A traditional ‘self build’ project can be intimidating. It’s one of the main reasons Facit Homes exists.
However, finishing the interior of your home is something that many feel more confident about taking on and the cost savings can be very appealing. That is why we introduced our Assisted Self Finish option as an alternative to our Turnkey service.
What is Assisted Self Finish?
A backseat approach to a self build project isn’t for everyone. Some wish for a more active role in the creation of their home without taking on the risks often associated with a build.
So we’ve created an alternative service that offers customers practical involvement in their project. Assisted Self Finish offers our customers the opportunity to complete the interior fit out of their high quality, high performance home at their own pace and reduce project costs in the process.
We like to think of it like a renovation project, except that they get to work with a fresh canvas, rather than battling with the gremlins that often lurk in an older property, and we are on hand to assist throughout (the key is in the name).
Whether they want to have the experience of a self build project without the risk, to feel the sense of personal accomplishment from their own efforts or to manage their own project finances in the interior details, Assisted Self Finish includes a full design service and delivers all of the complicated and technical elements of the build.
As always, the goal remains the same – to ensure our customers end up with the home that they want, on budget.
What is included and what isn’t?
In every self finish project the final stage is completed by the customer. We complete all the more technical/specialist work on the build (groundworks, structure, cladding etc.) and our customers complete the interiors.
By the time we hand the site over to them, the exterior of the home is complete and the interior has MVHR, heating, first fix plumbing and electrics, and plasterboard on the walls. The customers are then responsible for completing the surface finishes, such as plastering, decoration, tiling, flooring, and bathroom and kitchen fit outs.
There is also second fix electric and plumbing to organise because these cannot take place before the decoration work.
Second fix is the final connection and installation of sanitaryware (bathroom fittings) and electrical fittings. During the first fix plumbing, we can test the system we’ve installed and get the gas certificate organised (if applicable).
Facit Homes | The customer |
First fix plumbing, test and gas certification | Second fix plumbing: Installing bathrooms |
First fix electrics | Second fix electrics and certification |
First and second fix MVHR | Plastering, tiling and all decoration work |
Heating | Flooring |
Plasterboard (without plastering) | Kitchen installation |
However, the electrics cannot be tested until the house is plastered (so there is a smooth finish in the interiors before any light fittings are installed). Testing of the electrics takes place after the second fix, both of which are organised by the customer. Most importantly, the customer must complete the certifications for the electrics in line with building control, whereas we take care of this for the plumbing.
Where this first and second fix separation differs is MVHR. Once the customer is ready, we return to the site to install the MVHR unit in the system we’ve already created. Again, this is because the final parts of the system can only be installed once the plastering and decoration is finished.
NB: The site is handed over to the customer at practical completion. Any subcontractors organised by the customer can’t start work until handover.
Flooring being completed in a Turnkey project.
Cost savings
Some enjoy getting involved; buying the products and rolling up their sleeves to paint the walls and lay the floors themselves. One customer even took tiling and plumbing courses so they could install their own bathrooms.
Managing the budget and choosing specifications can give our customers great freedom in the final stage. It gives also them the chance to spread the costs over a longer period and save money on our services in the construction phase.
Saving money is often a primary reason for choosing Assisted Self Finish, however, another advantage is the bargains available to those that can wait until the last minute to purchase their products. In a turnkey contract, we have to define our prices and products much further in advance.
Assisted Self Finish in action
Our customers in Hertfordshire decided to complete the interiors themselves using our Assisted Self Finish option in order to reduce the costs and be personally involved in the build of their future home.
A young couple with busy jobs, they spent their evenings and weekends completing the interiors of the home while living in a mobile home on their site.
You can check out their Instagram here for photos of progress. Their project is a great example of what is possible and how capable they became.
Another example of this assisted self finish route has a little more involvement. Our customers in East Sussex, Mike and Donna, chose Assisted Self Finish as they were keen to be involved throughout their project.
They took it one step further though. Mike hired a digger and taught himself how to use it via YouTube in order to excavate earth for the foundations and drainage according to our plans. Proving himself to be extremely capable, he soon got even more involved by becoming an official part of the Facit Homes site team, digitally manufacturing and assembling his home.
Having really enjoyed the hands-on experience of learning how his future home was built, Mike then took a bathroom tiling course while Donna completed the decoration work inside, to an extremely high standard!
Mike assembling Chassis components with the team; Mike completing the flooring; Freshly skimmed walls
Contact the studio for a project proposal
We pride ourselves on delivering bespoke homes, project flexibility and a professional, customer focused service. We know that your project and your dream are completely unique - as should the scope of our assistance.
If you’ve always wanted to make your mark on your self build project, but have no building experience or time to oversee the main construction of your home, this is a great opportunity to get stuck in for the final stages.
Contact the studio today to enquire about Assisted Self Finish or Turnkey projects. Call us on 020 3034 0720 or email info@facit-homes.com.
This concept is such an interesting way to give homeowners more control over their project while staying supported by experts. It’s a great balance between professional guidance and personal involvement, making the process feel more rewarding. For people exploring home design or upgrades, contacting services like hill house home customer service could also help with sourcing high-quality materials or finishing touches. It’s always exciting to see how these collaborative approaches transform spaces into something truly unique.