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The Essential Guide » Introduction » Introduction to Self Build and Property Renovation
Self Build / Property Renovation and DIY - Simplified
A comprehensive source of information for Self Build, Renovation, small Commercial Building projects and DIY.
What is "Self Build Simplified", and why is it needed?
Over the past 20 years “Amateur” building projects of all sizes and complexities have become more and more common place in the UK.
The growth of the DIY Superstores and large Builders Merchants has, over the years, enabled anyone who “fancied having a go” at anything, - from creating a sand pit in the garden, through to building their own dream home, - to do so.
As DIY projects of all types and sizes have become more popular, the availability of information, materials and services, - and the size of the industry as a whole has increased exponentially.
The internet has now taken this a step further. We can now, by a few clicks, be in contact with just about any type of trade, service provider or supplier anywhere in the UK or across the world.
In theory, that’s great news for everyone! - BUT, and it is a “BIG BUT”: - Despite the "mass" of information available just about everywhere we look, most of us still have very little knowledge of "DIY" or "Building" as a whole. - In other words, - the amount we know about the products, processes, materials, costs, risks, safety and the people that we could be planning spending A LOT of money on, has not expanded at the same rate as the supply of goods and services available. - Indeed, many of us, at the time we think about starting a project, don't actually have the ability or knowledge that we need to make a success of it .
Unfortunately, because we see so many TV programmes, and read and hear about so many other people "doing it", many of us don't actually realize that
We are very rarely shown TV programmes or are presented with written articles about the "disasters" that befall many people who thought they could do it, but found out that, in fact, they couldn't! - But believe me there are Thousands of them every year!!
Ok, - before we start a project, some of us will do some research in to whatever subject it is that we are planning on tackling. - BUT, many of us won't! - Many of us will just "cross our fingers" and get started!
Even those who do actually make the effort to learn about the subject will often find that the more research they do, the more confused they get! - Why? - Because a lot of the information that is freely available comes from people who are hoping to "sell a product on the back of it", or to make money one way or another by you reading it. - It could therefore be biased in some way towards a particular product / method / suppier / manufacturer etc . The rest of the Un biased information could then sometimes contradict it, to a lesser or greater extent.
DONT GET ME WRONG! - I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT! - Information is good! - BUT, if you read TOO MUCH "stuff" about any given subject, some of which is written WITHOUT bias, and some which is written WITH bias, you are likely to end up getting get some differing views, which can lead to confusion, which can in turn leave you not knowing which is the best way to turn!, and can eventually lead you to shelving the whole thing!
Hopefully this site and this guide is going to help to change that.
So this is the way it is at the moment:
ANYONE, with or without knowledge of the Building Industry can "launch into" a major project with either "some" or "no" knowledge of the subject . They could be planning to spend £100 or £500,000.
It is a bit like getting into a car and starting to drive up a completely "blind alley" in the dark, hoping that our headlights will be good enough to highlight all the obstacles in our way, so that we can steer our way around them.
Unfortunately in real life, those obstacles have a tendancy to "move" or to "hide" behind other obstacles so we don't get to see them until its too late and we end up colliding with them!
There are iterally thousands of companies out there who make their money out of the "Sef Build / Renovation / Conversion and DIY Industries. - Some of them are excellent companies with good reputations, offering high quality services and products. BUT there are also many of them who KNOW that the general public's knowledge of the Building Industry as a whole is often fairly "flimsy", and who are ready and happy to take FULL ADVANTAGE of that fact.
That is where THE BIG WEAKNESS is in the industry.:
The internet has now taken this a step further. We can now, by a few clicks, be in contact with just about any type of trade, service provider or supplier anywhere in the UK or across the world.
In theory, that’s great news for everyone! - BUT, and it is a “BIG BUT”: - Despite the "mass" of information available just about everywhere we look, most of us still have very little knowledge of "DIY" or "Building" as a whole. - In other words, - the amount we know about the products, processes, materials, costs, risks, safety and the people that we could be planning spending A LOT of money on, has not expanded at the same rate as the supply of goods and services available. - Indeed, many of us, at the time we think about starting a project, don't actually have the ability or knowledge that we need to make a success of it .
Unfortunately, because we see so many TV programmes, and read and hear about so many other people "doing it", many of us don't actually realize that
We are very rarely shown TV programmes or are presented with written articles about the "disasters" that befall many people who thought they could do it, but found out that, in fact, they couldn't! - But believe me there are Thousands of them every year!!
Ok, - before we start a project, some of us will do some research in to whatever subject it is that we are planning on tackling. - BUT, many of us won't! - Many of us will just "cross our fingers" and get started!
Even those who do actually make the effort to learn about the subject will often find that the more research they do, the more confused they get! - Why? - Because a lot of the information that is freely available comes from people who are hoping to "sell a product on the back of it", or to make money one way or another by you reading it. - It could therefore be biased in some way towards a particular product / method / suppier / manufacturer etc . The rest of the Un biased information could then sometimes contradict it, to a lesser or greater extent.
DONT GET ME WRONG! - I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT! - Information is good! - BUT, if you read TOO MUCH "stuff" about any given subject, some of which is written WITHOUT bias, and some which is written WITH bias, you are likely to end up getting get some differing views, which can lead to confusion, which can in turn leave you not knowing which is the best way to turn!, and can eventually lead you to shelving the whole thing!
Hopefully this site and this guide is going to help to change that.
So this is the way it is at the moment:
ANYONE, with or without knowledge of the Building Industry can "launch into" a major project with either "some" or "no" knowledge of the subject . They could be planning to spend £100 or £500,000. It is a bit like getting into a car and starting to drive up a completely "blind alley" in the dark, hoping that our headlights will be good enough to highlight all the obstacles in our way, so that we can steer our way around them.
Unfortunately in real life, those obstacles have a tendancy to "move" or to "hide" behind other obstacles so we don't get to see them until its too late and we end up colliding with them!
There are iterally thousands of companies out there who make their money out of the "Sef Build / Renovation / Conversion and DIY Industries. - Some of them are excellent companies with good reputations, offering high quality services and products. BUT there are also many of them who KNOW that the general public's knowledge of the Building Industry as a whole is often fairly "flimsy", and who are ready and happy to take FULL ADVANTAGE of that fact.
That is where THE BIG WEAKNESS is in the industry.:
It's not lack of available information. Its not lack of suitable Suppliers / Tradespeople / Specialists. It's not a lack of suitable resources and materials:
The big weakness in the Building Industry is a lack of knowledge and experience in the "Client Sector" (that basically means anyone who wants anything "doing"!), in the areas of Design, Materials, Manufacture, and Maintenance.
The big weakness in the Building Industry is a lack of knowledge and experience in the "Client Sector" (that basically means anyone who wants anything "doing"!), in the areas of Design, Materials, Manufacture, and Maintenance.
Here to Help!
This guide, along with the rest of the site, aims to help "the general public" to "arm themselves" against those people who would happily take any opportunity to give them a poor quality product or service for a "higher than fair" price.
This is NOT a "Construction Manual". It's not going to tell you what the maximum span of an 8" x 2" joist is, or how to rewire your house, but rather (as the title suggests), it is designed to "guide" you through the whole of your projects, from start to finish. - No matter what size or complexity they are. Giving you UNBIASED information / hints / tips / ideas / shortcuts / warnings / "headsup's" etc.
The guide hopefully presents you with:
1) "The basics" (the stuff that those "headlights" will pick up as you drive down that blind alley!).
2) A knowledge of WHAT YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR (i.e. those moving and hidden objects which jump out in front of you as you drive).
If you start your projects "armed" with this guide, and you follow the suggestions, take the advice, do the research, etc. - AND, if you make full use of the "Building & DIY.com Community" section to talk to other people around the country, you will hopefully find that as you launch into your project, you will feel a lot more confident that you are going to be able to complete it successfully, and within budget, without having crashed into too many of the obstacles on the way!
The guide hopefully presents you with:
1) "The basics" (the stuff that those "headlights" will pick up as you drive down that blind alley!).
2) A knowledge of WHAT YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR (i.e. those moving and hidden objects which jump out in front of you as you drive).
If you start your projects "armed" with this guide, and you follow the suggestions, take the advice, do the research, etc. - AND, if you make full use of the "Building & DIY.com Community" section to talk to other people around the country, you will hopefully find that as you launch into your project, you will feel a lot more confident that you are going to be able to complete it successfully, and within budget, without having crashed into too many of the obstacles on the way!
So, what does "Self Build Simplified" do?
Amongst other things, it answers questions. - The important questions:
The ones that everyone considering taking in a project would like answered, and SHOULD have answered, but which are often “glossed over” on the internet and in written publications, because there are not many people who are able to commit their advice to print for fear of offending a "customer or client"!
I have approached the writing of the guide, and the whole subject from a slightly novel angle. I have written the whole guide in a manner as if I was sitting in your living room, simply chatting to you about your project. It is written informally, and it doesn’t tell you that you HAVE TO DO ANYTHING!
It will hopefully teach you a bit about many relevant subject, and it will give you advice, tips, hints, and ideas on how to go about bringing your ideas successfully into reality. BUT, I am not trying to tell ANYONE that "My way is the right way". - One thing I learned in the Building industry a long time ago, is that there are very few things within the industry which have ONLY ONE RIGHT WAY of being done. MOST things you will come across whilst you plan and complete your projects will come with "choices". Sometimes one or two, sometimes dozens. ALL could give you a satisfactory result, and it's UP TO YOU which one you choose.
What I do in this guide is to try to guide you so that you will have a better idea of WHAT TO LOOK FOR to actually GET those choices in the first place, and to help to enable you to make the best decision for YOUR PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
I have tried to deal w
ith many of the “big” questions,
but have also gone right down into the “nitty gritty” to help to give you at least a basic understanding of each subject, and maybe to help to plant the “seeds of ideas” in your minds, which will allow you to formulate your own answers to your individual situations.
I have approached the writing of the guide, and the whole subject from a slightly novel angle. I have written the whole guide in a manner as if I was sitting in your living room, simply chatting to you about your project. It is written informally, and it doesn’t tell you that you HAVE TO DO ANYTHING!
It will hopefully teach you a bit about many relevant subject, and it will give you advice, tips, hints, and ideas on how to go about bringing your ideas successfully into reality. BUT, I am not trying to tell ANYONE that "My way is the right way". - One thing I learned in the Building industry a long time ago, is that there are very few things within the industry which have ONLY ONE RIGHT WAY of being done. MOST things you will come across whilst you plan and complete your projects will come with "choices". Sometimes one or two, sometimes dozens. ALL could give you a satisfactory result, and it's UP TO YOU which one you choose.
What I do in this guide is to try to guide you so that you will have a better idea of WHAT TO LOOK FOR to actually GET those choices in the first place, and to help to enable you to make the best decision for YOUR PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
I have tried to deal w
ith many of the “big” questions, but have also gone right down into the “nitty gritty” to help to give you at least a basic understanding of each subject, and maybe to help to plant the “seeds of ideas” in your minds, which will allow you to formulate your own answers to your individual situations.
As I said earlier, this is not a technical manual. – There are plenty of other publications which comprehensively cover in detail all the technical areas. – I am not competing with anyone at that level.
This guide should be seen as being “complimentary” to every other part of the Residential Building and DIY industries. - In fact as your read it you will see that often I suggest other sources of information such as the exhibitions, magazines and books where I think they could be of use to your projects. If I think there is something, someone or somewhere that can help you, I will tell you about it. - I am able to do this without a problem because the site has no bias.
This guide should be seen as being “complimentary” to every other part of the Residential Building and DIY industries. - In fact as your read it you will see that often I suggest other sources of information such as the exhibitions, magazines and books where I think they could be of use to your projects. If I think there is something, someone or somewhere that can help you, I will tell you about it. - I am able to do this without a problem because the site has no bias.
How should it be read?
The guide is designed to allow you to easily “dip in” to any section that you want to learn about. You can quickly navigate from the "Home page" to any relevant page of the guide, in a few seconds.
As you read each section, you will see that some of the words are written in BLUE. Each one of these words is actually a “link” to the Trade Directory. If you are reading about "Roofing" and you decide you now want to find a "Roofer", simply click on the link. You will be asked for your "Post Code", to be taken directly to the relevant section of the Trade Directory, where you will be presented with "Roofers" who cover that particular post code area.
SO: Read the individual pages, print them off and make "personal" use of them as you wish. They are free for you to use for your personal projects (but please don’t use them in other publications without our permission. - They are not meant for anyone to take advantage of “free of charge” in order to generate income for themselves)
REMEMBER: Don’t take anything you read in the guide as being “The only way to do it”. As I have said, there is very rarely only one way to do something in this industry. – Your situation will be unique. Every single project is a “one off”, and everyone’s circumstances are different.
Use what you learn from the guide to help guide you into making your own decisions based on your project, your situation, your location, your finances, your needs, and your dreams.
Use what you learn from the guide to help guide you into making your own decisions based on your project, your situation, your location, your finances, your needs, and your dreams.
If you use the Guide in conjunction with the networking section of the site, to learn and gain confidence to take on your project, whatever its size, hopefully you will find the whole process a lot less complicated and daunting than perhaps you thought it was.
Good luck.
Barry Sutcliffe
Barry Sutcliffe
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