April 2, 2005

Self-builders need lots of friends

This comprehensive guide to building your own home is written by someone who has actually done it. All the pitfalls and delights are laid out in over 500 pages. And there are plenty of pitfalls.

The time, money and effort involved in self-build has blown many marriages apart, and busted many a bank balance. The first thing to decide is whether self-build is really for you. Have you got the money? Whatever you think you will have to spend, double it. Will you find the land? That can be time-consuming. And assuming you are not actually doing the building work yourself, are you able to organise the many professionals you will need — from architect to builders to craftspeople?…