That's sad news, Ben, as can well imagine the emotional investment you made in the place.

I found that I was able to get an estate agent to give me a valuation of the completed house, based on my drawings and a look at the site. If you have an idea of the cost of the work that still needs to be done, then you should be able to use that to get an idea of value. My best guess is that the value will be something like 20% less than the (finished value - the cost of work to complete).

From your description it sounds as if the build (in cost terms) may be around 40 to 50% complete (I may be wrong here, I'm basing this on the costings I have for my build where the watertight structure seems to be about 40% of the build cost).

The good news is that there may well be people looking to take on project, especially if it gives them a leg up on the property ladder. I looked at two part built projects last year, and they both sold fairly quickly (I'm in the south), whereas there are some building plots around here that have been on the market a fair time.

Sounds like you've done all the tedious bits Ben, can't you sub contract to get the place habitable? When I built 28 years ago I went through a similar phase and some minor bits are still "work in progress". It seems a shame to throw in the towel at this stage.

Hi Ben, what a sad story. I have wanted to self-build for years, but having friends who have done it, I do appreciate the sheer hard slog involved. It seems a shame to get as far as you have and then have to stop. Without prying too much, do you have an idea of the sort of money needed to get it habitable, as suggested above? It might be worth borrowing more cash if possible to get it finished and lived in,

Cheap Mortgage Idea. I came across an idea for a cheap mortgage a while ago. Open an account with one of the private banks, such Coutts. It will cost you money(low £100s pa) to hold one, but their lending rates for big loans, rather than a mortgage, are very near the bank rate, which is still 0.5%. This may be nonsense, or not apply any more, but it would be a worth a couple of phone calls to check.

Get help. Where are you? It may be worth asking for voluntary/cheap help. Helping out is good way for would-be self-builders to get an idea of the work involved and get some practical knowledge. I doubt I'll be building my own home now, but I helped re-roof a rag slate roof here in Cornwall a while back and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, plus I know a bit more about slate roofing now!

If all else fails, if you're building near the sea in Cornwall, get in touch and I'll get busy persuading the Memsahib to move

@ Tony. I know that you worked as a building contractor. How would a deal with someone to finish the build be structured? What size of building firm would I need to approach?

Hi Tony;

Up in New Mills, Derbyshire. I have a friend who is a local architect who knows a number of local firms so I can talk to him.

I know it's a how long is a piece of string question but how much do you reckon it would cost to fit out a 4 bed house to a basic standard with a straightforward GSH?

Thanks for all the replies by the way, I'm very grateful for them all.

Ben

Hi that's right no first or second fix plumbing or wiring. GSH should have read GCH.

It's also correct that there are no services to the house either. Gas, Water and Elec are all available from the road frontage but not currently installed.

OK Tony, I think your probably right and to think anything else is deceiving myself. I'll find out next week from an estate agent what those two sale values are likely to be.

Ben,

I've done three self-builds - all trades, all on my own.
The first, in my mid 20s, was small, done on the absolute rock bottom cheap, and was good fun.
The second, in my late 30s, involved borrowing money, was much more ambitious, and was a serious slog (e.g. nine tonnes of tiles carried onto the roof three at a time) - I swore I'd never do it again.
The third, in my late 40s, was a little bit smaller than the second, and done for cash which removed a lot of the stress, but the physical effort was a killer.

It's brutal doing it all by yourself - even seasoned tradesmen don't realise the extent of the effort required.

If you can afford to take a break, consider leaving the project to sit for a few months while you recover your enthusiasm and earn some money. Go back to it when you're refreshed and don't do all the hard stuff by yourself - buy in some skilled labour from time to time to complete chunks of work quickly, which will do wonders for your enthusiasm.

Good luck (whatever you decide),

Malcolm

Posted By: Ben1974 The sad thing is the various problems along the way have stopped it being a dream home.

None of mine have been 'dream homes', just places to live that are a bit more comfortable than what went before.

Don't let the 'dream home' idea add to the pressure on you. A house is just a shed to keep the family out of the weather. The family is the important bit.

On a more practical, and altruistic, level, there are enough people on here that can help Ben sort this out. This may be either physically, financially (or advice on) and even spiritually (even if just making the tea). Most us will have been in a hole with what seems like no way out and know how hopeless it can feel.
So depending on geography, time and a bit of commitment it can probably be sorted.
Just a thought.

Thanks Nick

Such lovely thoughts, thank you everyone. I've had a lovely day out with my children (within the reasonable limits of two young children marauding around a science museum!) while my wife has a bit of time to herself.

We are in a lucky enough position that we do actually have the family in a pretty good shed at the moment so it's not total dire straits. The offer of help is extremely generous. I'll let you know if comforting tea drinking is required!

Ben, when I read this I thought I was reading about myself (although I'm not on medication yet). Your situation is virtually identical to mine.

You need to remember that this is the time of year when a lot of people hit a real low (not just self builders!). I think this year is particularly bad with all the doom and gloom in the news on top of your own problems. Don't pack it in now as I'm sure in a month or two you'll regain the determination to succeed. I've had to assess my situation this week. Giving up and selling a watertight shell is not something I really want to have to do. Lowering my standards and getting a builder to finish it has become very appealing. I have two young children that I'd like to spend more time with.

Posted By: pmusgrove. Perhaps it is time to extend the reach by having regional face to face meetings to aid each other and especially those that are about to put down the foundations and don't know what is coming next.

Why not, a problem shared is a problem halved.

<blockquote><cite>Posted By: SteamyTea</cite>I am all for that, but just bear in mind that the West Country extends from Swindon to Landsend now. Bristol is about 200 miles from me<img title="" alt="" src="/forum114/extensions/Vanillacons/smilies/standard/wink.gif"></img></blockquote>

Technically I'm apparently in the "South West", here in South Wiltshire!