One of the most talked about aspects of Self Build is the 'Over Spend' this often gets reported as it can some times be more than 50% of the original budget.

This is often due to the specification changing or just not enough investigation being carried out at the early stage to accurately cost the items in the build.

If a project is started without a fairly detailed specification then it is more likely to go over budget. If you are using a single contractor it is advisable to spend time and get as much down on the contract prior to starting, and if you can not finalise an item make sure that you include a reasonable allowance (normally referred to as a PC Sum) for that item.

Costs can be controlled but you have to keep a tight hold on them and keep your records up to date. Remember if you over spend by £50 on lots of items (not much in its self) you will find your self several thousands out by the end if you do not keep records.

If you are managing the build yourself it is advisable to get fixed prices from the sub contractors that you use, if you do change your mind (and you will) make sure that you agree an amount for the alterations, as this is often the way that contractors get to increase there original price and it can be disproportionately high to the size of the alteration!

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