in just a few years, it may not be the best asset.
Another common financial mistake is to think that you can scrape back the budget at the later stages of the build. ‘The truth is that while you can go for the cheaper kitchen or bathroom, you might only save one or two thousand pounds here or there,’ suggests Leo. ‘If you really want to save money, it’s the big changes that will do it. There’s no better way to save money than to reduce the size of the house’.
You will also need to prepare yourself for the fact that the project – as with most building or renovation projects – will take a lot longer than expected. Issues with supply chain, a contractor going bust or unexpected costs that require saving up for are just a few of the things that can cause delays. ‘If you watch Grand Designs, they always say they will move in a few months and then four years later they’re still waiting,’ laughs Leo. ‘The truth is it isn’t unusual for a project like ours to take a few years at least. It can take a year just to get planning permission!’
If it’s all starting to sound like a bit much, remember that for many people, as it was for Leo and Rupert, there is joy in building something entirely unique and tailored to you. ‘There’s a delight in doing what you want. Design should respond to the client and it’s great if that client is you’, says Leo. ‘It's the ultimate creative project - it doesn’t get more epic than doing it yourself’. Not only does it give you creative freedom but there are opportunities to be sustainable that aren't necessarily easy in a pre-built house. For Leo and Rupert, this meant installing locally sourced natural materials and an air-source heat-pump, keeping them happily safe from rising gas prices.
If you are looking for something truly unique then building your own house may be the perfect solution. But, as Rupert and Leo agree, it is an enormous undertaking. ‘The main thing to ask yourself is “do you have an appetite for something that is going to take longer than you think, cost more than you think and be a roller coaster?”' says Leo, adding ‘for some it is a dream, for others it would be a complete nightmare’.
