A bonus for self-builders is that they are able to claim back the value added tax (VAT) at the end of the build. At a time when money will be tight after spending so much on the build it is a treat to have a substantial amount of money to perhaps treat the family to a holiday after a year of hard work.

There seems to be a romantic image that surrounds the words, build your own house. A mock Tudor set in the countryside, an ultra modern town house built of glass, perhaps an Eco-friendly barn type building. Weve all seen the programmes and dreamed the dreams. Reality is a different prospect and many dreamers drop at the first hurdle. How about you?

Planning an underground house can have some very tricky elements and although underground homes are still rare, they are increasing in number, particularly for self-builds, because they can be built on land where a normal house simply could not be built.