Every self builder has their individual expectations and ambitions in terms of the final result of their Self Build project. The process of designing a home is very demanding and challenging, as it is a crucial stage that is responsible for making your vision a reality. This guide will help keep you on track
with your goals and thoughts to keep your project not only moving forward, but to also keep your mind at ease that you aren’t forgetting anything.
First start with a question. Why??? Why do you want to build your home instead of buying it directly from a mass home builder? Every self builder’s reason can be different. Some of them want to build a safe and joyful environment for their children. Others may want to build a house to then sell on, to gain maximum profit. Retirement? Growing Family?
First thing you need to include is the basic room information and room sizes. It is helpful to use the measurements of your current rooms, as long as they meet your expectations. The second aspect you need to consider is your building flow – the layout/structure of the internal rooms. It is important to make sure that it will be consistent with yours and your family’s lifestyle. For instance, if you need an open-plan kitchen connected to the dining room so that you can cook while spending time with your family and entertaining guests. Or a sheltered seating area outside with a gas fire pit and BBQ, so that you can enjoy BBQs with friends and family. The next point that you should include is its architectural style. Do you want a traditional or contemporary house? Also is there any exceptional element of the landscape close to your house that you want to see from your bedroom window? Maybe you just want to position the house to receive the optimal amount of sunlight?
Two important elements of your Self Build brief would also be the heating strategy and how important the home’s energy efficiency is. Do you want to build a low-energy house and focus on the form of renewable heating, or is this not a priority for your Self Build? Your budget is one of the most crucial elements of the brief and something that is often kept secret from all but your partner. The amount of money you can afford to spend on your project determines the architect’s design significantly, so it is important to set the budget as accurately as possible. You must also consider how you are going to manage the cash flow throughout the key stages of the project, but we will go into this further later in the article. The final element to consider is the timescale for your Self Build. It is advised to focus on the starting date of your project rather than its deadlines. For more advice regarding setting timescales for your Self Build read here. We would never suggest setting the move in date, as an important birthday or worse Christmas Day!
Don’t be afraid to provide your architect with as much additional information as you can. One way of doing this is by drawing sketches. You shouldn’t worry about the quality, as long as it portrays your idea. Another useful way of expressing your expectations is the use of a tool called SketchUp. This free software allows you to create your building and view it in 3D. It will even allow you to walk around and move within it, this is a fun way of getting your children involved in the design process. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that you may design something in SketchUp, which is actually impossible to build. So don’t be surprised if your architect will have to change your project in order to make it buildable. The next tool that can improve the way you communicate your ideas to your architect is Pinterest. Pinterest is a content sharing website that allows you to “pin” images, videos, and other objects to your pinboard. It works like an online scrapbook. You can use it to search for inspiration, you can create separate boards, for example for interiors within the kitchen and bathroom. Then you can “pin” the pictures that express particular designs that you would like to implement in your project, and share it with everyone who is involved.
Land Surveyor – You may appoint a land surveyor to assess the plots you like, in order to choose the one that suits you best. It can help you to confirm the boundaries of your plot as well as the connection to basic services such as drainage, electricity and water.
Why Survey?
Architect/Architectural Designer – This is the person that will bring your dream home to life on paper. All of your ideas and dreams need to be laid out for the designer to get the job done. This is someone you will be dealing with for most of the process, so make sure you do your due diligence and find the right fit.
Engineer – Once you have gotten your house dialed in, the engineer is required to make sure that your house is structurally sound.
Here are examples of questions that your design team will need to know to get started:
Design Process – At this point, I will assume the Survey & Site plan have already been completed and given to the designer. Once they have these items they can determine where the house will be on the lot, square footage of the new house, and set back areas. The designer will take all of your hopes and dreams into review and utilize as much as possible into the space. Once completed, the proposed drawings will be given to the client for review. You should be looking to get 2D drawings including, plans, sections and elevations. If you do not like where the design is going you need to communicate it to your designers and they have to start again. This stage can make or break any timeline for a project due to the amount of revisions, but to reiterate you must love the design of your dream home. After you are completely happy with the design, which meets all your requirements, you are ready to start pulling permits! Consult your local permitting department or the licensed contractor you plan to use for guidance on submitting in your local jurisdiction.
“Everybody has a passion that can actually make the world a better place to live. Designing beautiful Architecture is mine.”