Homebuilding & Renovating

Homebuilding & Renovating is the UK's number-one magazine for home extenders and self-builders. From build costs, planning permission, hiring builders, to project managing subcontractors and step-by-step DIY guides, each issue is packed with the best expert advice to help you deliver your project on time and within budget. You'll also find inspiring case studies of completed projects, and all the design ideas and inspiration you need to create your dream home. Whether you're renovating and extending an existing property, or building a new home, Homebuilding & Renovating magazine is your essential project companion.

EDITOR’S LETTER • Editor Beth Murton has been a homes journalist and editor for over 20 years and has renovated two homes. She is currently planning her next project

CONTRIBUTORS

Homebuilding & Renovating

INSIGHT • A round-up of the latest self-build and home renovation news, products and events.

Back to the future • Joe and Sally Locke’s sustainable self-build combines an advanced prefabricated building system, groundbreaking technology and 16th-century carpentry skills

Natural harmony • When the time came to downsize, Graham and Charlotte Thompson built their dream eco-friendly house in the garden of their New Forest home

Verdant Views • Christina and Richard Isaacs’ award-winning extension beautifully bridges the connection between their secluded family home and the lush green lawns that surround it

Small space big ideas • Hayley Gooding and family transformed their 19th-century bungalow in the Edinburgh suburb of Portobello into a spacious family home through innovative design and careful consideration of space

The hıgh lıfe • Turning a small and basic loft conversion into a light and spacious retreat has given Jo and Nick Liddell a whole new perspective

Cutting-edge Passivhaus homes • Energy efficient and impeccably designed, these futureproofed projects are leading the way in eco-friendly house design

13 tips for renovating your own home • Taking on a renovation is invariably exciting but daunting in equal measure — but don’t let that put you off! Here’s how you can plan, budget and run a successful project from beginning to end

FOCUS ON BUILDING BY TREES • Although beautiful to look at and an asset to many homes, trees can be problematic when it comes to extending or building your own home. Ian Rock advises on what you need to consider

How much do surveys and reports cost? • Building a new house or extending your existing one? There are key surveys and reports that you may need to commission. Tim Phillips advises on what they are and how much they’re likely to cost

THE HEALTHY HOME PART NINE: THE POWER OF NATURAL LIGHT • A lack of natural light in your home can be far more noticeable during the shorter winter days, so Oliver Heath discusses what you can do to increase it and make the most of its mood-boosting benefits

A BUILDER’S VIEW THE DOS AND DON’TS OF HOW AND WHEN TO PAY YOUR BUILDERS • When and how to pay your builder is a tricky subject for many. Our expert builder Andy Stevens stresses the importance that good paperwork and preparation play in this process

EXTENDING A BASEMENT • A cellar conversion or basement extension can add valuable extra room to your home without sacrificing valuable garden space. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking about adding or enlarging your home at lower ground-floor level

Buying land without planning permission • Is it ever a good idea to invest in a plot of land that doesn’t have planning consent for a house? Our planning expert Simon Rix offers his advice on this self-build dilemma

Optimise your garage • Not just a bedroom for your car, this often underused property...