You know in my years of helping owner builders to complete their projects through giving the the skills and knowledge to run a small domestic construction project, one thing has always stuck in my mind.
About 6 years ago a young female student (the women do generally make better owner builders than the men) asked me a the start of one of my master classes, "what if at the end of the lesson, I decide I just cannot do this?"
I thought about it for a moment before announcing to the entire class of 30 odd students, "if all you learn over the next 3 days is that you should not or do not want to be an owner builder, then I have done my job"
Sounds a bit harsh, maybe, but I truly believe that if after completing a formal course in owner building you do not wish to continue with your project, then perhaps owner building is just not for you.
I must add that in almost 10 years now of running various owner builder courses and seminars I have probably only had a couple of students who have not gone on to complete a project because of a lack of confidence. Sure, some people do not continue with a project for other reasons such as a change in circumstance, but a lack of faith in their own abilities to successfully complete a project is rare.
Almost anyone can be a successful owner builder, what it take is a little bit of knowledge, good access to resources and advice throughout the project and discipline.
I cannot stress that enough, discipline is probably the single most important trait that separates a great owner builder from a good owner builder.
Discipline takes many forms as you start off on the journey of building your own home, and remains a constant requirements right through the duration of the project. Discipline in the way you conduct yourself in your dealings with suppliers, contractors and tradespeople. Discipline in the way you maintain project records. Discipline in the allocation of your time to important project matters such as scheduling and coordination.
The good news is none of this is hard, you just have to do it..
This is the first in a series of articles I intend to write giving an insight into what is required to be a successful owner builder. I hope you enjoy them.
Firstly, lets start by answering the question "What is an owner builder?"
I have over the years seen a few definitions and I have certainly seen a few owner builders called a variety of names some not all that flattering but the one I would probably put up there as the best and most concise is:
"A person who is responsible for the supervision and coordination of the construction activities on a domestic construction project, that is not in the business of building."
I like it because it identifies two very important areas that need to be considered by anyone thinking of building their own home.
Firstly as the owner builder you will be responsible for all supervision and coordination of all activities relating to the construction works on your project. Secondly, an owner builder is a person not in the business of building.
Generally, but not in all cases, most councils, states, territories, provinces or counties through their local government will place restrictions on the number of projects which can be undertaken by an owner builder in a specified time. For example, in New South Wales, Australia, an owner builder permit will only be issued to a person once in any five year period.
This is done to protect the industry and the professional builders who have undergone training, completed the required qualifications and invested significantly both in time and money to establish themselves in the construction industry.
Further restrictions including that the dwelling constructed must be built with the intent that the owner builder will reside in the premises and that the owner builder must have an interest in the property through title and ownership add to the protection of the industry.
So, you have decided you want to be an owner builder, what do you need to do first?
My suggestion is you should start by visiting your local council or talk to a building certifier to make sure you understand the process for having your proposed construction approved by the governing authority. Most relevant authorities have informative fact sheets and downloadable information papers on the development application process available from their website. Check them out it is a good place to start.
Call the building department in your area and ask questions.
Once you have satisfied yourself of the process, you should do an approved or accredited course in owner building. There are plenty around, and like all things, they range from extraordinarily good to extraordinarily bad or somewhere in between.
Be wary of any course that tells you you can get the knowledge and skills you need in a couple of hours over the net, they tend to be basic at best and provide just enough information to get your permit issued. Generally, they are low on real content and just cover the legal requirements which are important, but this knowledge alone will not be of much use during the construction phase of our project.
Look for a course that covers, owner builder obligations and responsibilities, insurance requirements, basic workplace health and safety, an introduction to budget estimating, contract requirements, scheduling and dispute resolution.
Now each of these topics alone would take several weeks of study to get a thorough understanding, some of them a lot longer, that is why a builder spend years at technical college learning a trade, developing skills and honing their administrative prowess.
A good owner builder course will give you an overview and a basic insight into each of these important subject areas and in my opinion any course which quotes a study time required of less than 20 hours is probably not worth the money you will pay. In my experience, cheap courses are just that, you get what you pay for.
There are some notable exceptions, you should check out what is available.
Look for a course that offers support either through the internet, email or phone. Good providers offer free access to owner builder community forums, many will offer free resources to students completing their courses.
After completing our course decide on your next actions and develop a plan. Consider using a consultant to assist you if you are time poor.
Remember, there are very few people who with the right training and support cannot be successful owner builders and potentially save thousands and thousands of dollars on building their new home, but it takes discipline.
In my next article I will talk about one of the first activities many owner builders undertake when considering their new home or the extension/renovation works they want to complete, the design phase.
I will discuss the many areas to be considered including the all important energy efficiency considerations that can be incorporated into the building design which have dramatic effects on energy savings/costs.
Until then,
All the Best and Happy Building,
Rick Heaton
I have made a living out of helping owner builders realize their dreams, nothing gives me greater pleasure than when I watch one of my students or clients stand back and proudly say " I built that", visit me at my website http://www.ownerbuildercourses.com
Hip And Gable Roof
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