Self-builder and project manager Mike Hardwick shares his top tips to help you finish your scheme on time and on budget

Mike Hardwick

Careful research was key to maximising Jonathan and Janine Bootland’s project budget – and the couple saved thousands of pounds by scouring the internet for the best possible prices. But they also understood when to rely on others. Their kitchen supplier, for instance, secured unbeatable prices on appliances. The 193m2 build was completed for £212,050

DAVE BURTON

Making the most of your budget is an important aspect of any project. Unless you are one of the vanishingly small number of self-builders for whom money is no object, you are going to have to take a canny approach to make your pot of gold stretch to meet your dreams.

It’s a delicate balancing act. You want the perfect home, which is going to cost you just about every penny you can lay your hands on. But it is so easy to get carried away and blow the budget by overspending on one particular area. When this happens, something else has to give and your project can be compromised. This month, I’m focusing on eight areas self-builders regularly overspend, with a few tips on how to avoid doing so.

1 The land

It’s no secret that finding the perfect plot can be a challenge. A quick browse of the online land-finding resources, such as PlotSearch, shows there’s no shortage of individual sites for sale. But finding one of the right size, with the potential to allow the sort of home you seek to build – and, crucially, at a price you can afford – is no easy task. It’s not unusual to spend upwards of 18 months finding a suitable piece of land.