Designing your own home Step 1 of 9 - Introduction 0% Section 1 – IntroductionCongratulations! You’re a step closer to designing your own home. Completing this form is the first stage in our design process. Submitting it will provide our designers with answers to some of the key questions around which they will base their initial discussions with you before getting started on your design. The form takes between 20 – 40 minutes to complete, depending on how detailed you are. The more information you can provide, the more prepared our team will be when it comes to the next stage – consulting with you. If you’re keen to get started now, but worried about time, you can save your answers and return at a later date to finish it. After you press submit, you’ll be contacted by one of our design team within 3 working days.What statement best applies to you at the current time?(Required) I am at the very early stages and thinking about self-building I have identified a plot of land, but do not own this yet I am exploring self-building on my own land, but do not yet have outline or detailed planning permission I plan to build on my own land and have secured planning consent (either outline or detailed planning) I plan to demolish an existing dwelling that I own and build a new home I have made an offer on a plot of land with outline or detailed planning I own a plot of land with outline or detailed planning The minimum requirement for our design service is that you already have acquired your land. Your design will be influenced by the characteristics of your plot. Orientation, solar gain, gradient, local vernacular, and surrounding properties will all have a role to play in shaping your design, so without a specific site to work with, we can’t get started. One of the best things you can do at this stage is to continue your research until you have found the perfect plot. Our website contains helpful information on finding land.To work with us on your self-build design you must already have acquired your land. As you have identified a plot hopefully it should not be long before your offer is accepted and the sale complete. We’d love for you to return at this stage, so that we can help you get started with your design.It is important to establish if your local authority will deem the land that you have identified to build on as acceptable for development. If you have submitted a pre-application to your local authority and they have confirmed that they will accept a planning application for consideration, please proceed with this form. We will ask you to supply a copy of the pre-application response as part of this design brief process. If you haven’t yet spoken to your local authority, we suggest that you explore the pre-application route first to ensure that it’s a viable option before starting the design process.Please click the following link to visit our Self-Builder Resources page, where you will find everything you need to help you get started on your self-build journey. Self-Build ResourcesLet’s get startedPlease provide any additional information you feel might be relevant in relation to your plotYour Name(Required) First Name Last Name Email(Required) Preferred contact telephone numberPostal Address & Postcode Address Line 1 Address Line 2 Village/Town/City County Postcode AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzechiaCôte d'IvoireDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHoly SeeHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth MacedoniaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestine, State ofPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaRéunionSaint BarthélemySaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint MartinSaint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint MaartenSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwedenSwitzerlandSyria Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, the United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluTürkiyeUS Minor Outlying IslandsUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaViet NamVirgin Islands, BritishVirgin Islands, U.S.Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweÅland Islands Country Site Address & Postcode(Required) Same as above address details Site Address Line 1 Site Address Line 2 Site Village/Town/City Site County Site Postcode AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzechiaCôte d'IvoireDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHoly SeeHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth MacedoniaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestine, State ofPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaRéunionSaint BarthélemySaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint MartinSaint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint MaartenSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwedenSwitzerlandSyria Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, the United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluTürkiyeUS Minor Outlying IslandsUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaViet NamVirgin Islands, BritishVirgin Islands, U.S.Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweÅland Islands Site Country Section 2 – Your BudgetThe questions in this section are important to help us understand the scale and scope of your design.What statement best describes your budget at the current time?(Required) I’m clear on the total floor area for my build and have a good idea of the budget I will need to achieve this I have a good idea of my budget range and have explored cost calculators I haven’t yet worked out what I can afford to build in terms of size, but I have a good idea of my budget range I’m not yet sure what budget will be available to me, and therefore what I can afford to build It’s really important to understand what you can afford to build before you start the design process. The designs in our gallery may help to shape your ideas in terms of dwelling size and our cost calculator will help you to establish a guide floor area for your available budget. Please return to complete the rest of this form once you have a floor area in mind that works for your budget. Cost CalculatorIt’s really important to understand what you can afford to build before you start the design process. The designs in our gallery may help to shape your ideas in terms of dwelling size and our cost calculator will help you to establish what budget is required in relation to floor area. You can also find information on securing finance for your self-build on our website. You will need to have a clear idea of budget before starting the design process. Please return to complete the rest of this form once you have a floor area in mind that works for your budget. Cost CalculatorPlease enter your floor area as a total m² figure(Required)This should include all storeysPlease enter your budget(Required)This figure should relate to the total cost to build your home, excluding the cost of the land. Please only enter numerals, do not try and enter £ signs or commas.Please enter a number from 0 to 99999999.When do you plan to start the build phase of your project?(Required) 6 -12 months 12-18 months 18-24 months 2 years + Section 3 – Your siteFinding a suitable plot is one of the most challenging aspects of self-building. Having overcome that hurdle, it is now important to understand how your parcel of land can be put to work to achieve your perfect design. The following questions will help us to better understand your site.Upload photographs of your site herePlease stand in the centre of your plot and take a 360-degree set of images, this will give our design team a helpful flavour of your site. Please also include images that show the access to your site and any key views or specific characteristics. The size of each image is limited to 5Mb. You can upload up to 5 images in total. If you have more images, you can provide these later. Drop files here or Select files Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, png, pdf, Max. file size: 5 MB, Max. files: 5. Video(s) of your siteIf you have taken video of your site you would like to share with us, you should upload your videos to YouTube/Vimeo/Dropbox/iCloud or similar cloud storage, and then paste links to the videos below (one link per line please)Do you have a site plan? Yes No The site plan is a very important part of the design process. It indicates the orientation of the plot, site access, boundaries, and neighbouring structures. Understanding the site allows the designer to consider solar gain around the house as well as capturing important views. It also allows consideration of unwanted views and prevailing winds. Furthermore, it may determine the shape and size of the design based on the boundaries. Please sketch out a site plan and indicate the direction North and upload this below.Site Plan upload(Required)Accepted file types: jpg, gif, png, pdf, Max. file size: 5 MB.Please supply the approximate dimensions East to West, and North to South of your plot?(Required)Please provide the planning reference for your plot(Required)Please provide the pre-application response from your local authority for your plot(Required)Are there any planning constraints that you are aware of at this stage?(Required) Yes No Please briefly describe the key conditions(Required)Are there any existing buildings on the site?(Required) Yes No Please briefly describe these buildings(Required)Are there any trees on your site that need to be protected?(Required) Yes No Don’t know Are there any natural features on your site that are important to view, enhance, protect, or experience in any way?(Required) Yes No Please provide details(Required)Any further informationYou can elaborate on any of the questions above here, or if you have anything additional you would like to add in relation to your site, there is space to do so below Section 4 – Type of dwellingWhich description best describes the type of home you plan to build?(Required) Single storey (or bungalow) Two-storey Three or more storeys Room in the roof (1½ storeys) 1¾ storeys I am undecided Large extension to an existing dwelling Other, please describe Other type of dwelling(Required) Section 5 – Design preferenceWhat best describes your design preference for your home?(Required) Traditional Contemporary Please elaborate on what a traditional or contemporary home means to you?e.g. you might say “open-plan spaces with lots of glazing” or “a cottage aesthetic”Please upload images that illustrate your design preferencesPlease name your images with the specific detail you wish to highlight before uploading, for example “cladding material”. The size of each image is limited to 5Mb. You can upload up to 5 images in total. If you don’t have images to hand right now, or have more to share, you can provide these later. Drop files here or Select files Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, png, pdf, Max. file size: 5 MB, Max. files: 5. What best describes your proposed layout?(Required) Traditional layout (Kitchen/living spaces on the ground floor) Upside house (i.e. kitchen/living spaces on the first floor) N/A – planning a single storey dwelling Are there any members of your family, or regular visitors to your home, for whom accessibility is a requirement?(Required) Yes No Please provide further information to help ensure this is factored into your design(Required) Section 6 – Ground Floor Schedule of AccommodationPlease select all rooms/spaces you require on the ground floor(Required) Kitchen Kitchen/dining/family (open plan) Pantry Dining room Snug Lounge/living room/TV room Study Bedrooms Master Bedroom Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom 4 Bedroom 5 Study/bedroom Please select the Bedrooms you require on the ground floor(Required) Master Bedroom Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom 4 Bedroom 5 Study/bedroom Master Bedroom Options En Suite Dressing room Walk in wardrobe Master Bedroom En Suite Options Shower Bath WC Bidet Sink Double Sink Unit Other Master Bedroom En Suite OtherBedroom 2 Options Double Bedroom Single Bedroom En Suite Bedroom 2 En Suite Options Shower Bath WC Bidet Sink Double Sink Unit Other Bedroom 2 En Suite OtherBedroom 3 Options Double Bedroom Single Bedroom En Suite Bedroom 3 En Suite Options Shower Bath WC Bidet Sink Double Sink Unit Other Bedroom 3 En Suite OtherBedroom 4 Options Double Bedroom Single Bedroom En Suite Bedroom 4 En Suite Options Shower Bath WC Bidet Sink Double Sink Unit Other Bedroom 4 En Suite OtherBedroom 5 Options Double Bedroom Single Bedroom En Suite Bedroom 5 En Suite Options Shower Bath WC Bidet Sink Double Sink Unit Other Bedroom 5 En Suite OtherBathing and Utilities Family bathroom WC Shower room Boot/mud room Laundry Utility room Plant room What do you require in your family bathroom? Shower Bath WC Bidet Sink Double Sink Unit Other What do you require in your family bathroom? – OtherGeneral, storage, leisure and garages Large hall Storage cupboards Gym Sun room Integrated garage Detached garage Other Will the garage be used to store vehicles?General, storage, leisure and garages – Other Section 7 – First floor Schedule of AccommodationPlease select all rooms/spaces you require on the first floor(Required) Kitchen Kitchen/dining/family (open plan) Pantry Dining room Snug Lounge/living room/TV room Study First Floor Bedrooms(Required) Master Bedroom Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom 4 Bedroom 5 Additional bedrooms First Floor Master Bedroom Options En Suite Dressing room Walk in wardrobe First Floor Master Bedroom En Suite Options Shower Bath WC Bidet Sink Double Sink Unit Other First Floor Master Bedroom En Suite OtherFirst Floor Bedroom 2 Options Double Bedroom Single Bedroom En Suite First Floor Bedroom 2 En Suite Options Shower Bath WC Bidet Sink Double Sink Unit Other First Floor Bedroom 2 En Suite OtherFirst Floor Bedroom 3 Options Double Bedroom Single Bedroom En Suite First Floor Bedroom 3 En Suite Options Shower Bath WC Bidet Sink Double Sink Unit Other First Floor Bedroom 3 En Suite OtherFirst Floor Bedroom 4 Options Double Bedroom Single Bedroom En Suite First Floor Bedroom 4 En Suite Options Shower Bath WC Bidet Sink Double Sink Unit Other First Floor Bedroom 4 En Suite OtherFirst Floor Bedroom 5 Options Double Bedroom Single Bedroom En Suite First Floor Bedroom 5 En Suite Options Shower Bath WC Bidet Sink Double Sink Unit Other First Floor Bedroom 5 En Suite OtherPlease describe your additional First Floor bedroom requirements hereFirst Floor Bathing and Utility(Required) Family Bathroom Shower room (shower, WC, sink only) Separate WC with sink only Laundry room Study Other First Floor Bathing and Utility Family Bathroom Shower room (shower, WC, sink only) Separate WC with sink only Laundry room Other First Floor Bathing and Utility – OtherFirst Floor Family Bathroom Options Shower Bath WC Bidet Sink Double Sink Unit Other What do you require in your family bathroom? – OtherPlease elaborate on your preferred schedule of accommodation, or provide additional information in relation to special requirements in the space belowIf you are planning a second floor, separate studio space, or anything that hasn’t so far been touched on, please describe your requirements here. Section 8 – Final questionsWhat style of architecture characterises the houses in your local area?(Required)Please describe the architectural features of neighbourhood properties (traditional, modern, of a specific period etc). Include information on the materials used and any obvious trends in fenestration, building heights and landscaping.Have you already given thought to your preferences for external materials?(Required) Yes No Please describe your external materials preferences hereYour decisions around energy will inform some of the requirements of your design.What sort of heating system are you planning to install?(Required)Please tick all that apply Gas boiler Electric storage heater Oil fired central heating Wood burner/stove Open fire LPG central heating Underfloor heating Do not require a heating system None of the above Other Other heating system detailsHave you considered any renewable technology solutions?(Required)Please tick all that apply Yes No Undecided Which renewable technology solutions have you considered?Please tick all that apply Air source heat pump Ground source heat pump Biomass Solar water heating Thermal energy stores Solar panels Wind turbine Hydro power Other Other renewable technology solutions considered Section 9 – Your final notesWe appreciate you may not know the answers to all the questions above yet; however, starting to consider them is a necessary first step on the road to developing your design. The space below will enable you to add any further information to help brief our design team. Some additional questions to consider include what is missing in your current house or what would you change? What have you seen in other homes that you would like to recreate? Are there any specific views you wish to capture from specific rooms? If there are differences in opinion between members of the family on key areas, note these down here so that we can then address everyone’s concerns and try to create a solution that includes everyone.Any further information you can provide to help our design teamThank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. You are one step closer to accessing our free design service. All that remains is to press the ‘Submit’ button below! This will send your brief to one of our team. It will take approximately 3 working days for our team to review your brief. At this point we will contact you to arrange a video call to discuss any questions we have before getting to work on translating your requirements into an initial design.EmailThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
