Is building a house from scratch in the UK with little construction experience possible?
Posted by One_Lake_3290@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 120 comments
Hello!
My boyfriend says he wants to build our house in the future. He’s very capable, a hard worker and handy (car mechanic, experience doing smaller projects with concrete e.g, building a driveway) however, building a house from scratch is an entirely different ballpark. I feel like most men dream of building their own house, but if you’re not in the building trade / have no specific experience in building houses it’s a little ridiculous to do it all yourself. Like a dream that sounds good on paper but would be a HUGE pain in the ass and money pit with a lot of different factors that you wouldn’t think of until you’re deep in it.
I want to be supportive and I’m not going to poo-poo on his dreams considering we’re talking far in the future. I‘m happy with a years-long project as long as its actually doable. We both have a decent amount put away to spend on a house. I‘d like to have a conservation with him about it but I don’t know anything about building houses. How realistic is this idea?
EnjoysAGoodRead@reddit
Yes it's possible with someone who has some engineering/construction/handy type experience, a willingness to learn and ask for help, and a good architect. I had a couple of family members do this and whilst it took them a few years, they love their home. I would say entirely from scratch is hard. You'd be better getting a home you don't like in an area you do like and renovating it to the home you want.
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Yeah I’d definitely hire an architect type. Building your own home does sound incredibly rewarding. I think buying a fixer-upper is a better idea too
EnjoysAGoodRead@reddit
It will be so rewarding. There will be frustrating days for sure, but do as much research as you can, and get involved and you'll make some amazing memories and have a great time!
Miserable_Future6694@reddit
My step daughter is doing her GCSE right now your fella will have to study more than her just to build the foundation.
Your man can build a house but hell have to get contractors in that know how any why the job is done in a certain way
Kvark33@reddit
It's possible, but it will take a lot of time and expense.
I would tell him to build a garage or garden office, but built to housing specs and see how he finds it. TV makes it look easy, but it is quite from that.
For a client I built a 36sqm monopitch roofed boat shed. It was a 6inch concrete slab foundation built on ground I had excavated and hardpacked, timber frame was 2x6 on 600mm centres, OSB sheeting, battens, clad with timber. Roof was 2x8 rafters with battens and insulated tin roof. Including ground work, concrete work, framing, door making, windows etc it took roughly 6 working weeks 6-8 hours a day solo. This was nowhere near house spec. Overall the project took about 10 weeks to allow for concrete curing. I think total cost was around 16k plus labour.
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Oh wow. Thank you for your perspective. Yeah its a very good idea to start with a smaller building like a garage
Kvark33@reddit
If he does, he can't let himself off, it has to pass regulations, wall variances etc. If he can't be bothered or letting it slide for something like that, when he comes to building a house, a small error will compound. a foundation slab being 1" out of square can make a whole roof structure fail
Decent_Confidence_36@reddit
Possible yes but would take a very long time and could go catastrophically wrong, my first house I built a shed at the bottom, whacked down some paving flags on grass then sat the shed on. 6 months later it was on a slant… now imagine that but an entire house
knobblycats@reddit
Yes it's possible. I'm 3 years into my own self build project and I've done nearly everything myself so far despite having no experience in construction. I work in IT for a day job.
Fit-Bedroom-7645@reddit
Send him a link to the building regulations and see how he gets on. I'm pretty competent at making things, fixing things etc, but I don't think I would ever be able to fully understand the building regs to the point where I could follow them perfectly. And if he doesn't, all his hard work might have to get ripped down. It's not impossible, but there's a lot of homework to do before you start.
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
I will do, thank you
VolcanicBear@reddit
25+ years ago I was in scouts with a girl whose Dad was building their own house. He was an architect I think, was building it when we first met age 13, and was still building it whilst he was lecturing at the college I went to.
It was an awesome house. Only took him 10-15 years from what I recall.
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Wow. Did he build everything himself? Excluding electrics i’m guessing?
Pip1710@reddit
It is possible, yes. But it's a massive learning curve, and I wouldn't attempt a house straight away.
My brother and I started on a home office, watching this guy's videos.
https://youtube.com/@thegardenroomguru?si=W_ySLJhDdbNss_FA
Doing this taught us a lot and that we would rather self-manage his extension than do everything ourselves. However, we still did a lot ourselves but got companies in to do the BIG stuff.
My mate went a different direction and got someone to do the foundations and the roof, and I helped him do everything in between.
I have a background in construction but in design and engineering than actual hands on construction.
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
That’s a fantastic idea. Thank you for this :)
hhfugrr3@reddit
As an avid viewer of Grand Designs, I know it's both possible and inadvisable.
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Hahaha we’re definitely gonna watch a few episodes of GD
gxb20@reddit
As someone who works in construction (12 years now) and has seen what my friends have done on extensions. Yes he could, but it will cost you way more than you’re thinking, he’ll constantly make mistakes (that could for instance, burn your house down) and it will take a lot more time than you can imagine. My best advice to him is consume as much information pre build that you can and seek some professional advice.
Little anecdote, a friend of mine installed drainage in his house that he was extending that cane out of the house higher than his patio and with no fall because he assumed he knew what he was doing.
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for the advice :) I’m thinking we’d talk to a lot of people who’ve done similar and ask about their mistakes, what they would’ve done differently, etc.
Ah yeah I’d definitely think about getting a plumber to take a look before doing drainage ourselves, its a specialised trade for a reason
gxb20@reddit
Tbh plumbing isnt even the hardest bit. Foundations, brickwork, electrics and waterproofing. All of these things dont poorly will ruin your house.
Good luck…
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Thank you !
sampola@reddit
I was in your boat with building a house (not literally myself but managing out house)
It’s not a easy/stress free/nice experience or cheap
You will probably struggle to get a mortgage
You won’t be competent to do a lot yourself
People will always need more monies
On the flip side we have a house we want in a difficult area to find a good house for the money, I have a big garage and land
We still have lots to do but it is worth it in the end
Just expect sleepless nights and stress
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Wow well done !! Yeah I head it’s a year-long stress headache huh. Sounds absolutely worth it in your case, good job!!
PootMcGroot@reddit
Sit him down to watch a few episodes of the UK's Grand Designs. There are many, many people who attempt this.
In the end (they follow every project for years, sometimes many, many years) there's usually a nice house... but years and years of horror and agony to get there.
We play Grand Designs Bingo - every episode that's chaos because of the lack of a project manager, a collapse in funds, a surprise baby, and spending Christmas in a caravan in the snow 2 years after it was supposed to be completed.
JMWTurnerOverdrive@reddit
Grand Designs aren’t filming the folk building a sensible house on a big standard plot though - they’re cherrypicking the ones likely to fail, the ones with… grand designs.
PootMcGroot@reddit
They do a pretty good mix of property types.
I'm not sure there are many people who want to build their own home just to build a typical brick Barratt Homes box.
nfoote@reddit
This is what I find strange because in other countries they effectively DO! For all the similarities to the UK, Aus and NZ are worlds away (pun) in respect house building.
NZ "building" process can be as easy argos-like catalog flicking to find the design you like that'll fit on your easily available plot, tell them what colours and flooring you want and come back in nine months to your neighbourhood-thematically similar yet completely unique new house.
freexe@reddit
They really don't. They are almost all complex non standard builds!
PootMcGroot@reddit
They're a pretty good mix of property types that people actually self-build.
There are very few people self-building building houses like those on a housing estate - but they even had an entire series on those.
freexe@reddit
People in the trades build cheap standard houses all the time! Absolutely nothing like the huge houses they build on Grand Designs
ImmediatePiano6690@reddit
like the muppet in north Devon who tried to build a grand house on a cliff edge basically, pretty sure they ran out of money so for years it just sat unfinished.
rice_fish_and_eggs@reddit
Yeah he tried to build a £10m house on a budget of £3m and unsurprisingly came up short. Then he loaded himself up with a load of high interest debt to get it finished. He should have been on can't pay we'll take it away, not grand designs.
Which-World-6533@reddit
Sensible people with proper project management and experienced contractors making established designs don't make good telly.
hhfugrr3@reddit
The baby shouldn't be a surprise when they know Kevin is coming.
anabsentfriend@reddit
And they're usually people who have some experience of construction or close family who have.
Which-World-6533@reddit
"And tonight we follow the story of a couple who have decided to build a house out of crepe paper and egg shells 20 miles out in the North Sea on a disused oil platform. They've never project managed anything bigger than a sand castle and have never lived in house.
Their budget is 25p"
16 months later:
"Suzanne is now pregnant, had 10 kids and has left Tom"
ElegantOliver@reddit
The wife is often mysteriously pregnant after Kevin visits. It's a running joke with that show.
Suspicious-Movie4993@reddit
He’s name isn’t actually Kevin, his nickname is ‘He’s in’ but people misheard it and Kevin stuck 😂
FoxDesigner2574@reddit
A joke that Kevin is in on: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRGGXrPA/
Exchangenudes_4_Joke@reddit
Tom is usually a Spacial awareness coach and Suzanne a Pilates teacher, somehow with a combined budget of £1.5m
seklas1@reddit
It do be like that sometimes
Exact-Put-6961@reddit
And so often, the female of the housebuilding couple, gets pregnant. That McLeod chap is a fertility god.
PootMcGroot@reddit
Or sexually irresistible...
lukusmaca@reddit
Grand designs is television designed to engage you so of course there is going to be horror and agony
throwpayrollaway@reddit
They are usually built by absolute bell ends who want mad expense design details and drive themselves mad. A normal house on good ground isn't a massively challenging thing. Your brickwork and blockwork can look like an absolute dogs dinner and it will not matter if you cover it up with render externally.
For reference there's a very old grand designs episode were there was some kind of social housing scheme were the people who were going to live in the houses had to build them with supervision from tradesmen. To my recollection the project went very smoothly.
OilAdministrative197@reddit
Tbh I still remember the guy who successfully built a house from scratch using only YouTube videos as a guide. Like he literally did everything it was insane. Been trying to find the episode. Think it was an old one. But yeah nearly always it’s a disaster.
SpeccyPig@reddit
Watch the worst episode from that family on the cost down south
togtogtog@reddit
Here you go
PootMcGroot@reddit
Is that the one where they went from being very comfortable low-millionaires to divorced and impoverished, and just a metal shell on the coast to show for it?
SpeccyPig@reddit
Aye, there’s still updates on YouTube to this day, think it finally got finished but he is basically bankrupt and has to sell it anyways
ElegantOliver@reddit
True though only a tiny percentage of the Grand Designs houses are self built. The owners might be managing the project, but it's almost always predominantly built by the trades and/or main contractor organising.
bahumat42@reddit
This is the answer, some real horror stories on there.
Exact-Action-6790@reddit
He couldn’t building it all himself unless he had all of the required qualifications to sign off on the work. However he could manage the build himself and do a lot of the manual work or anything that doesn’t need a qualified person.
Building a house is really a lesson in managing people rather than the physical skills of construction.
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
yes that makes sense, even if he’s doing a lot of the physical labour itself, the planning and technical jobs like wiring/plumbing etc would involve specialist people
Gaunts@reddit
Legally yes
Exact-Action-6790@reddit
And money! I forgot about money. Lots and lots of money is needed
Ajdyson_95@reddit
Honestly it always sounds like a great idea, but there is the reality of actually doing it, I’ve been working for 10 years in design within construction while houses are the easiest projects to do dealing with self builders really is difficult and takes a lot more time.
It will cost a lot more than you think it will just for the fact of experience within construction and the many pitfalls you can fall into with the many regulations. which even large companies can fall into without correct advice, there might be more people required upfront to even design a house depending on the area due to planning.
It not worth only getting an architect to design it up front without engineering and a good project manager can be worth their weight in gold.
It a great ambition to have but you need to full understand what you’re getting yourself into up front as contractors will use change control and the cost can spiral out of control easily!
For example when I have design the electrical services in houses I’m looking at charging 2.5k for the design and about 2k for construction to do queries and site visits, which seems a lot but you’re paying for experience to not make it a grand design episode where there 3 kids in a caravan 7 years down the line!
But the biggest thing to make sure of is the budget and having everthing specified up front and not changing things as you build as change control can make projects unfeasible
As I once had a client who brought a three phase oven and couldn’t understand why that would
Be a problem on a house which only had a single phase supply.
All id recommend is getting professional help it won’t be cheap but will remove the stress as it’s not your job to deal with it!
hdhxuxufxufufiffif@reddit
I don't think that's a common dream at all.
hhfugrr3@reddit
Not for me. I dream of winning the lottery and buying a perfectly good mansion somewhere quiet and warm.
Charlie_Yu@reddit
I mean who can resist it? Minus the financial trouble
spidertattootim@reddit
I dream (more than once) that I go backwards in life and have to leave my bog-standard three bed semi and move back into the awful houseshares I was in until my mid 30s.
That's how aspirant my subconscious mind is.
cosmic_monsters_inc@reddit
Sounds like an absolute nightmare
Objective_Result2530@reddit
My husband dreams of having our own house built. But not literally doing the brick laying. He'd laugh himself into an early grave if I even suggested the idea to him.
seklas1@reddit
Watch some “Grand Designs” on Channel 4 or Youtube. Not necessarily about the final results that matter (it’s a matter of taste), but over the episodes they do talk about hardships and approaches on how it is to build a house from scratch in the UK. They try to shine the positive light on it all, but some hardships do seep-through.
It doesn’t have to be a money pit. But it likely won’t be “cheaper” than buying a new-build either. You can have a budget in mind and you will most likely be over it.
southants82@reddit
It'd be cheaper if they used the same shite materials and cut all the same corners many of these new builds do like having ceilings you'd bang your head on if you went on your tip toes and cramming two more houses into the garden.
Avenger1324@reddit
I was gonna say this sounds like the perfect setup for a Grand Designs. I've got no construction experience, never led a project, but I'm going to ignore the architect and do all this to save some money. My budget is a turnip, supplemented by my wife's side hussle making jumpers for fairies, before becoming pregnant during the build.
xxxxxxxxxooxxxxxxxxx@reddit
Well shit if he’s built a driveway he’s already half way there.
How hard can it be?
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
I meant he has a little experience with practical things, if I thought he was a building wizard I wouldn’t have made the post 🙂
smith9447@reddit
I built my own house. It's a lot harder than you think, takes a lot longer and there will be financial shocks. BUT you end up with what you want at a lower price than buying from a builder. Our biggest issue was planning and our neighbour who flipped from being supportive to opposing the build. Tough but worth it
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Oh I’ve got no doubt its very hard, so many moving parts. It must feel very rewarding though
Ordinary_Barber_6260@reddit
Yes, its perfectly possible to build a shit house
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Hahaha
InvestigatorSoft3606@reddit
Do-able yes.
Practical and sensible - much less clear!
I've dreamed of doing this, as I'm very handy, an engineer by training, education and in my career, so none of the things involved in building a house are beyond me per-se, but I think I would fall down with the sheer amount of work and breadth of knowledge required. - nothing is going to be particularly complicated, but there will be so much of it that it may be overwhelming
My approach would be become best friends with an experienced builder and do it together with a small crew of labourers who you can bring in from time to time when required. There will be stuff you can get on with entirely alone, and stuff where the builder adds so much value to the process that you would be nuts not to use them.
I'd also look at kit houses or modular construction methods rather than traditional construction.
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Ooooh this is all very helpful. Thank you :) Befriending a builder is a great idea
ben_jamin_h@reddit
I've been a carpenter for 20 years and I would still sub out most of the work to others. To do a good job it'd take me twice the time to lay bricks or plaster because I'd spent as long leaning as I would doing it. With all respect, your boyfriend has no idea what he's in for until he gets started.
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
That makes a lot of sense. I think its a better idea for us to buy a fixer-upper
TonyBlairsDildo@reddit
Build a brick shed first (maybe a garage). Then a garden annex. Then an extension. Then an attic conversion.
If he likes it and does well, then buy an absolute wreck (i.e. fire destroyed), or a weird building like an old chapel or BT exchange and renovate it.
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Brilliant. This makes a lot of sense. Thank you!
spidertattootim@reddit
Not impossible, but very, very, very difficult.
Does he know how to apply for planning permission?
Does he know how to draw the plans he needs to apply for planning permission?
Does he understand building regulations?
Can you afford to buy land which you'd get planning permission on?
Can you afford the buy all the materials and pay the trades you'd need for the specialist bits of work?
Can you afford to live somewhere else for a few years while the house is being built?
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
I’ll add these questions to my question list haha thank you, these are really helpful
Suspicious-Movie4993@reddit
Years ago I met a guy who was younger than me who talked about doing it, i thought it was a stretch to self build on your own. Anyway, within a couple of years he had found a plot, sold his house and started living in a caravan onsite while he was building his house. He had most of it done by the time we both lost contact but years later we bumped into each other and I asked how his build worked out pretty good it seems, he finished his home and had gone on to buy 3 more plots and developed those. He had no building experience but knew friends and family who did and help guide him, but when we talked he definitely was doing a lot of the work himself because he talked about doing the roof, stud work, etc. as far as I know, he had a bricklayer do the shell and things like the roof is factory made and shipped to site where he installed it. I congratulated him on his efforts and success, big achievement, so with determination it’s doable. Good luck!
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
That’s incredible ! Wow. Such an uplifting story, thank you :) it’s great to hear people’s success stories
MercatorLondon@reddit
Yes. Building house yourself is perfectly doable. The builders that you may hire may have same level of expertise as your boyfriend, sadly.
Building it is not that complicated. What is complicated are building regulations and rules and complying with local regulations.
If your boyfriend is thinking of hiring an architect to design it for him and he is going to build it himself - then great! You have a grown-up man. Be supportive.
If your boyfriend is thinking of designing the house himself as well as building it himself then run for the hills.
ServerLost@reddit
Build ot yourself doesn't mean you have to lay every brick i guess. You can do the initial drawings, do parts and materials research, watch a lot of YouTube and do a plastering course, then get an architect and a builder in to help with the rest. Given how many vacant homes there are in the UK a fixer upper would be much more practical.
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Thank you! Yes agreed
apple_kicks@reddit
Best he reads up regulations, what could go wrong (accidents, structural issues) and costs (and double it for skip hire), time scale, local planning permission process, any legal fees or certification needed etc he will still need to hire workers or inspectors
dwair@reddit
I did this to some extent.
I had about 9 renovations over 20 years DIY experience, and bought a bungalow that was so knackered I had to knock everything down bar the two gable ends. I had to take a year off work and watch a lot of YouTube vids but perfectly possible to do on your own.
JoeDaStudd@reddit
If you can get the planning permission and afford the land then the prefab log cabins are probably the best way to go for someone without any experience.
Building materials keep rising, regulations change and a lot of the work is skilled so he'd either have to get people in to do the work originally or spend even more getting them in after to fix the issues.
cannontd@reddit
I don’t have much to add but every diy job I did was always a bit rough. Always loads better the second time around. Problem with building a house is I get ONE shot at its where a builder has done this many times before.
FornyHucker22@reddit
plan it right, do your research, it’s definitely possible.
most new builds are built like crap nowadays anyway
shibster00@reddit
Yeah you’ll be fine, get a banner and some nails, crack on 🤣
Ok-Bag3000@reddit
I would say I’m an ‘adventurous’ DIYer, take on pretty much anything except gas work. Have done the majority of our own extension, renovated 3 houses so far……….if he’s planning on doing it all himself it will take a LONG time, generously estimate how long you think it will take and add another 12-18 months. You say you’re happy with that but what you have to appreciate is that’s how you feel now……comfortable, with running water, heating, a functioning kitchen……..will you feel the same way after living on what is essentially a building site for 12 months with no end still in sight??
lukusmaca@reddit
Project managing not necessarily building the whole thing out themselves - I have two friends (separate friends) that have done it and done it successfully. Of course, the unexpected pops up constantly but you would go into it expecting that.
You need to make sure you find good and reliable contractors to support you. And you need a lot of time and a lot of money.
Alas_boris@reddit
Get over to the buildhub forum and post this.
You will get some good, informed opinions from seasoned self builders, and those who have started a project with little experience.
It is tough, financially and emotionally. However, living in a house that has been designed around your own personal needs and tastes is priceless.
The first stumbling blocks are finding a plot, planning permissions and a way to finance both the purchase of plot and build cost. Conventional mortgages and borrowing are not suitable.
Exchangenudes_4_Joke@reddit
Plus having somewhere to live whilst it's being built. You could go down the Alan Partridge static caravan route. Bond marathons aplenty!
Nature-Medicine-888@reddit
This is very kind and sensible advice
Conscious_Ring_9855@reddit
Yes!
Someone with practical skills that is used to learning technical details and applying them (such as a mechanic) can 100% build most of a house themselves.
Not as fast as someone who does it for a living obviously.
I think what people forget is that to build a house relatively quickly you might have between four and eight people working on it full time for several months. If you have one person working (&learning) part-time then it will take several years.
togtogtog@reddit
He might like this video about the Walter Segal self-build council houses in London
Asleep-Software-4160@reddit
It is possible, but a sizeable task. Get him a copy of Chudley and Greeno's Building Handbook for Christmas, it's an exceptional resource for this sort of thing.
aloeninja@reddit
Try and talk him down to a log cabin in the woods. It's a beautiful idea, but what people expect from a home isn't the same as in the past where one might do this. And that's before you deal with building regulations which will make those whole thing practically impossible.
JMWTurnerOverdrive@reddit
Start on a fixer-upper or a basic extension.
RTB897@reddit
Its doable and would be incredibly rewarding to achieve.
When I was a kid living on a farm in the 80s my family pulled down an old barn and rebuilt it as a holiday let pretty much by ourselves. The project took around 3 years. My dad had worked as a builder for most of his 20 amd 30s, and my brother was (still is) a heavy plant operator and we had lots of friends in various trades. Doing it from a standing start with little experience and limited access to trades will be challenging I would have thought.
Ask him how easy would it be for someone who has changed a brake caliper and done a few oil changes to strip, machine and rebuild an engine and gear box and end up with a reliable car.....
gompgo@reddit
It is doable but not without significant challenges - the time and efforts it may take may ruin relationship and finances.
IamlostlikeZoroIs@reddit
I working construction and do it all from the ground up. It is easy and can be done by someone with minimal knowledge if they simply research it enough.
However it will take you a lot of time, when you’re in the building game you learn all the tricks to do it quicker or a better finish. You also need all the tools, the biggest set back I’d say.
Things like plumbing and electrical are easy enough to do but if you aren’t qualified you’ll have to get your work certified by someone who is and they don’t tend to like certifying other people’s work especially some one who has never done it before.
shredditorburnit@reddit
If he goes through the building regs and has a qualified architect design it for you, it should be perfectly possible to do, especially if material choices are made on the basis of ease of installation. A beginner will do a much better job on timber cladding than brickwork, for example.
What it will take is a phenomenal amount of time. Years. Make sure you're happy with the temporary living arrangement, because you're likely to be in it for a lot longer than expected.
Besides that, allow for inflation on building materials, the final fix stuff will have gone up in price by the time you're ready to buy it.
Also, planning permission can be a headache, make sure you don't buy land which the council will refuse planning on.
Mountain-Plastic-432@reddit
It is possible. It's bloody hard work though. My parents built one whole house from scratch and only got a team in to render the outside. They were in their 50s too. It took several years.
But they've been renovating houses for 30+ years before that at a side gig, whilst my dad worked as a plumber. But some things require sign offs from properly qualified, registered tradespeople to meet building regs. So you either need to pay someone to do the job for you, or know someone who trusts your work enough to sign it off.
It's not impossible, but for the vast majority of people it's going to be biting off more than they can chew.
Oh, and people always underestimate how much kit they'll need to do a proper job.
Why doesn't he try some renovation projects first?
SlowRs@reddit
We’re doing it currently. Experience is from building our own house prior.
Just know when to call people in for the right bits. Building yourself but calling in trades as needed is easy.
Scarred_fish@reddit
It's doable, but with a lot of planning.
We did a self build 10 years ago but we are both tradespeople who have worked in construction since we left school.
It is incredibly rewarding however, and saves an absolute fortune. No way could we have afforded to pay someone else.
Unable_Obligation_73@reddit
Some things like bricklaying look quite easy but to get a real nice finish is surprisingly hard same for plastering
skibbin@reddit
It's absolutely doable, but you'd need to have someone competent inspect your work at every phase. You're also going to need to be prepared to redo things until they are right. It's not like doing surgery where you only get one shot, you can build and rebuild a wall until it's right.
It would be a passion project, rather than something which would make economic sense
Hot_College_6538@reddit
Let him have a dream for something un the future.
It's not impossible, the hardest bit will be funding it, planning/building regs and finding a plot to build on. You can then do the bits you are comfortable with and bring in trades for the bits you aren't. My grandad built his house, it's lasted longer than he did.
TheViscountRang@reddit
You say "in the future" - how far in the future? Are we talking next 5 years or next 30?
Pretty implausible to build a full brick and mortar house yourself with no help, that would take years and he'd need to be an expert in building, plumbing, electrical work, etc and I believe would need to be qualified in at least electrical to build his own systems. "Building a house" is more "contracting multiple people/teams with expertise in their specific area to put the house together". If he's young, and it's just a notion of "one day", it will most likely fizzle out as reality sets in, but if he's trying to get funds together to do this in the short term I'd definitely make sure he has clear understanding of all the practical, legal and regulatory steps.
BowiesFixedPupil@reddit
No one is building a house single handed.
I know plenty of people who bought plots of land and built their home, often helping with everything from design to construction to decorating, but they needed experts for many many tasks. They won't get planning permission from a bag of a cigarette packet drawings for example.
He sounds switched on. If he can get the money together I don't see any reason why this wouldn't be a very smart thing to do.
tall-not-small@reddit
Might be possible with a lot of patience and willingness to learn. But he will have to get the professionals in for some things
mdmnl@reddit
Pluck and a can-do attitude no match for actually safe wiring.
tall-not-small@reddit
Hence the professionals comment
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Yeah that makes sense, we’d definitely get the specialists where needed e.g, an electrician
Nature-Medicine-888@reddit
I don’t know how realistic it is, but he will need help and some good plans and budgets. Good luck to both of you, hope you manage to do it hand live the dream 🤞
One_Lake_3290@reddit (OP)
Absolutely. Thank you ☺️
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