DIY development without the headache

Watch any episode of Grand Designs and you’ll see individuals struggling with the trials, tribulations and tantrums that go hand in hand with building your own home.

When edited into a neat one-hour episode, DIY development seems a desirable alternative; a YouGov survey* claimed that 42% of respondents were considering it and last week's Grand Designs Live at ExCel is reported to have attracted in excess of 100,000 visitors.

But the reality is that many self-build projects take years to complete and are flawed with costly mistakes; money wasted putting things right that, if left to the experts, would never have gone wrong in the first place.

Now, a new service from veteran developers Westshield Homes, offers individuals the opportunity to create a ‘made to measure’ home whilst forgoing the usual headaches.

‘Design and Build’ from Westshield, utilises the company’s considerable experience, capability and contacts to craft a home that is tailored to a purchasers every requirement.

Westshield has been crafting bespoke homes for over thirty years, and has extensive experience of working one-to-one with individuals or their appointed third party to identify an ideal location, style and finish according to personal preference and budget.

Everything from extensions and redesigns to demolish and rebuild can be catered for – even if it is on a plot the customer already owns and it’s their existing home that’s being removed to make way for a new one.

Westshield will handle every aspect of the project from sourcing sites, handling planning applications, appointing and briefing the most appropriate consultants according to the style of the project to constructing the desired property.

And, if like Foxtons founder Jon Hunt, you fancy carving a five-storey car museum below ground basement construction can also be catered for either in isolation on an existing property or as part of a development project. Using untapped space below ground allows homeowners to create home offices, gyms, swimming pools…whatever is required, whilst having minimum impact on the immediate property environment.

Westshield has already identified a number of choice building plots suitable for Design and Build projects; details on these and a brochure on the service can be obtained by visiting westshieldhomes.co.uk.

* YouGov survey commissioned to launch the National Self Build and Renovation Centre