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Summer is quickly approaching, and we long for those fine days where we can enjoy spending time outdoors and enjoying our gardens again. Gardens have a huge role to play when selling your home. The space you have at the front of your home is responsible for that all important first impression. Your main garden is basically another room in your home: it is a place where you can relax, entertain and have fun. It, too, like many rooms in your house, has the potential to make or break a sale and can even add value. Therefore, as we start to spend more time in our outdoor spaces, how can your garden add value and help sell your home?
Adding value
Your garden should be considered as one of your home’s biggest assets and, therefore, needs to be loved and cared for, just like your kitchen or bathroom. In fact, a good garden can increase the value of your home by up to 77% according to research by The Greenhouse People. You don’t need a designer budget or luxurious finishes – there are a number of cost-effective changes you can make that will always benefit the sale of your home, and make buyers extremely happy.
Often it is the small changes that can have the biggest impact. Mowing the lawn so it is looking neat and tidy is a great place to start, unless you are taking part in No Mow May. Launched by the nature charity Plantlife, No Mow May seeks to keep gardens wild, allowing wild plants to thrive and helping to provide nectar for insects. If the rest of your garden is looking pristine, it can be easy to explain why your lawn may be looking more unkept without it deflecting from what your garden has to offer.
When you are looking to decorate a room, you may have thoughtfully considered colours, textures, and zoning of furniture. The same principles should be used when you are looking to design your garden: have distinct areas, use different materials to add texture, and think about your planting for adding colour. Don’t forget those finishing touches such as cushions, lanterns and throws to bring your outside ‘room’ to life.
Like all rooms, you need to have some kind of storage, whether you add a shed in a tucked-away part of the garden, or you use a garage or some other outbuilding. You want somewhere you can place all your gardening tools as well as things like BBQ, summer furniture, bikes, outdoor cushions and other bits and pieces.
Another priority for your garden, and something which is often high on the list of priorities for buyers, is privacy as well as security. There are always things you can do to minimise your garden being overlooked, whether that is through clever planting, bamboo screens or trellis with climbers. Security is also a concern; therefore ensure your fencing and gates are in great condition, and you have lights where needed too.
Be careful you don’t devalue
No matter how much you care for your garden, there could be an enemy within that will not only cause damage but could risk devaluing your home by around 15% according to surveyor experts at Stokemont.com. The most common ‘damaging’ plants to your home’s value include Japanese knotweed. This invasive plant is known for its devasting ability to cause damage wherever it spreads. Did you know its roots can even reach 20 metres underground, making it extraordinarily difficult to get rid of. This is why Japanese knotweed is listed as a defect to the property by RICS Homebuyer Reports.
Other invasive and damaging plants include giant hogweed and English ivy, due to their fast-growing root systems which can spread out to 40 metres, popular trees such as willow and oak can be dangerous if grown close to property.
Make your garden work for you
There is no doubt, summer buyers will have a strong focus on the outside space your home provides, so don’t miss the opportunity to make your garden work for you. It provides an extra room to your house, as well as having the potential to add value. If you are curious how much your garden upgrades have added value to your home, contact our team at Deakin-White.
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Key info
- Having a complete understanding of the ecology of your land as you create your rewilding plan is the key to your success.
- The UK government has no specific legislation on rewilding. However, you’ll want to research legislation on the specific actions you plan on taking on your project. For example, checking the Wildlife and Country Act 1981 if you plan on repopulating a species.
- Rewilding is a game of patience and empathy with your land. Good practice of rewilding maintains an open ended perspective on the outcome of the project.
Whether you’re looking to fight the Climate Emergency, or create a natural utopia for your loved ones to admire, rewilding is a crucial part of conservation biology and essential to managing human influence over the planet.
In this guide, we’ll help you to understand the key principles for rewilding effectively.
What do I need to begin rewilding?
The great part about the practice of rewilding is that the only thing you need to get started is... land! The land is designed to do the natural regeneration "heavy-lifting" whilst your job is to manage the land with as little human intervention as possible, in order to restore lost ecological processes and biodiversity to the area.
Most land is eligible for rewilding. What’s more important is having a deep understanding of the land you’re working on and a vision of how it would’ve looked before human intervention. This may mean letting the land sit unmanaged for a season to understand its dynamic behaviour. Depending on your project, some factors of interest to you may be your land’s soil type, flood potential, and its geological/hydrological features.
Attitudes towards rewilding vary on the initial plot choice. You may prefer choosing a more degraded landscape so that you're maximising the ecological restoration of your project. On the other hand, well stewarded land may allow you to monitor the natural regeneration of your land and therefore help you achieve your aims of rewilding.
When choosing your land, make sure to be wary of protected areas and SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientific Interest), as the legislation in these areas may limit the freedom you have with your rewilding project.
Deakin-White can produce a Land Report which will allow you to check if your land is protected or a SSSI, as well as research many more of your land's intricate features to empower your decision-making.
Legal considerations for rewilding
Whilst rewilding itself has no specific UK policy, there are many relating policies that you’ll need to be aware of in order to manage your land within UK law.
The main policies to consider are the Environmental Land Management schemes, rewarding local landscape and nature recovery. From there, the policies you’ll need to consider will depend on the type of rewilding you’re doing. The government body DEFRA deal with most legal issues in the UK regarding land and rural development, and are worth contacting if you’re unsure on the regulations regarding the type of rewilding you’re doing.
If you’re planning on having your rewilding project feature any animals or rare plants then there’s a few factors to consider. You may need a license if you plan on keeping wild animals in captivity. In addition, if you plan on repopulating your land with a rare species, they may be protected under the Wildlife and Country Act 1981 and so you’ll be responsible for maintaining their protection.
You may want to think about the legal hidden costs your land may have as you start the rewilding process. For example, woodland at the border of your land may grow over public property such as roads, and therefore will have to be managed.
It’s also worth considering the legal implications on your rewilding project when initially buying the land.
How to start your rewilding project
Human intervention has caused many ecological interactions to simply disappear. For example, the mass extinction of large herbivores and predators has significantly reduced grazing and predation, affecting the rate at which many other animal species are able to feed and reproduce. In order to excel at rewilding, and reverse biodiversity loss effectively, it's best to audit the natural processes that would’ve occurred before human intervention and construct a plan from there. If you’re unsure about your land’s natural processes, a trained ecologist will be able to help you.
It’s important to consider your neighbours when forging your plan. Land aims to connect itself, and so something as simple as blocking a ditch could have a negative impact on the neighbouring plot. In addition, neighbours may be able to help your project. For example, you may be able to mimic the behaviour of lost keystone species for free by allowing farmers’ animals to graze on your land.
Once you have an idea of the ecological processes you want to bring back to your landscape, you’re ready to begin restoring them. Patience is key here, as there may be seasonal requirements for certain species, and natural processes can take much longer than artificial systems. However, slowly restoring the crucial ecological processes to your landscape will naturally lead to the return of some animal and plant species. Some you may not have even expected! The longer you work on your land, the more you will be able to learn and understand about it.
The main concept of rewilding is allowing the land to restore itself, and so “listening” to the land and having an open mind about the outcome of your rewilding project is crucial. Some processes that may seem damaging at first can lead to the recovery of rich ecosystems. For example, whilst landowners normally aim to clean up and remove dead and uprooted trees from the land, this could have unintended consequences for the recovery of ecosystems specific to your land. Under those trees could form whole new insect cultures, cascading into the recovery of entire food chains as certain insect-feeding animal species are able to repopulate.
This highlights the importance of scale in rewilding, as having more land allows for a greater level of ecological connectivity. However, don’t fret if your land isn’t going to be one of the next National Parks. It will form its own unique ecosystem over time, and your understanding and vision can only become clearer as you get to know your land better.
One venture you may wish to take in your rewilding journey is the repopulation of key species to your land.
To maximise the effect of your repopulation effort, it's worth getting to understand trophic rewilding. This is the concept of restoring the food chain top-down, leading to a positive cascading effect as complex ecosystems begin to form over time. Ecosystem restoration can often rely on these megafauna to dictate the landscape on a macroscopic level, and so when choosing an animal to repopulate, consider the effect they will have on large-scale ecological processes such as grazing and predation. Again, be careful of scale here, as certain species need a large amount of space to hunt and survive. You may experience significant overgrazing/overhunting issues if the species you decide to reintroduce doesn’t have enough land to feed off.
Once you’ve completed the initial hard work, you’ll be able to relax and admire your land as your very own cluster of nature begins to take care of itself within its own unique ecosystem, not only acting as a key conservation effort but also helping to fight the climate crisis.
Deakin-White makes it easy to find, research, buy or sell land.
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You have so many emotions wrapped up in changing address: there could be feelings of sadness saying goodbye, combined with the excitement of your new home. Moving home is full of highs and lows and just when you think you are coming to the end, you have one of the most of the stressful stages to come, the big move! There are ways that you can minimise the mayhem, add some calm and take some of the aghhh out of moving day. Here is our advice on how to cope with the stressful stages of moving home.
Pre-sale stage
Most home movers don’t think about packing until they have an offer accepted and they are well within the sales process. It is normal to think you have all the time in the world, but what tends to happen is that as time starts ticking by, the more procrastinating we do. It is that overwhelming feeling of looking at ‘all that stuff’ in your home and wondering where and how to start that adds stress onto an already stressful situation.
This is why we would always advise that you think about starting your preparation for moving home before you sell your house.
Yes, that early!
Whilst you are starting to declutter and organise your home to present it for sale, there is nothing to stop you from starting to pack a few bits and pieces along the way. There will be plenty of things that you won’t need before you move, so instead of them taking up space in your home, why not pack them away. This will give help to make your home feel more spacious due to being less packed with things, but it also gives you a head start.
Panic packing
Completion date is on the horizon and that moment of panic that can hit where you look around your home and scream , ‘Where do I start?’ One thing we always say at this stage is purge – you need to get rid of those non-essential items. Not only will this feel cathartic but may even reduce the cost of your move.
You also should measure pieces of furniture you are planning to take before your move, to make sure they will fit in your new home. There is no point taking things that are not going to fit; can you imagine how frustrating that will feel to arrive and find your sofa won’t even fit through the door? Moving day will be stressful enough without adding the drama of furniture not fitting as well.
Labelling is also essential. This is another major stress when moving, not being able to find things because you’ve not put them in the right box or the box isn’t labelled. If you are using a removal company, it is also important to talk to them before you start packing, they may have a system they may wish you to use as well as certain sizes of boxes.
Day of reckoning
It is the night before the big day and we know there will be so many things rushing through your mind. In all the haste to pack everything for your home, have you managed to pack a bag for yourself? Make sure you have important paperwork and ID, such as your passport – you just never know what you may need. Chargers for all those important electronics, essential medicine, your daily toiletries and also a change of clothes. Remember there can be delays and so bear in mind that if you have everything labelled and organised, no matter what you need you will be able to find it.
And breathe
The day has arrived and things will no doubt take a lot longer than you envisaged. To lower your stress levels, giving your children and pets a day off is the best way to start. Do not put extra pressure on yourself, there is no rule book to say you have to unpack everything in a day; in fact, who cares if it takes you weeks or even if you have boxes in the garage months later!
If you have everything labelled, you will know what to unpack first and which boxes you can place to one side until another day. Being in a new home and trying to fit your old house into it can be disorienting, it will take time for you to fuse the old and new together to create the home you have been dreaming of.
If you would like more advice on moving home, contact our team at Deakin-White.
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Home staging is a powerful tool when it comes to selling your home; the right staging can work miracles in most cases. Simply put, home staging is the term which describes preparing your home or ‘setting the stage’ for a potential buyer. This involves decluttering, organising, redecorating, cleaning, rearranging furniture and other strategies to make your home as appealing as possible. Staging is not designed to hide issues with your home, instead you should resolve these before you place your home on the market. With this in mind, here are some problems that home staging can’t solve when selling your home.
The big two
Adding some carefully positioned plants and flowers can not hide the obvious when it comes to outdated or tired kitchens and bathrooms. These are two rooms that can make or break a sale and, therefore, you need to ensure that you have done what is required to bring them up to standard. Broken doors or shelves withing kitchen cabinets are not only a turn-off but can ring alarms about the condition of the rest of the property. New grouting and a fresh lick of paint can make a huge difference, and should your kitchen doors need some love, could painting or re-spraying be a solution? One thing is for sure, you need to work harder in these rooms to make other areas of your home shine.
Outdated and odd features
All homes, especially older ones, can charm buyers with their character and quirkiness, but should this uniqueness be odd or outdated it will have the opposite affect. Home staging won’t distract buyers from the weird and wonderful, in fact it will focus their attention completely and away from the property as a whole and could also impact the potential value of your home as well. Therefore, if you have neglected to update or remove such features we would certainly recommend that you consider undertaking the work before you take the step of inviting estate agents round to value your home.
Rushed makeover
You may have been working hard to get your home ready for sale but decided that you don’t need to decorate. Adding the most stylish and exquisite pieces to a room won’t disguise a tired paint job, and buyers will notice. But in the haste to get your property on the market your paint job may not be to a professional standard, and this will stand out a mile. If you are not up to the task then investing in a decorator will take away the stress and also leave your home looking like Britain’s Next Top Show Home.
Damaged flooring
Rugs are often used in home staging to define spaces within a room; what they are not designed for is to hide damage or other floor issues. Some flooring problems can be felt underfoot when walking across the area, and hiding them with a rug will look deceitful, which is the last thing that you want when selling your home. Take a look at your carpets as well – have they seen better days? If so, it could be worthwhile replacing them or at least having them steam cleaned so they are looking the best they can be for potential buyers.
No hiding smells
Your home could look immaculate, be beautifully staged and be the dream that buyers are seeking, but if there are unwanted odours, the image that you have created will be shattered into pieces. If you are a smoker or have pets, having rugs, carpets and furniture cleaned will help to remove those lingering smells which potential buyers will notice immediately. Also, be wary of using plug-ins, air fresheners or scented candles – these can have very strong and dominant fragrances which can overpower a room. Using such strong scents can also start buyers wondering if you are trying to hide other smells which are lurking underneath.
Do the work
If you wish to get the best price for your property, you need to put in the work before you look to place your house on the market. Home staging is there to enhance your home’s natural beauty, not to be used as a tool to hide its issues. It is important that you look at your home through critical eyes, only then can you see its flaws just as a potential buyer will do on a viewing.
If you would like advice on how best to approach getting your home ready for sale, call our sales team.
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The average asking price across the UK is now £403k compared to £339k in Q1 2019, an increase of nearly 19% in two years. Book a valuation with Deakin-White to find out how much your home is now worth - www.dwrealestate.co.uk/valuation
With a sustained high level of Sales Agreed and no significant increase in properties coming to market, the lack of available properties is continuing to push prices up as demand currently significantly exceeds supply, providing for a sellers’ market.
All regions of the UK have benefited from the increase in property asking prices with the lower performance of Inner & Outer London a direct consequence of the impact of the pandemic.
Our extensive property data tracks homemovers as they make their way through the buying and selling process. Known as the Homemover Wave, this journey can last several months and is broken down into the specific stages below and triggered by activity such as online property searches, surveys and EPC reports.
At the beginning of April 2022 there are over 1.45 million households progressing through the home move journey. This is an increase of nearly 300k compared to January 2022 with the number of people entering the top of the funnel rising significantly.
The spending power associated with this massive volume of movers can bring huge revenue gains and strong ROI across multiple sectors and categories, particularly as our economy and retailers start to experience a slowdown in consumer expenditure.
If you are thinking of selling, click this link to see book a valuation today - www.dwrealestate.co.uk/valuation
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No matter which TV channel you switch on these days there seems to be a programme about dating, from Love is Blind and Love Island to the one that is always met with disbelief, Married at First Sight. Here contestants commit to marrying someone they have never met, and, before you gasp in horror, many buyers commit to making the biggest investment of their life to date by buying a property after the first viewing. With this in mind, what tips can you as a buyer learn from such dating shows in our Married at First Sight Deakin-White Edition.
The wedding
You have been trying to find the ideal house match for weeks, maybe months and even years. Just like online dating, things can be equally frustrating: properties may not look the same as the photos or you don’t get that initial and all-important spark, and then you get a call to view a property that you have not seen, before it hits the market. You walk towards the property with trepidation, unsure what to expect, nerves are battering your stomach and you hope it is everything you imagined.
As you walk through the door, do you have butterflies? Is there a spark? Are you falling in love? First impressions are, of course, important, but do make sure you take everything into account so your heart doesn’t rule your head and you have disappointments down the line.
The morning after
Things always look clearer the next day, but with the current property market you may not wish to wait to make a move. It may not take until the next day for the cracks to appear in your love for the home; there may be things that will mean you have to compromise on your wish list, or the property could need some work. Just as nobody is perfect, a ‘perfect’ property can have one or two niggles, so always look at everything and only when you have the full picture can you be sure if this house is the new love of your life.
The dinner party
One of the events the contestants in the TV programme participate in is the regular dinner party, where they all get together to air their views and opinions. You will no doubt wish to discuss the property with your friends and family, and they will no doubt have a few things to say. Remember that they have not seen the house, so can only go from your feedback, but don’t let them cloud your judgement. You know in your gut if this is the one for you.
Commitment ceremony
Are you ready to commit to this property for the foreseeable future? It is decision time: are you going to say I do to this property you have only seen at first sight? If you have any questions, now is the time to get them answered; as well as asking advice from those close to you, you should also ask the experts. At Deakin-White we want you to ask questions, because the more you ask the more certain you will be in the decision you are about to make.
Final vows
Having an offer accepted is only the starting point for buying a property. You think finding a property to love is hard. The sales process can shatter emotions, create issues and doubts, and put your certainty for this house of your dreams at risk. You need to keep reminding yourself of the importance of your feelings at ‘The Wedding’, acknowledge those morning-after thoughts and see the positives, consider those views expressed at the dinner party and how you made the decision to commit.
You and your new home will face some challenges in the years to come, and you will never forget the first time you met At Deakin-White we look forward to playing a part in your very own Married at First Sight Deakin-White Edition. Give our team a call.
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It’s the season of bank holiday weekends, which for many of us means a chance to do some DIY and upgrade our home. You want to ensure any changes you make create a better environment for your family but also add value to your home should you decide to sell in the future. DIY can be a blessing and also a curse: it has the ability to enhance our homes but also destroy them. According to independent inspection body RISA, homeowners have spent over £6 billon trying to resolve DIY disasters. At a time where every penny counts, you won’t want a DIY SOS rather than an upgrade that will add value to your home.
Know your limitations
Before you pick up a hammer, knock down a wall or rip out the bathroom, be honest with yourself; we know that DIY can save you money and we relish the challenge and sense of achievement when the task is completed and looks fantastic. But what happens if you are out of your depth, and the small job uncovers another issue? Know when to get a professional in, as bad DIY can quickly knock thousands off the value of your home.
Start with first impressions
There will always be that house on a street that stands out from the rest: the home whose exterior shines, it may be minimalist chic, beautifully adorned with hanging baskets, or just give off that warm welcome that shows the home is loved. First impressions really do count and set the tone for the rest of your home; therefore, when it comes to where to start your DIY jobs, start from the very beginning with kerb appeal.
Your front door is the focal point of your home’s kerb appeal, a quick wash or a fresh coat of paint can really make a huge difference. Jet wash any paving. A healthy lawn and tubs and beds full of colour and life with seasonal planting will show that this home is loved and cared for. Potentially, having an attractive kerb appeal could add 2% -3% onto the value of your home.
Don’t forget the small stuff
It is easy to pay attention to the big jobs you wish to undertake and neglect those little jobs for another day. But it can often be the little things that ring the biggest alarm bells for potential buyers: dirty walls, mouldy sealant, broken lightbulbs all say that this home is not cared for and buyers will wonder what bigger issues lie beneath the surface.
Bathrooms
At some point you may wish to upgrade your bathroom, especially if it is starting to look tired, as this is a space in our homes where we can relax. The bath vs shower debate is one only you can decide, but bear in mind that, should you decide to sell in the future, not having a bath could turn some buyers off your home. Whatever you decide, it is essential to get it right and keep to your budget. You may wish to seek professional advice, or even ask them to undertake some of the work. As they say, kitchens and bathrooms sell houses, but most importantly create a bathroom that you will love to spend time in.
Your outdoor space
Your garden or terrace is an extension of your home; it is another ‘room’ in your property that, as the warmer weather starts to appear, you will want to spend a lot of time in. During lockdown we know that gardens were a DIY favourite, and the passion for having a garden that works for your family has not diminished. Every member of your family can potentially have a hand in upgrading your outside space, whether it is choosing the plants and shrubs or doing some heavy lifting as required. Our tip would be to make sure that your different zones flow into each other and that your choice of materials creates a cohesive style that defines and elevates your garden into a stylish haven you all can enjoy.
Upgrades on a budget
There are many jobs you can do that will potentially help the value of your property but will also not require a large investment like a new kitchen or extension would. From decluttering to decorating, organising and freshening your home’s décor can make a huge difference to how you enjoy your space as a family but also can increase your home’s attraction to potential buyers. There are plenty of ‘organising’ shows on TV to give you some inspiration, from Netflix’s The Home Edit to Stacey Solomon’s Sort Your Life Out, with some simple changes your home can be transformed.
A word of caution
We would be remiss if we didn’t advise you that not all renovations and home upgrades will add value to your home, therefore, if you are thinking of undertaking a big project, please talk to your local estate agent to ensure that the works you do will add value and not exceed the ceiling price for a property in the area.
If you would like any advice on simple or big DIY upgrades that will add value to your home, please call our team.
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Key information
- Equestrian property is land registered for keeping horses
- You’ll need at least 1–1.5 acres of land per horse
- An average horse will need a 12’x12’ stall
Owning equestrian property is a dream for every horse owner. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or a casual rider, the convenience and pleasure of having your horse on your doorstep has endless appeal.
But horse properties are more than a house with an adjoining field. From land and stable size to access requirements, there’s a lot to consider to make sure you find a suitable property. In this guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know to find the perfect home for you and your horse.
What is equestrian property?
Equestrian property is exactly what the name suggests: it’s property with the appropriate space and facilities to house horses.
If you’re buying land that’s not already being used to keep horses, you’ll have to apply for Change of Use permission from your local planning authority to register it as equestrian property. Agricultural land can be used for grazing horses, but beyond this, you’ll need to specifically register your land for equestrian use to avoid a planning breach.
How much land do horses need?
One of the most important things to look out for when buying equestrian property is the size of the plot. You don’t need to have a vast country estate with several acres of secluded pasture, but horses are large animals and need plenty of space to graze and exercise.
The British House Society recommends roughly 1–1.5 acres per horse. But if you can afford to go above that, your horse will be happier.
It’s important to remember that this acreage should only include land suitable for grazing. If you have any wooded land on your property, for example, that won’t count towards the amount of space your horses need.
When looking at property size, bear in mind its suitability long-term. Having more than you need at first gives you flexibility if you want to build facilities like an outdoor arena or keep additional horses in the future.
Finding the right location
As ever with property, location is key when looking for a home for you and your horses, and finding the right one will depend on your specific needs.
If you’re a casual weekend rider then you’ll ideally want a property with easy access or proximity at least to bridle paths. For competitors and professional riders, being able to quickly reach the motorway will be essential for getting to events.
Bear in mind that the region you focus your land search on may mean some compromises are necessary. In the densely-populated south east, for example, a property with perfect direct access to hacking routes will likely come with a high price tag to match.
However you ride, you’ll want to do some research before you buy to find out where the nearest equine vets and farriers are. Also think carefully about how the property is accessed, as you’ll need to be able to manoeuvre a horse trailer or truck in and out regularly.
What your horses will need
Just as important as location is the reason you’re looking for equestrian property in the first place: the horses themselves. Keeping horses isn’t as simple as finding a plot of grass. There’s a lot to consider to make sure things are right for them.
For starters, it’s recommended to have a yard within sight of your house for easy access and security. As for the land itself, the type of soil matters too. Free-draining limestone or chalk is best for keeping horses outside year-round, but soil that’s too heavy in clay will get boggy in the winter.
Finding a property with an existing barn or stables is recommended for first-time buyers. But always make sure the facilities are well-built, insulated, and have ample space — the BHS recommends 12’x12’ stalls for an average horse to move and lie down comfortably. Adequate tack and feed storage space is also important, as is running water and a sink. Horses are thirsty animals.
There’s a lot to think about when it comes to buying equestrian property. But with careful consideration of what you need, there’s no reason you can’t find your dream home for you and your horse.
Deakin-White makes it easy to find, research, buy and sell land, contact us today for your equestrian needs.
Credit: Addland
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Key information
- Prefab - short for prefabricated - means the building has been constructed off site, it’s not about the style or design
- Going down the prefab route could be cheaper and will certainly allow you to budget more accurately
- Prefab homes tend to be quicker to build, more durable and more heat efficient
Building a bespoke home from the ground up is a dream for many. But unexpected problems that delay construction or blow the budget can turn a self-build into a nightmare.
With that in mind, many self-builders are turning to prefab homes as an alternative. With the construction done offsite and to high factory standards, prefabs can remove a lot of the uncertainty - and a lot of the risk - from a self-build project.
If you’re looking to build your own home and wondering if prefab is the way to go, our guide is here to take you through everything you need to know.
What is a prefab home?
Prefab homes come with a lot of connotations, and not all of them are good. For many people, the term conjures images of identical and uninspiring dwellings erected on the cheap - or worse, the squat “tin town” emergency housing of the postwar years.
But the modern prefab means something very different. Prefab, short for prefabricated, just means that the building is constructed off site in a factory and then delivered to the plot to be assembled. Modular construction like this is a method, not a specific style or design.
Using a prefab doesn’t necessarily mean you have any less freedom to design your house than if you were building it the traditional way. It is true that some types of prefab are more prescriptive than others. Kit houses for example come pre-designed with little to no input from the buyer, while some cheaper prefab packages offer only a limited range of flexibility.
However, the majority of prefab house suppliers will work with you to ensure the house is built to your design and specifications. From the roof and walls to the internal layout and fittings, you’ll still have enough design control over your prefab home to create a completely bespoke project.
Are prefab homes cheaper than building?
If self-builds are notorious for one thing, it’s their tendency to burn through even the most careful of budgets. So it’s no wonder that prefabs are often looked to as a way of realising a dream home for a fraction of the usual cost.
Unfortunately when it comes to initial costs, prefab homes aren’t much cheaper, if at all, than a traditional build. In fact, prefabs can sometimes price higher as they need extra materials to ensure they’re strong enough to journey over motorways and bumpy roads from the factory.
That being said, prefab projects can often work out cheaper in the end. For starters, you’ll likely be paying less in labour costs as construction times can be faster. But most importantly, prefabs offer much greater certainty on what the final cost will be.
Because prefabricated houses are built to precise specifications, it’s far easier for suppliers to estimate required materials. That can spare you from either paying for more than you need, or having to dip into a contingency budget to buy extra materials partway through the project. Building a house inside a factory also gives you an extremely accurate timescale, as inclement weather won’t be able to halt work and cause any costly delays.
The benefits of prefabs
In the long term, prefabricated buildings offer quite a few advantages over traditionally-built homes. For starters, they are considered inherently more durable. Prefabs need extra reinforcement to withstand being transported from the factory to your building site. And while that increases the costs - on average they require 10-30% extra materials for reinforcement - it also gives prefabs greater structural strength.
In fact, studies in the US have shown that prefab homes - and modular homes in particular - suffer less property damage after hurricanes and tornadoes than traditional builds. While your home is unlikely to be tested to quite the same extremes in the UK, it’s still reassuring to know just how sturdy a prefab can be.
When it comes to energy efficiency, prefab homes tend to have the upper hand. That’s because the high level of accuracy that comes from factory manufacturing means prefabs are generally more airtight, and therefore lose less heat. Not only will that help the environment, but it will also help keep your bills down.
But what if you decide to move on? A common misconception about prefab homes is that they’re worth less on the market than a traditionally-built house. However, on average prefabs are valued about the same as their counterparts.
Prefabs provide a high quality and affordable alternative to traditional builds, and for many self-builders they’re the best way to make their dream home a reality.
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Credit: Addland
