Well after the excitement of the first months of my build starting, and seeing my old bungalow knocked down and a huge hole dug in its place, this month has felt a little slow in terms of progress.  My build team are excellent, but just like the rest of us, they want to take a summer holiday.  And then the weather has been relentlessly warm, which although lovely for so many of us, made excavating the soil for the foundations and backfilling around the basement, challenging.  As mentioned before, my site is tight, due to some huge oak trees with tree protection orders in my garden, which means that nothing can be stored near them.  These challenges have meant that I am not quite where I thought we would be at the beginning of August.

Of course, this is one of the most common issues that we often enjoy watching on our favourite housebuilding programs and something that I genuinely never thought I would encounter.  Pure naivety again!  Initially, I was relaxed, and now I find myself getting more and more stressed, as I watch mortgage rates rise around me and prices escalate. I am starting to have a real sense of urgency regarding my build. 

Reflection is key

Sometimes therefore it’s good to reflect on what has happened.  So I now have a basement, which as I stand and look at my site is completely hidden, having all now been filled in. I have a ceiling in the basement, which also gives me part of my ground floor slab.  And I have ground being excavated to form the ground floor slab, which should be fully dug out by the end of next week, meaning concrete can be poured.  Therefore, at the start of next month, we should have walls going up, and in ICF (insulated concrete formwork – what I am building in) that means fast progress! 

In the background though, I do really feel I have ticked some big things off the list.  At last I have decided on the bricks that will clad my build, and have filed a Non Material Amendment to the planners to slightly alter.  I am about to order my windows and am firming up quotes with all my fit out trades.  This bit is very exciting and I know will be here before I know it.  And then I can talk to you about more exciting matters such as tile and lighting choices!

So my latest tips:

  1. Don’t get too hung up on the dates – things will always slip and sometimes there is little you can do to improve them. Especially if you are building over the summer months when your builders will also want a break (and of course in the winter, the weather will probably delay matters).
  2. But if they keep slipping, have a frank chat with your build team and make them understand your deadlines. If agreed dates keep being missed with no implications, they’ll think that’s ok.
  3. And find something to keep you motivated. I just look at the CGI renders of my new build, and every time, no matter how hard the day, I smile.

Keep your eyes peeled for some more new-build updates and tips from our founder, Deborah Richards.

If you would like friendly, professional guidance on selling or letting your home, why not contact our fabulous Maddisons Residential team. We would love to help your property reach its full sale-price potential.