Welcome

This March edition of Build It incorporating Self

inspiration

Bright & bold extension The striking yellow design

Warehouse conversion

The owners of this property, originally a Victorian

Cost of climbing the property ladder

First-time buyers in England face an average cost

Passive standard for Scottish new builds

In reponse to a private member’s bill proposed

What’s on?

PREPARE & PAINT 2ND-9TH FEB £165, LONDON Brush

Cost of typical renovation and repair jobs revealed

Research by insurers Alan Boswell ( www.alanboswell.com )

need to know

Creating thermally efficient homes

spend v save

from £150 per m 2 The natural and

product news

Great shopping ideas for your custom home project

3 of the best HANDLELESS KITCHENS

1 Ely and Q-Line kitchen in Meadow Green

interiors notebook

Embrace Art Deco glamour by pairing luxurious gold, black and soft pinks hues with bold motifs

Self build & custom build mortgage table

Looking to fund your bespoke home project? Each month we round up the best deals from leading lenders and update you on what you need to know to secure the right finance

Ask the EXPERTS

PLANNING

FIND YOUR DREAM BUILDING PLOT

PlotBrowser.com is a 100% free-to-use plot and property finder, packed with 1,000s of home building opportunities. Here’s a taster of the fantastic self build plots, renovation properties and conversions currently for sale near you

BARN FOR CONVERSION IN RURAL WALES

CONVERSION OPPORTUNITY

Top tips for your basement extension

Katerina Spetsiou, project manager at Scenario Architecture, reveals what you need to know about adding a basement to your build

SELF BUILDING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

Want to create a gorgeous country home, complete with peace, quiet and the space to let your imagination run free? Self building, converting or extending could deliver your dream property. Lucy Keech shares some inspirational builds in an idyllic setting, along with top tips from the experts

STRETCHING THE IMAGINATION

Anzia and Paul Charney’s exciting new home is a contemporary take on the classic Arts & Crafts style

The staircase…

The incredible feature staircase was inspired by the

REIMAGINING THE COTTAGE

The Marshalls’ project has only added a modicum of extra space to their compact historic home, but it’s totally transformed the internal spaces for modern living

Shaping the landscape…

Given the clear architectural language that defines the

MODULAR MASTERPIECE

Kevin Crotty’s journey to creating a bespoke house was peppered with challenges – but his efforts were rewarded with this efficient sea-view home in Anglesey

Sensitive design on the beach…

Keen to avoid any hassle when it came

SELF BUILDING A NEW RECTORY

PART 2 THE BUILD PHASE

Part 1 How bad are old buildings?

In the first of a three-part mini-series exploring how to improve the efficiency of period properties, Alan Tierney investigates what you need to know about the baseline eco performance of heritage homes

SELF BUILD COST CALCULATOR

Want to know how much it costs to build your own home? Our ready reckoner, powered by the Build It Estimating Service, will help you gauge what size, style and quality of house you can achieve on your project budget

MODERN MASONRY

Rebecca Foster investigates the latest solutions for building with blockwork

EXTENSIONS HOW TO BUDGET

Understanding costs and planning your spending carefully is vital to make sure your project runs smoothly. Georgina Crothers looks at the key considerations

Air source heat pumps

Above: The Grant Aerona3 inverterdriven ASHP achieves Quiet

THE BENEFITS OF SERVICED PLOTS

Want to take the stress out of your land hunt? This proven custom build approach could be the best path to realising your dream self build home

Avoiding common insurance claims

Protek’s Simon Middleton looks at how to prevent problems on your self build site

WINDOW COSTS EXPLAINED

From frame materials to glazing type, colour choices and hinging styles, there’s a lot that can affect the price of your windows. Here, we explore the key choices to help you set your budget

The growing impact of bat surveys on self builders

Awareness of the human impact on wildlife does and should influence planning development and how we build in the UK, but it can lead to complications for self builders and renovators. Architect Opinder Liddar outlines what you should expect

How to appeal a planning refusal

Planning expert Martin Gaine looks at what it takes to appeal a planning decision and what you can expect from the process