qualities count just as much as hard cash. ‘Historical buildings don’t need blockbuster budgets,’ Levinthal says. ‘There are plenty of examples of people who have done it on a shoestring but what they have had on their side is time, patience and a willingness to do a lot of the work themselves.’
You may need to be tenacious and determined to secure your dream property. Flexibility is also key. ‘You need to be realistic and there is an awful lot of hard work ahead of you,’ says Levinthal. ‘But if you can handle that you can end up with something really special.’
Self-build is another increasingly popular option. An estimated lS,000—20,000 people built their own homes last year in the UK, and with the average cost at £147,000 and a wider range of mortgages catering for the market than ever before, it is easy to see the appeal. ‘People are encouraged by the profile of self-build on shows like Grand Designs and they are seeing the space and the lack of compromise that can come with it,’ says Mike Hardwick, self-build advisor for the National Self-Build and Renovation Centre, who built his own home several years ago. ‘The mass produced have been designed for maximum profit for the developer and people are getting fed up of that. They don’t want to pay top dollar for a home where they can hardly fit in the furniture.’
Scotland, he claims, is the ideal location for the self-builder, with plenty of open spaces, natural materials and beautiful landscapes. And it needn’t be too difficult: advice is available in spades at the self-build centre in Swindon, which also runs a telephone helpline, while the best way to find a plot is by registering with online database Plot Search.
Hardwick warns against having a set idea of the perfect plot. ‘It doesn’t exist,’ he says. ‘Usually you find yourself looking at an abandoned petrol station or someone’s muddy backyard.’ Neither should you be afraid of knocking down an existing structure to build what you really want - it means that water and electricity, along with the legal framework, will already be in place. ‘And the more work you’re prepared to put in, the cheaper it is.’
Steve James, a 52-year-old software engineer,
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‘SCO'I'LAND IS THE IDEAL LOCATION FOR THE SELF-BUILDER AND IS BECOMING
AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR OP'I10N'
is living proof of that. He built his own unconventional house in Galloway, with straw- insulated walls and a turfed roof, for just £4000 in ten months. Friends helped with labour, and he salvaged most of the materials. Rocks, sand and turf all came from the local land; the wooden worktops come from trees felled in Pollok Park; the Belfast sink fiom a former primary school; a velux roof window was found in a skip; and the piece de resistance, a Tudor-style panel timber ceiling, was constructed out of changing cubical doors from Glasgow’s old Govan public baths.
The result is a slightly medieval-looking but cosy, watertight and ecologically-sound home with views to die for. There is a catch - the property has no planning permission and sits on someone else’s land, and he has only been given until 1 January 2011 by the landowner before it must be torn down.
Nevertheless, he stresses that the project was partly about raising awareness of what could be done for a fraction of the cost of an average home and insists anyone could be taught the skills they need to do it. ‘I wanted to prove you didn’t have to get a mortgage and work like a slave just to afford to live,’ he says. ‘Homes can be built cheaply, but it’s the land that accounts for about 85% of the cost, and it’s the planning permission that really eats up the money. I’ve shown it can be done and I’ll do it again.’
And he’s not alone. Despite all the financial handwringing, whether you opt to share with friends, get your DIY skills up to speed, or simply set yourself a target date and start saving, with some patience, determination and flexibility, you too can buy your dream home.
Sarah Beeny’s cool disapproval of hapless property developers with no sense of budget, timescale or the realities of the market makes for great TV. Here the star of Channel 4’s Property Ladder gives would-be developers the low-down on avoiding the pitfalls and turning a profit
Sarah Beeny may have flirted with the idea of a different career path but property was definitely in her stars. “My father is an architect and I grew up around building sites so they didn't seem daunting,‘ she explains. As her then-boyfriend (now husband) and brother were as keen on property as she was, setting up a development business seemed the obvious thing to do.
The three bought a split-level flat ‘in terrible condition' in the early 908, before development was fashionable, and set about doing it up. 'We did everything ourselves: put in a new kitchen and bathroom and did all the cosmetic work,’ she remembers. ‘It was hard but I loved it.’ Not that she'd recommend it to everyone.
While there is still money to be made professionally, her message for those hoping to make a quick buck is clear. ‘Don’t do it,’ she laughs. ‘If you want to start a property developing business that’s a different thing but it's never a good idea to see developing as something you do on the side. I'm always honest about that with people on the show. Off camera when people ask me what I think they should do I tell them: “Run for the hills. Don’t look back.“
But for those who do decide to go ahead. Beeny advises doing your homework and
a sticking to budget. One way of affording a new home might be to buy something that needs
work but don’t assume it will make you money, advises Beeny, and be honest about your DIY skills. ‘Take on as much work as you know you can do but never do it yourself unless you can do a good job. If you can't, it will be counterproductive and cost you money in the long run. Concentrate on one area at a time and make sure you get a really good finish.’
Be prepared to buy in a less than swanky location if you're on a budget; do your research on websites such as upmystreetcom and get to know the area by walking around. ‘After that, go with your gut feeling.’ she says. ‘If you'd be happy living there then the chances are that other people would be too.’
When it comes to selling up her advice couldn’t be simpler. ‘People really underestimate how off- putting ashtrays or litter trays can be.’ she says. ‘Give it a really good clean, from top to bottom.’