You should initiate effective self build project management to build your own home. This simple process provides a great foundation for project managing the construction of your self build home, or any other project for that matter!

The process is used for the project in its entirety but is also applicable for each constituent task and phase. Consider each task and phase as a mini project.

Plan – Implement – Monitor – Control – Complete – Review

Plan Plan Plan! The success of any project can often be traced back to good planning. Extra time spent here could save you threefold down the line. Formulate a clear plan of action with who, what, when, where and how and then communicate it to the team.

Implement it! Put your plan into action. Complete your own tasks and obligations and ensure that other team members start on time and deliver on theirs.

Monitor real progress compared to the plan in terms of time, cost, quality and other performance requirements. Is everything progressing as planned or is there something you need to address?

Control your project by addressing those issues. Has your schedule slipped and what is needed to get it back on track? More manpower? Longer working hours? Have you gone over budget? Can you change the specification later on and make a saving? Whatever the problem, discuss the options with the relevant team members, adjust the plan, implement the changes and monitor the results.

Completion. This cycle continues until a task, phase or the whole project reaches completion and all the loose ends need to be identified and concluded for the next phase to start or for you to move in.

Reviewing the project allows a detailed analysis of the task, phase or project as a whole. Did the plan work effectively? What went right? What went wrong? Did you complete on time, within budget and to a satisfactory standard? What would be done differently next time?

There are various tools and techniques that can be used to assist in implementing this process as well as some great project management software packages to make life even easier.

If you are managing a house build then you need to make sure that you and your project are meeting all the relevant regulatory requirements not least from a Health and Safety perspective.