Essential advice on your problems with building, budgeting, DIY & planning from the most experienced names in the self-build industry

PLANNING

Mike Dade is a land and planning specialist. He is a contributing editor of Build It, a plot hunting expert and author of books on planning and plot issues. He is one half of Speer Dade consultants (www.speerdade.co.uk).

FINANCE

Rachel Pyne is director of financial services at BuildStore (www.buildstore.co.uk). She has worked in self-build finance for over 10 years and deals with a diverse portfolio of lenders across the whole market as well as on exclusive self-build and renovation mortgage products.

SUSTAINABILITY

Nigel Griffiths is director of the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance (www.stbauk.org) and a consultant working mainly on energy efficiency policy and evaluation. He is the author of the Haynes Eco House Manual.

CONSERVATION

Alan Tierney is a historic building consultant and conservation specialist. He runs Picketts Historic Building Conservation (www.pickettsconservation.co.uk), which offers hands-on advice to period property owners.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Tim Doherty was the founding MD of the National Self Build & Renovation Centre and a founding member of NaCSBA. He runs Dobanti Property Consultants (www.dobanti.com), a specialist surveying & building consultancy for the residential and commercial sectors, including project management and custom build solutions.

SELF-BUILD

Mike Hardwick is a self-build consultant, project management specialist and NaCSBA’s general manager. He has first hand experience of the processes involved and helps to deliver a three-day course at Swindon’s National Self Build and Renovation Centre (www.nsbrc.co.uk).

DESIGN

Opinder Liddar is a director at Lapd Architects (www.lapdarchitects.co.uk). The practice specialises in residential projects from extensions to new builds, making him the ideal person to answer all your home design questions.

SELF-BUILD

How can we get the necessary utilities to our self-build plot?

We have outline planning permission for a new dwelling but