I built my three-bed dream home for £180k – how to do up a house on a budget

SAM Jackman would never have been able to afford to build her own home had she not inherited a derelict bungalow and plot.

Back in 2014, the 41-year-old was extremely lucky to have the run-down property in Calstock, Cornwall, where she grew up, gifted to her by her parents.

When Sam was given the plot of land by her father as an early inheritance, it had a run-down prefab bungalow on it, along with a dilapidated workshop space.

The former teacher and art museum worker, who now owns her own business, We Wear Boost, told The Sun: “My father was not keen on doing up a property himself, given the effort required, so wanted to pass it on.

“As I’m an only child, he gave me the opportunity to do it instead.

“As I didn’t have to purchase the plot, this saved me a major expense, meaning all money could be channelled into the self-build.”

Sam’s original plan had been to completely gut the bungalow and renovate it.

But, once she discovered there were asbestos issues and after speaking to some experts, she realised it would cost roughly the same to tear it down and build a new home from scratch.

It took Sam around 12 months to build her own home on a budget after planning permission was granted, costing around £180,000 in total.

She has now lived there for just under a decade along with her partner, David, and their son, Charlie, 14 – and she absolutely loves it.

Financing the project

But financing the project was no mean feat.

“Initially, I thought I’d just get a self-build mortgage,” she said. “But trying to get this over the line turned out to be really difficult.”

The couple also contemplated selling their home to release equity. At the time, Sam, her partner and son were living near Callington, just a few miles away from Calstock.

“I soon realised that I’d need to sell our home to help fund the build, because the mortgage kept falling through,” she said.

“I put it on the market expecting it to take a few months to sell, but we received a full asking price offer within two days – and were asked to move out within a week.”

As Sam needed the money from the house sale, she agreed.

“But I’d effectively made us homeless,” she said. “Then suddenly, the stars aligned, and we found out my aunt had a rental property nearby that we could move into.”

This allowed Sam to sell her home and release around £30,000 in equity. In addition, she then took out a bridging loan for around £100,000. 

“The rate on this was quite expensive, but it was only temporary, so it was affordable in the short term,” she said.

“Fortunately, as the self-build took shape, getting finance became easier.

“Once the property had bathrooms and a kitchen it became possible to get a ‘normal’ residential mortgage with a much more competitive rate.”

Breaking down the costs

One of the biggest expenses for Sam’s project was site clearance.

“I reckon I paid out about £45,000 on the preparatory work,” she said.

“This included things such as asbestos surveys, which came in at around £6,000, and landscaping, which cost around £20,000. Then, once the actual build began, things felt as though they were progressing.”

Specialists had to be brought in for jobs such as the electrics and plumbing, too.

How Sam saved money on her build

But, Sam was very efficient when it came to buying fixtures and fittings, which massively brought down her costs.

And a key part of Sam’s success in keeping costs down throughout the build was budgeting very carefully.

She said: “I was very honest with myself about the amount I had to spend in total, and therefore very disciplined about only choosing fixtures and fittings that were affordable.

“I decided not to go for high-end, and instead, opted for things like a ‘ready-made’ Howdens kitchen and Karndean vinyl flooring, which is easy to install and really hard-wearing too.”

She also focused on making it energy-efficient from the get-go to save money on her bills once she started living there.

“We opted for an air source heat pump,” she explained.

“As the property didn’t have gas, I thought the pump was worth investing in.

“We got solar panels installed, too, which have helped us save on our electricity bills.”

Another of Sam’s clever money-saving ideas was to host ‘painting parties,’ where friends and neighbours came to help with the decorating.

“When you’ve got to paint a large three-bed property entirely from scratch, you realise it’s going to take ages,” she said. “But with everyone chipping in, the job got done far more quickly and cheaply.”

She also opted to just have three larger bedrooms rather than more smaller bedrooms, which was actually more cost-efficient.

Instead, she spent that money on things she really wanted.

“The house also has a beautiful fireplace, underfloor heating and huge windows to enjoy the far-reaching views,” she explained.

Having land around the property has meant Sam has had room to expand over time, too.

How to keep costs down on a self-build

Marc von Grundherr, director of property firm Denham and Reeves, said it’s important to prioritise spending money on more difficult tasks, while tackling easier tasks yourself to cut costs.

“Painting, clearing, even basic landscaping of the garden are all achievable tasks that can be accomplished with time and effort,” he said.

“The more important aspects of a home, such as gas, electric and plumbing are always best left to a professional.”

Meanwhile, Tarquin Purdue, CEO of HaMuch.com, said materials can make a huge difference to how much a build costs.

“Materials make a huge difference to cost, especially during a property renovation, and the professionals will always ensure they use the right materials based on the budget they are given – so why wouldn’t you do the same? 

“Researching local suppliers, compare prices and look for deals, discounts and sales. It all adds up and it will give you a comprehensive view of what you can get from where and for the lowest price.

“If you are tight for cash, consider the next best alternative. Laminate flooring over hardwood, tiles flooring over marble, granite kitchen tops instead of quartz, composite decking over real wood or matte paint over expensive wallpaper.”