Does your home design work?

by Jason Wilkinson

Along with choosing the right plot, approving the interior and exterior plans from your architect is the most important decision you will make in a self build. While an architect can design both the look and internal layout, the most important thing to remember throughout is that their designs have to function for you and your family.

Ideally, the outside should have a wow factor, but for the selfbuilder the inside has to be every bit as good, if not better.  After all, this is going to be your home. So once you receive your plans think very carefully about how the building is actually going to work.

Meet with your architect and review all the basic points so that you are satisfied the design works, not just visually, but on a practical level as well.

It may seem obvious, but on the exterior it is vital to look at the windows and the materials being used. Not only must the drawings show the style of windows, but how you want them to open – hinged on the right or left, opening in or out. And that includes fanlight openers and all side windows hung as you have specified.

This information is essential when you send plans away to get quotations on window prices. It’s also crucial that doors are the right width to comply with Part M of building control.

As far as the outside is concerned, it’s important that materials such as render, hanging tiles or cladding match the style of house you want, as the design can affect how well they will function. Your architect should suggest some similar properties to look at if you have any concerns.

In order to get an early idea of cost you should compare the costs of the various finishes such as clay tiles against concrete tiles, hand-made brick over machined; or render instead of facing brickwork.

After approving the exterior, time can be spent playing with the internal build. Internally, there’s a lot more detail to cover, but from a builder’s perspective there are four key areas to check: room sizes, sloping ceilings, radiators and electrics.

While the planning process doesn’t set your internal room sizes – these can be altered once the shell is built – the room layouts need to be considered early. Major alterations could mean changing window or external door positions, which in turn may require a further planning application.

So it’s good practice to plan your room sizes as precisely as possible because, while there is some wriggle room as studwork partitions can be adjusted once the shell is up, it’s better to be certain from the outset.

Give yourself a feel of how each room works by marking out each room in your garden using tent pegs and string – you will be able to set the floor area and door positions. It is especially helpful for bathroom planning if you also peg out the bath, shower, basin and toilet to help you visualise the space better.

If you’re building a chalet-style house, or have sloping roofs in a loft room, you need to understand the space. A plan shows the floor area but it’s hard to work out how much space is lost because of the slope of the roof. This could easily lead to an expensive disappointment as it only becomes apparent once the roof is on – so talk to your architect!

Once you’re certain of the room sizes, it’s essential to tie down your radiator positions (if you are using them) and electrical fittings. Radiator positions are determined by the room layout, so be certain that your furniture is going to be around for a while, or is of standard dimensions in case of replacement.

Underfloor heating is popular with selfbuilders, especially on ground floors, and this frees up large areas of wall space. It’s an attractive option – more expensive, but given the space benefits and more consistent heating, it is worth considering.

The electrics include both sockets and lighting, so it’s probably the most detailed area of a build to plan out. Given the range of lights for ceilings, walls and units, plus light switches, socket positions and outside requirements for light and power, I’d suggest asking the architect to produce a drawing to show all this information as soon as possible. This will enable you to get like-for-like quotes for everything.

I would however always recommend installing plenty of electric and TV sockets if possible. This gives you options if you want to change furniture positions later on and it’s a lot easier to put them in at the start than to do it after the build.

Ultimately then, you need to make your home work for you – and if you plan properly you’ll avoid a lot of problems later on.

Jason Wilkinson is MD of improve.co.uk, the online builders’ merchants which offers users access to a complete range of trade price building materials, tradespeople and quantity surveying services.