Make 2011 the Year of Self Build & Renovation

2011's Self Build & Renovation Workshops aim to help you understand exactly how to start and progress your home building or renovating project.

Whether you're considering a new build, renovation, conversion or some serious home improvements; a day spent at one of these workshops will leave you feeling confident, inspired and raring to go!

With selected industry experts, self build and renovation seminars, guided walking tours, hundreds of exhibitors and plenty more to see, the only problem is fitting it all in to one weekend.

Ask The Experts

As always, we'll have a great selection of experts ready and waiting to help you with your plans. From the Buildstore Finance, Land Finding, and Materials Purchasing specialists through to experienced architects, project management experts, planners, building control, eco technologies and sustainability advisers.

To make the most of the experts, bring along any ideas, sketches, drawings or plans you may already have - and if you're not that far along the process just come armed with all your questions!

Please note: Tickets are free when booked online in advance; otherwise you will need to pay for entry on the door. Book yours today!

Masterclasses

Our masterclasses cover the complete self build and renovation process step by step; all are delivered by specialists and most will offer a short question and answer session at the end of each seminar.

09.30 - 10.15	Walking Tours – Self Build & Renovation
Join a small group for an expert-led tour around either the self build or renovation exhibits. This is a great opportunity to get closer to the experts and develop your understanding of what goes into a successful home building or renovating project.

10.30 - 11.15	Step 1: Is It For Me?
A self build or major renovation project can be daunting. If you're still at the early stages, trying to work out whether it's right for you, then this seminar provides a vital overview.

11.30 - 12.15	Step 2: First Steps: Finding & Funding Your Project
It's important to get these first stages right as they will affect the rest of your build or renovation - and perhaps family life afterwards! The BuildStore experts discuss the methods of finding a plot of land or suitable renovation/conversion project and outline the different funding routes available to you.

13:00 - 13.45	Step 3: Design, Planning & Sustainable Building
How many bedrooms / Bathrooms? Open plan or separate rooms? Solar panels or photovoltaics? What sustainable tech needs to be incorporated to meet recent legislation changes? There are a huge number of decisions to be made when planning your new home! Whether you’re an eco enthusiast or are more sceptical about green issues you will need to know about, consider and make decisions on all the options at the very beginning of your project. Hear how the experts tackle the process and get a comprehensive overview of the key topics in this useful and informative seminar.

14.00 - 14.45	Step 4: Finding Tradesmen & Purchasing Materials
Find out how to source materials cost-effectively and locate and manage your tradesmen; essential if you want your project to finish on time and come in on (or under) budget.

15.00 – 15:45	Step 5: Project Management
We've all seen self build horror stories on TV programmes like Grand Designs, but it really doesn't need to be that difficult! Our Project Management expert will take you through the dos and don'ts and help you decide whether it would suit you best to take the role on yourself or outsource it to a professional.

16.00 - 16:45	Walking Tours – Self Build & Renovation
Join a small group for an expert-led tour around either the self build or renovation exhibits. This is a great opportunity to get closer to the experts and develop your understanding of what goes into a successful home building or renovating project.

Walk & Talk

Whether it’s your first visit to the Centre or you need some more detailed advice and information, these tours are ideal ways to bookend your day and get the most out of your visit.

The tours take place around the unique education areas within the Centre and are an exciting and interactive way to understand the processes, materials and decisions involved. From site set-up, health & safety, groundworks, services and utilities and building system choices in the self build journey, to; risks, practical considerations, understanding a survey and how to go about creating more space in the one-of-a-kind renovation house.

Walking seminars take place from 9.30am - 10.15am and 4.00pm - 4.45pm both days; places are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Experts

Architect - Opinder Liddar BA (hons), dip arch, dip arch conservation, RIBA,
Opinder helps to run an established Chartered Architects Practice with a wealth of architectural experience, delivering both residential and commercial projects. Opinder is a member of the RIBA Green Group for the South of England Region and has a particular interest in implementing sustainable elements in all projects. Opinder has over 15 years experience in practice delivering projects with budgets from £20k to £2M and provides advice at every stage of the project, from conception through to completion.

Building Control – LABC;
Find out how best to work with Building Control in order to receive Approval for your project. One of Wiltshire Council’s own Building Control experts will happily take you through the Building Control regulations, helping you understand exactly what it is expected, how to build up a relationship with your local inspector, and what to do if things go wrong. Spending some time with building control at this event will help you get things right first time, saving you time, money and heartache!

Design & Planning - Neil Davey;
Neil is one of the centre's resident experts, his area of expertise covers the design and planning process and Neil has helped many visitors get to grips with the design of their project.

Eco – David Hilton;
David frequently leads seminars, workshops and CPD lectures as well as eco and sustainability training on the self build courses at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre in Swindon. He has completed various self builds in South Africa and renovations in the UK and has been involved in designing and installing Solar and heat pump systems since the early 1980s. On the technical side, he is Gassafe registered, an accredited installer of Ground Source and Air Source heat pumps and is currently undertaking an MSc Architecture: Advanced Energy and Environmental Studies.

Finance - David Murphy;
As part of BuildStore's Financial Services team, David has helped hundreds of self builders and renovators secure funding for their projects; as well as organising site insurance, structural warranties and post-project remortgaging.

Project Management - Mike Hardwick;
Mike is one of the Self Build industry's most highly regarded experts. A project management expert, Mike will advise you on the process you need to go through to build, renovate or improve your home, and help you understand just what the role encompasses - from arranging funding through to managing tradesmen! If you decide you would rather outsource the role than take it on yourself, Mike will also be able to advise you on what to look for in a good professional project manager.

Project Management - Charlie Laing
The experts from Charlie Laing have helped many of our visitors understand the finer details of project management, with many going on to successfully manage their own self build, renovation or home improvement projects.

Renovation - Sam Kirby;
With a wealth of knowledge gained from first hand experience of renovating and restoring properties from wrecks back into life as warm, inviting family homes, Sam will also be on hand to give the interactive guided tours around the unique Renovation house at the beginning and end of each day.

Technical Expert (Self Build & Renovation) - Adrian Hateley;
As one of our resident experts, Adrian can be found at the Centre's Technical Helpdesk most weekdays. He's had plenty of hands-on experience with new builds, renovations and conversions and will be happy to advise you on the various construction methods; as well as giving you advice on managing your project.

Exhibitors

We have over 200 companies displaying their products and services in the Trade Village exhibition area. You can search the entire list of them here.

Other Features

The National Self Build & Renovation Centre has been built on a scale previously unseen in the UK. Here you can walk through exhibits that explain - in exploded detail - every step of the self build and renovation processes.

Wolseley Building
The Wolseley Building has four key zones; the Wolseley Theatre, a Bathstore Showroom, a Moores Kitchen Showroom and a builders merchant branch area where visitors can place orders! The house has numerous different products installed for visitors to see in situ; many of these are 'eco' products such as LED lighting, sun scoops, thermowood timber cladding, sheepswool insulation and others.

Educational Journey

A fully guided audio tour taking you round a fantastic selection of life-sized exhibits, featuring cutaways of groundworks, foundations, walls, roofs and more. If you're considering self building then don't miss this!

Renovation House
Take a walk through the front doors of this full-size renovation project and see the house come to life before your eyes. The audio guide explains every step of the process to give you a deeper understanding of what a renovation project entails.

Potton Show House

Full of character and the latest technology, this show home is an inspiration to self builders, no matter what your tastes.

Outdoor Living Zone
Everything you could need to finish off the exterior of your home, from hard landscaping to living roofs, to the Potton Zone Studios.