In Northern Ireland Wilson and Mawhinney know that many people build their own house. Buying a site and building your dream house is a lot of work and can be stressful but here is some advice from the professionals. Wilson and Mawhinney have been building houses, offices and other buildings since 1977 and in that time we have spotted many mistakes which we would advice any would-be house builder to avoid.
Photo Credit: Stefano A; Creative Commons
Don’t Do it yourself
We don’t mind if you want to take on some DIY projects once your house is built but we advise you to stick with professionals while to are planning and building your dream home. It’s easy to download a drawing package and have a go, but these drawings will only take you so far. An experienced Architect or Technologist will be able to help you during the planning stage. They have worked with the Planning Service, should know the Building Regulations relevant to your building project and can save you lots of time, hassle and even money. Fire regulations, structural loadings, ventilation rates, sap ratings, the schedule of finishes – these are all things that are complicated and better off in the hands of a professional.
Similarly a professional building contractor will have invaluable knowledge on site helping you steer around any unexpected problems or late changes. The construction team are qualified and trained to be problem solvers and have the experience to get over hurdles which would leave a novice stuck. That knowledge is invaluable when you are onsite and each day will be costing you more and more money.
Hiring an expert design and construction team may seem expensive but it will save you hassles, headaches and money in the longterm. You will be in control of the whole project through the expert hands who are running the job. Let Wilson and Mawhinney take the lead in your construction project and you will have confidence that your job is in the hands of experience, knowledgable professionals.
Wilson and Mawhinney plan to share more of their common house–builder mistakes to avoid in the upcoming weeks.