Renovating an existing property

People usually think of self-building as buying an empty plot of land and building a new house on it. However, you should also consider buying a derelict empty house and either demolishing it or renovating it.

Disadvantages

There may be extra work needed to prepare for the build, and you may have to compromise on the design of your house.

Advantages

You'll often already have connections to road, water, electricity, sewerage and gas. This means it'll be a lot easier and quicker to get your new home connected up to these services.